Today was a long day. It took us 3.5 hours to get to the community of Seville B. A good portion of our journey was on dirt roads which had been affected by recent rains. The return journey was even longer as we tried a different set of dirt roads... so the students deserve a lot of credit for their resilience in some very hot conditions and a bumpy ride.
Isabelle Munnelly writes...
Today,
the team went to Seville B and got to witness a group of care workers, a church pastor, service centre workers, and others worshipping. When we arrived we
entered a room that was part of a school complex, (which the Care Workers were being allowed to use on a temporary basis) Inside hymns where being sung
and danced to by everyone there, the atmosphere was very joyful as all clapped
along with every song to appreciate each group that had attended the gathering.
After various songs the pastor got up and gave an extended speech (!) that went
deeper into how they see Jesus Christ and his role in everybody's lives, this
was helpful for the team to see how faith combines with Hands at Work and some
of the motivations behind those who volunteer. Isabelle Munnelly
Some of the dancing during the worship was fantastic - and the video below shows some of the Gogos getting involved.('Gogo' is the affectionate name for the 'grandmother' figures who care for the children when they are at home)
The Care Workers and Care Point at Seville B are relatively new to the support which Hands at Work offers and the purpose of the community prayer day was ( as the name suggests) to pray for the important work which the Care Workers do.
Some of the Care Workers at Seville B
It also serves as an encouragement, since many of he Hands at Work wider team members join in for the day too. In addition, local leaders, civic figures and the local pastor were invited.
The day also included a visit to the new piece of land which local leaders had given to Hands at Work for them to build a new Care Point so that the local school can have their facility back.
The land which has been given to Hands at Work for the new Care Point
So, although it was a long day for the team, it was a big day in the life of the Hands at Work operation in Seville B... and it was good to be a part of it.
Elmarie one of the founders of the El Roi Clinic in Msholozi
Today
we visited ASM Clinic (El Roi) in Msholozi. We started off with an
exciting tour and some interesting history of the clinic which was shared with us by one of its founders, a courageous woman named Elmarie.
[Editor's note: Msholozi is an informal settlement on the outskirts of White River, a town which is a few miles from where we are staying with Hands at Work. The name 'El Roi' is given to the clinic as it is taken from a verse in the Bible - Genesis 16:13 Where a woman in need receives help from God and gives God the name 'You are the God who sees me' (El Roi in the original language). The name and work of the clinic encourages people to believe that God sees their needs and helps them.]
We learned it had taken around 10 years to set up the clinic where it
is now, as it had been forced to move locations three times until the present
site was found and the clinic was built.
Paula and Erin with one of the patients
We went round collecting
coffee orders from the nurses, to keep them going through the day, as
Eleanor and Erin made the coffees. Once we had finished a
few of us played with the children while the rest went on a home
visit. The children did finger painting and popped bubbles that
we blew for them.
One of the consulting rooms
There weren’t many children there because of
the rain this morning, but those who did come seemed to enjoy the
activities we did with them whilst the nurses were able to focus on their
hard work helping the patients medical needs. One family had recently lost
everything they owned in a fire, so the nurses gave them some clothes and maize-meal porridge they had collected from donations.
-Eve
Crutchley
Eleanor writes...
Today
at the heath clinic Izzy, me and Jess along with Richard went to a home
visit to a man who was previously bed bound with his illness. The ASM clinic
had been to visit him one or two weeks ago and saw him in the bad condition he
was in, so the clinic prescribed some medicine for him to make
him better.
On our way to visit a patient to and take him to the clinic
When we visited today the man was able to walk which
previously he wasn’t, its very positive to see that the ASM clinic is making a
great difference to peoples lives and health issues. We took the man back
to the clinic for his checkup after his medicine prescription. The
clinic help a variety of adults, mothers and children with their
health problems which is important because many had to travel to
mobile clinic which could be very far. In some cases people weren’t
able to walk due to health issues which stops them from getting the treatment
they need. This is why health clinics like ASM are so important to the
community
-Eleanor
Cowing
The roads in Msholozi are not in good condition and the rain had made them even more tricky... The team did really well again
There was plenty of rain overnight and although the worst of it was over, the drizzle continued on and off during the day. It wasn't cold (unlike rain in the UK) but did give plenty of opportunities to slip over on our walks to the holy home visits and at the Care Point after we returned.
Audress digs a channel to keep the water out
We have taken quite a few photos already and you can view them on our Flickr album or click on the picture at the right of the page.
Here are some of the reflections of three students who visited different homes.
Jessica writes…
Before the children started arriving, we all headed off to our
home visits. My group consisted of: Izzy, Richard, Dan, Dudu and I – we only had
a short walk to the home where we heard about the family and their background.
When we arrived, many children were playing outside and Harmony came out to
greet us.
Wet washing up
We learnt that Harmony has a son who currently lived with her, alongside
his many children. Amongst the children, was another child, Promise a girl aged
seven.
Promise is not a blood relative
of anyone else living in the home and was placed there by Hands at Work. We
were told that Promise’s mother is a sex worker in Nelspruit ( the nearest
city) and was living in conditions that are much too dangerous for a child to
grow up in. Promise had already been attending the care point prior to her removal
from her mother as she lived within a short distance from the Care Point and
was eventually removed when Hands at Work felt they needed to intervene. Sadly,
the care worker with whom she was living became sick and died and so, not long
after, she was placed into the care of Harmony, who supports and cares for her,
but needs financial help from the Promise’s mother as Harmony has very little
money herself
The agreement for her to move into Harmony’s home was that Promise’s
mother would pay childcare and support from a distance. She agreed after a
large fight. However, the mother eventually stopped paying, stopped visiting
and stopped being involved in her daughter’s life, Harmony became unhappy and began
to struggle to support the daughter from her own pocket with no working member
of the family. Harmony wants the child removed from her house (as she cannot
afford the costs) but has been discouraged
from that solution by the support and involvement on Hands.
Hands at Work are working hard to find the mother and allow
the daughter to stay in Harmony’s home where she has finally been secure. Promise
continues to attend the Care Point and will be supported by Hands at Work to be
able to live in a secure home.
Stella Writes…
Today my group (Tony, Maria, Virginia Isabelle and I) visited
a woman who lives in Mafambisa called Lyric. We had the longest journey out of
the three groups, which included walking up several muddy and hilly landscapes.
Due to the ongoing rain, the roads and paths were very slippy so we had to be
careful what routes we chose to take. When we arrived we had to wait outside of
her house because she had just left to pick up her two youngest children from
school.
Lyric had four children in total- all of them being girls-
and three of them regularly spent time at the Care Point with the other kids.
Her eldest daughter, Princess, was 18 but did not live with her mum. She moved
to Mozambique with her boyfriend after running away from home countless times.
Those at Hands At Work and Lyric herself have been having trouble contacting
Princess as she doesn’t want to share her location in case they attempt to find
her. However, it’s speculated that she’s gone to seek medical attention for her
ongoing health issues with her eye, which has been flaring up recently.
Lyric told us about her house; it was a rental home which
had three beds and a decent amount of land outside where she was growing crops
and feeding chickens. Although the roof was slightly leaky when it rained and
space was very minimal, Lyric was thankful for her home, and didn’t want to
leave when her family asked her to move back to Mozambique. She also told us
that she was having trouble trying to find a stable source of income to support
her family and was relying partly on friends and neighbours for short-term
favours. At the end of our visit, she asked if we could pray that she could find
work and that her daughter was safe.
Whilst Lyric was a single mother having to raise her
children by herself, the support she has been getting from those at Hands at Work
and people close to her has seemed to be positively impacting both her and her family’s
quality of life.
Erin writes...
This morning, at relationship group the care workers
were sharing their struggles and the difficulties that they
have experienced. Cynthia was telling us about how her husband
has left her again and only comes back with no warning, which can often
cause Cynthia a lot of stress because she does not know the state he will
arrive in.
Today, we visited Cynthia’s home where she told us
her four children live with her and her grandchild. Her eldest daughter is
25 and is currently stuck finding a job which is also the same
for her son who is 20. The two other children go to school and the
daughter’s son stays with her but they eat at the care point and that is
the only meal they have a day. The two eldest children have the leftovers
that Cynthia brings home, if she can. Cynthia has said she finds the
situation very difficult and depressing and she does not want to move
back to her initial family home to Bushbuck Ridge (about 2 hours away) but
it may come to that cause she would then have the support of her wider family. She
lacks support from her husband because he could not find a job due to his
ID card being cancelled.We do not know
the reason for this but it has links to corruption. This has resulted in no
money coming into the house apart from the small amount they receive from child
benefits. All of Cynthia’s children have an ID card apart from
one who is in the process of getting one.
After returning to the care point we played with the children once again and also helped to serve the delicious food (pap and vegetable stew).
At the Care Point in Mafambisa, the children always sing and pray to thank God for the food they will receive before it is served to them. You can watch a short clip of one of the songs they sang today here... 'I'm going forward'
Today was our second day in Mafambisa and thanks to Mr Leonard showing some good camera skills, we have a short video to share with you to give an idea of what our day involved. After watching it, please read on to hear from Izzy, Stella and Isabelle about their part in the day. Here is our video of Two Minutes in Mafambisa...
Izzy Wilkes writes…
Today we visited the home of a 16 year old girl called Precious. Her mother had gone to Mozambique and had no intention of coming back home, her father is also absent. Precious and her 2 younger siblings all attend the Care Point in Mafambisa everyday so that they can be fed. They have to walk 35 minutes from home to attend the Care Point making the round trip over an hour long. Precious’ older sister, who is 26, is looking after her and her siblings alongside her new-born baby. When we arrived at Precious’ house, Audress (who is a male full-time worker with Hands at Work) explained to us how their house was originally old and leaked when it rained. We saw that the walls were made out of plastic tarpaulin, and they were using their neighbours toilet as they didn’t have one of their own. However, the neighbours told them they couldn’t use it anymore. This is when Hands at Work in Africa stepped in. They built a strong, safe and secure brick house with a lockable door and 2 bedrooms. They also built a new, safe, long-drop toilet of their own for the family, meaning they don’t have to rely on their neighbours anymore. The older sister now has the space to grow maize, carrots and onions for the family to share out, saving her money and making sure they have ingredients to cook.
Izzy Wilkes
Stella Richards writes... Today we spent time in a care worker’s home- Takunda. There was only Takunda and her second youngest daughter present, along with her new-born baby, who was only 25 days old. Their house was a 15-minute walk away from the Care Point and involved crossing many streams, hills and other uneven paths. One of the rivers that her daughter had to cross to get to school had flooded, which meant she had no choice but to stay with her mum for the day. Takunda had four children in total, the eldest being 18, but it was only she who looked after them. The father of the household spent most of his time and money drinking with his friends in the town and refused to spend his pay cheque on baby formula; it was clear he wasn’t as involved with the children as Takunda was. She told us that he’d frequently come home intoxicated, and ‘wouldn’t really care about what he said to them’. Additionally, Takunda mentioned how he had plans of selling the house and moving away from Mafambisa- leaving her with their children. When we asked about where she’d go if that happened, she couldn’t answer. Takunda was struggling with the situation with her home life, but the other women care workers had really helped her talk about her problems and act as a support system for her. The relationships she’s made with the children and fellow workers is guiding her through her thoughts, feelings and worries in such difficult times, as well as assisting others through theirs.
Stella Richards
Isabelle Munnelly writes... Today, along with Eve and Mr. Leonard, I accompanied Virginia and Dudu (a female Care Worker) on a home visit around which was about 45 minutes walk away from the Care Point in Mafambisa.
Walking to a Holy Home Visit today
The house we arrived at was small, on a larger patch of land surrounded by trees. The Gogo (Grandmother) was sat on a mattress laid underneath a tree. Alongside her was her daughter (25) who was seven months pregnant and had two children already, which she left with the Gogo to be looked after. There were two other children present who she was taking care of. They were from the Gogo’s other daughter. There was also a small baby boy whose father was her 20 year old son, however as he and the mother (15) are still in school the Gogo also takes care of him in the daytime. She explained briefly to Virginia from Hands at Work that she was struggling with looking after all the children: things like feeding the baby were especially difficult tasks as the mother couldn’t afford more baby formula with little money coming in from the father, who does piece work (casual labour) after school already to try and provide income; the mother herself wasn’t eating well enough to provide breast milk. The description of the situation put into perspective the reality of what these children and their primary care givers are coping with, despite all of this, the greeting we got from the Gogo and her family was so welcoming and those who hadn’t heard her story would underestimate how much she was struggling due to the hospitality and strength she displayed, with little complaints and full acceptance of all her grandchildren.
Isabelle Munnelly
Back at the Care Point there was food to be served, children waiting for people to play along with ... All in all, a good day with lots to think about and learn
We
started off our day with a weekly prayer meeting, which happens every Monday at the Hands at Work Hub. It was a highly
enjoyable event where we met interesting people.
After the prayer
meeting we got into the minibus at around 11am and headed to the Mafambisa care
point.
The journey there was extremely bumpy, with quite a few pot holes in the road in some sections, but it was fun all the same.
We
drove for about an hour before finally reaching the care
point. There, we met the amazing care workers who volunteer at the
care point. We gathered for introductions and learned
everyone’s names, then we had a delicious packed lunch prepared for
us by some of the team at the Hands at Work Hub.
Once
the children started arriving from school we played games with them like
catch and 'Duck, Duck, Goose'. It was great fun and as more children
started returning from school we started to play games like 'Stuck in the Mud'.
We also played an really fun game called
“Shake, Shake, Banana”. (You can watch a video of the game on the Link for Life YouTube Channel ) It was great fun and once all the children
were back from school we did a few more introductions. Then the children
had lunch and enjoyed pap (a starch based food made from maize
meal), soup and cabbage. It looked very tasty.
Paula, Molly and Stella helped to serve the food
As they
were eating I was able to talk to some of the children and get to know
their names.
After
lunch we went to play some more games and we were having a great
time. Sadly, we had to leave, in order to make our way back to our base... so we said our goodbyes at around
half 3, then we left.
We finished off the day with a delicious
meal of chicken and rice that was kindly made for us by the team at the Hands
at Work Hub,
After a teary goodbye, we left the school at 1pm ready for
our long day of travel. We started off on our way to oxford services to stretch
our legs and have something to eat, we then made our way down to Heathrow where
an excruciating wait was before us.
Having arrived at the airport 4-5 hours before our boarding
we had to find ways to entertain each other. Stella, Erin, Eve and Izzy played
each other at Snakes and Ladders and Dobble which got extremely competitive.
Me, Jess and Isabelle went for many walks around the airport and judged the
expensive perfumes by their smell, we went into shops like Gucci, Chanel and
Louis Vuitton to guess prices on different items. And then the time finally
came to board our flight at 21:35 we even got to take off early thankfully.
We then had to endure our 11-hour flight, the range of
movies made sure we were entertained despite the
slight discomfort of my legs being too big to fit behind the chair. I didn’t
get to sleep until after our first meal came, we had the choice of tomato pasta
or sausage and mash, I chose the pasta which was very cheesy - on the tray was
also; bread, crackers, cheese and a chocolate moose which arrived to us around 00:30
which felt a bit weird. I watched a film which eventually sent me into a doze. Our
next meal was breakfast around 7 am where we had the choice of sausage and eggs
or waffles. I chose the waffles which were delicious!
After a very long 11 hours we finally landed in Johannesburg
and had to wait for our minibus. When it had arrived, we placed our bags in the
trailer, and we were off!
In our very hot minibus, I sat next to Jess who used
me as a human pillow, and on our way to Hands at Work we stopped off at a
service stations which had Rhinos and Gazelles!
Can you spot the Rhino?
We ate some food where most of
us had KFC (Jess did not enjoy despite it being her very first KFC ever) and
then we carried on. At last we got to Hands at Work and we’ve all settled in
and replenished with the lovely lasagne that was cooked for us!
A delicious meal to welcome us after our long journey
The Hands at Work in Africa Hub - home for the next two weeks
The team were delight that so many folk came to wave us off from Wolgarston. Thanks so much! Despite the rain, the mood was good and the many bags were manoeuvred carefully in to our Travelwood Minibus by our driver Brian.
Our journey was rainy, but smooth and quick and before we knew there was a stop at Oxford Services and then Heathrow seemed just around the corner.
We arrived in good time and said a thank you to Brian for such a trouble free trip. No doubt having Mr Leonard as co-pilot was a big help!
We were able to check in quickly without too much fuss thanks to some kind staff from Virgin
We have now set up a base camp in the departure lounge where there is a good mixture of homework, food, card games and chat, mingled with visits to the loo and the many, many shopping outlets.
All good so far. We are due to fly on Virgin VS449 at 2230 and arrive at OR Tambo in Johannesburg at 1130 South Africa time.
We've had a lovely welcome message from our hosts at Hands at Wok in Africa where we will be staying... Which is really nice of them
