Debrief Day: A chance to think and reflect -Thursday 27 February
After so many days which have been busy and full of activity, today gave the team a chance to stop and think about all that we have seen, heard and experienced.
In the morning we met with some of the Hands at Work staff who have accompanied and supported us on the visits we have made to the different communities which are supported by Hands at Work in Africa.
Everyone had the chance to ask questions of the Hands at Work team members to clarify anything which we had found confusing or concerning.
 |
| Some of the Hands at Work in Africa Team who have been supporting us during our visits to the community. Left to Right... Audres, Virginia, Loneck, Prudence and Eunice |
We were encouraged to really think about what we had seen and experienced so that we would be able to make the most of the visit. We were also invited to think about what we could each do to speak up for the needs of the people we had met, also let others know about the remarkable work which Hands at Work are doing, so that they can support the charity if they wish to.
After lunch we were able to visit a local craft centre to look for souvenirs and gifts before returning to Hands at Work to record some videos to be used in school assemblies and other report-back events.
Everyone was then given the opportunity to write a further contribution to the the blog, about people at Hands at Work whose situation has really impacted us. Some of these stories are below...
Eleanor writes...
One of the stories that stuck
with me the most was the story about Mama Catherine and her family. She lives
in a small house with her daughter, son and grandson who are confined to a very
tight space.
Unfortunately her husband offers
no support to the family and doesn't have a job, he often leaves the house for
large periods of time without letting anyone know when he's coming back. This
causes a lot of the distress to the family, as he often comes back drunk or
high from substance abuse. Catherine always seems disheartened and sad which is
why it is so important that Hands at Work are able to help the family and
Catherine.
-Eleanor Cowing
Jess writes...
The story that impacted me the most was about a lady who was a sex-worker, she had been living in dangerous conditions with her six hear old daughter, Emily, and as a result, Hands at Work had persuaded her that the child would be safer and better cared for by another person. She had wanted to keep her daughter with her but unfortunately, for Emily, it was really not safe. Emily was placed into a home with a loving Gogo, but not long after, the Gogo passed away and so the daughter had to be moved again.
Emily was then placed into a
home with another Gogo who was also simultaneously caring for her own children and
grandchildren as well. The Gogo took the child in on the condition that she would have her costs paid for by the mother.
The mother continued paying
until she suddenly just stopped. Hands at Work are involved in trying to find the mother,
but in the meantime, the Gogo does not want the child in her care as she is
struggling to pay for her food and water for her own children as well as Emily. Hands at Work are doing everything
they can to support the child until a permanent arrangement can be found.
-Jess Parton
Isabelle writes...
One of the remaining stories we
can share on our last days is that of a 10 year old girl, youngest of four
siblings.
Her older sister (17) has taken
the responsibility of being a maternal figure to her sisters as their mother
neglected them and left the family to be with her boyfriend, this also results
in no income for the family. Sometimes the mother will return for brief periods
of time however this creates instability, so Hands at Work invest a lot into
creating relationships with the sisters that they don't receive from their
mother.
-Isabelle Munnelly
We have changed the names of the individuals in the stories above to preserve their anonymity. Each story shows a different view of the brokenness of the communities in which Hands at Work are operating. It is easy for us to criticise the adults who walk away from parental responsibility, or treat their families so poorly... but we often don't know the whole story and when life is so hard many people are in real desperation and cannot cope. The reasons why a community can become so broken are complex, but Hands at Work are not afraid of difficulties or challenges and they make a huge difference to the lives of children and families living on the edge.
We will be putting together some feedback events for the wider community when we return to the UK and we hope that, if you have enjoyed following this blog, you will be able to come along to hear more about the visit at one of these events.
The first one arranged will be on Sunday 6 April at 7pm. We hope that we will be able to hold this at St Michael's Church in Penkridge, but this is yet to be confirmed.
If you would like to find out more about the work of Hands at Work in Africa then you can contact info@uk.handsatwork.org or visit handsatwork.org
You can find out more about supporting link for life by contacting us via our Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/linkforlifeproject. If you would like to donate to support the work of Link for Life Project, linking young people in our area with communities in southern Africa then please visit https://www.stewardship.org.uk/pages/linkforlife2025
Thanks for following us and supporting the 2025 on our remarkable visit to South Africa. We will keep you posted as we continue our journey home which begins tomorrow, 28 February.