The many faces of vulnerability

  The definition of vulnerable in the Oxford dictionary – ‘(Of a person) in need of special care, support, or protection because of age, disability, or risk of abuse or neglect.’   I have been thinking much about the many faces of vulnerability this past week during my time in Malawi. I want to share 3 stories with you, or rather 3 faces that I cannot get out of my mind… Tamika*.  I had the privilege to go walking in one of the new communities we have identified in Malawi that we would like to expand our work into.  This

Overwhelmed

I have found myself just this week waking up to realise we are already in September, and I am not sure how August passed by so quickly.  Winter has certainly passed here in Zambia…and was ever so fleeting.  Our days are back to being 30-31 degrees consistently, its super dry and dusty and we are all sweating up a storm, wondering how it could possibly get any hotter, and yet knowing that come October and November it will! As I sit here this morning and write this quick update I am completely overwhelmed at the goodness and faithfulness of God,

Revisiting Malawi

Malawi always has a way of refreshing me.  Perhaps it’s just the fact that I get to take a break from my normal day to day activities, perhaps it’s the fresh mountain air in the hill country of Dedza where we are based, perhaps it’s because Malawi people are definitely some of the friendliest people I have met in Africa.  Regardless of the reason, as I step across that tiny border post in a little town called Mchinji, I breathe a deep sigh, as the familiarity of a place that is so dear to my heart washes over me. I

A blog exchange…

For all of us international volunteers serving here in Africa with Hands at Work, maintaining our blogs is such an important way for us to communicate with family, friends and supporters from back home and update them on what’s been happening here in Africa. I think we can all agree, however, that sometimes writing a blog post can seem like a bit of a burden. So, to switch things up a bit, this month a few of us have decided to do a blog exchange! Basically, you write a blog for someone. Someone else writes your blog for you. Simple

A beautiful reflection from my Mum on her time in Africa

Well, I can honestly say I have never been on a holiday like that before.  As Melissa said something similar to; we have been from the slums of Zambia to the top of Table Mountain, Cape Town.  Africa had never been on my list of places to go and see.  But we went and we saw. Our first visit to community, just out of a town in Zambia was very challenging for me.  Honestly I am a bit of a germaphobic, so to be swamped by what felt like 100’s of children was very overwhelming.  The first thing I wanted