Issue56

Please sponsor a child in school or training!

Maybe your family and friends could all

chip in?

Our HAND IN HAND scheme allows you to spon-

sor a child at one of our partner projects in

Africa or India.

For just £10 per month (that's one cup of cof-

fee in Costa per week!) you could make a real

life-changing difference!

We'll send you details of one (or more)

of the children and keep you updated about

their progress, and the centre they attend. Be-

cause we want to support the education and

care provided by each centre, make the teach-

ers feel valued and help them achieve a con-

sistently high standard, we are very

keen that all children who attend should

be supported.

So please tell your friends, and encourage

clubs, churches, schools and others to

help too!

Kindly use the enclosed form. If you have any

queries, please ring David on 01600 740317.

CHARITABLE TRUST UK REGISTRATION NUMBER: 1097626 Newsletter 56

With more than 25 million orphaned children

now in sub-Saharan Africa, helping all of them

is never going to be easy! Indeed it might be

tempting to walk away from a task too huge

to contemplate.

But at HANDS AROUND THE WORLD we

are working hard to do what we can, currently

helping more than 2000 vulnerable children and

young people every day, along the lines of the fa-

mous 'Starfish on the Beach' story*.

HANDS AROUND THE WORLD sends volunteers to offer practical

help, skill-sharing and friendship at our partner centres, and strives

for happy, healthy children who are safe, cared for,

listened to, well fed, clothed, housed and in school.

We run a slimline operation with lots of wonderful, enthusiastic

volunteers giving of their time, skill and energy. We couldn't do

it without them!

There's always room for more volunteers to help, in the UK or over-

seas, so if you aren't already part of the special team, why

not join?

Of course there's always room for new supporters too, and I'd espe-

cially like to encourage you to join our 'Hand in Hand'

scheme described below.

*You can read the Starfish story here:

http://www.hatw.org.uk/default.asp?section=4&id=175

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the work of hAtw2000+

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David Steiner

KEnYa PALuoC CARPENTRY TRAINING WoRKSHoP

In our last newsletter we started to intro-duce you to our project co-ordinators – vol-unteers passionate about ‘their’ project whogive of their time and hard work to developthe links with our project partners. NigelSampson has this role for the Paluoc Carpen-try Training Workshop in Kisumu Kenya, andhere he describes his work:

My connection with Paluoc began shortly be-fore the visit I made with a group of 3 otherson a HATW building project inJan/Feb 2011. The plan was, and still is, tohelp create an eventually self-sufficientcarpentry workshop which will be able togive useful carpentry skills and qualificationsto local disadvantaged youngsters, some ofthem street children who would otherwisebe unemployed. The person directly incharge of the project is Paul Ochieng, and hiswife Lucy, two charming, energetic and des-perately hardworking individuals. A previousvisit by architect Jonathan Pricehad drawn up the plans, sought planning per-mission and set the scheme on its way.

The carpentry workshop is now built and oper-ational having taken on the first 5 trainees in2012. The plan is to raise that number eventu-ally to maybe 20. Initial problems includedhaving no workbenches and very few tools.These were partly solved by a shipment of re-furbished tools from WorkAid despatched fairlyswiftly after I hadsubmitted a bid to them. They were delayedfor some time after landing in Kenya but even-tually arrived at their destination andare much appreciated. As the number oftrainees is to increase, and each trainee is tobe imbued with the necessity of caring fortheir own tools, then a lot more tools will benecessary. Some money from a bid via HATW toJersey Overseas Aid provided the moneyto buy some good quality workbenches withvices – necessary for good work. Money wasalso used to put in glass windows and a flat,level floor – again looking to provide every op-portunity for good quality work. Finally a smallsalary has been provided for Paul so that hecan concentrate in the next two years on de-veloping the training rather than having toconstantly seek work to feed his family.

My role as Project Co-ordinator is to liaise be-tween HATW and Paul Ochieng. My intention isto be as non-bureaucratic as possible whilststill ensuring accountability for all of the fund-ing provided. I am still at a relatively earlystage of understanding exactly what their aimsare and how they plan to achieve them. I hopeto clarify these issues during my visit to Kisumuin Sept/October this year. I hope to share theirenthusiasm, maybe help to raise their expec-tations and clarify their methodology withinrealistic boundaries. I am keen to establish abusiness plan toset realistic targets but also to establish howthe plans are to be achieved, and funded.In the long run they have to be successfuland self-sufficient.

I hope, with a lot of help from HATW, to raisefunds for Paluoc and to make their plans a re-ality. I am keen not to create a dependencyculture.

Currently my thoughts and efforts, and Paul’stoo, centre around the provision of electricityin the workshop. It may well be that skills withhand tools are the most immediately useful,

Mike Haden, Team leader

The first aim of our visit to north-west Ugandafor four weeks in July 2012 was to assist withbuilding at Zumbo Primary school. In the endour project turned into something like the BBCprogramme DIY SOS, Ugandan-style, where asmall team invites volunteers from the localcommunity to join in for a makeover of a rundown property.

After six months preparation and fundraisingactivities we happily got down to putting ournewly acquired bricklaying skills into practiceon some of the internal walls.

Soon it was time to start erecting scaffolding.This consisted of tall poles from trees cutdown from the local forest, with bamboolashed together for the platform. There waslittle room on the scaffolding for us all to worksafely together.

So we started looking at some of the existingten year old classrooms which were in greatneed of attention! They were dilapidated andshowing the effects of overcrowding – onemorning we watched nearly 100 of theyoungest pupils file into a single classroomafter assembly. There was extensive damageto the walls and floors which needed patchingand doors and windows to be repaired as wellas basic paint work. Increasingly we focussedall our efforts on renovating the classrooms.

This was where the DIY SOS programme camein. Several teachers joined us whenever theyhad a spare moment from lessons revealingskills at plastering and fixing. Others in thecommunity dropped by to visit and foundthemselves picking up a trowel or paint brushto join in. This all helped us to fulfil the sec-ond aim of our visit, namely getting involvedwith the school and community and buildinglasting links and friendship.

We are confident that this wider engagementwill mean a greater pride in both the refur-bished and the newly built classrooms. Our in-volvement was just one part of a programmeof uplift for the school which also involved theappointment of a new headteacher, the en-gagement of several new teachers and theconstruction of new accommodation for teach-ers. When we left Zumbo work was about tostart on the roof for the new classrooms andthere was some remaining external painting onthe existing classrooms which was finished off

uganda zumbo

however, being able to see and exploit the benefitsof modern machinery offers the possibility of a bigleg up in the skills market. Before I go to Kenya I amcarrying out research here in the UK as to whichpower tools are most useful, and what is a reason-able price new and second hand for them. Whilstthis may not be directly transferable it will make meknow what is value for money. I am speaking to localtradesmen with relevant experience. Paul has al-ready given me a wish list; I have asked him to pro-vide me with some guideline prices. Paul knows thatI like to check on things not because I don’t trusthim, I do, and not because I want to interfere, Idon’t. I do want to be able to say to supporters inthe UK that, as far as I can tell, the money that theyhave given is being appropriately and effectivelyspent, and every penny of it accounted for.

Communication and to some extent decision-makinghas been a consistent problem. I hope to be able tobetter understand why this is so, and if possible todo something about it during my visit.

In the longer term, I hope to be able to provide somesmall amounts of funding to help with theday to day running of the workshop through theHand in Hand Sponsorship scheme, and via GlobalGiving, and also to raise awareness of the needs ofthe local youngsters and the progress they are mak-ing, as Paluoc develops.

All our volunteer Project Co-ordinators continueto work hard to develop the relationship with HATW's9 overseas partner centres, all the betterto help lots of children and young people. Youcan read their latest updates on our websitewww.hatw.org.uk

Paluoc Trainees Display their first Project (A stool)

Paluoc trainee with plan

Our team members from Jersey who visi to build classrooms have just returned:

A group of girls singing and dancingfor us, with some locals playing

the ‘adungo’

Elaine Richomme says:When we visited Zumbo to assist in the buildingof much-needed classrooms and offices and tosupport the community as a whole, one of theprojects I was most interested in was a SupportGroup that had been set up by one of the teach-ers (also HIV positive) for other HIV positivemembers of the community.

This group meets every Monday afternoon in thelocal clinic waiting room to discuss issues andsupport each other. The group consists of indi-viduals of both genders and all ages, from babiesto the elderly. When Steve and I met with thegroup during one of their sessions, they talkedto us about how they try to remove the stigmaof being tested and finding out that individualshave positive status. One of the things they doto promote testing in the community is to usedrama, and offer support to those brave enoughto go for the test.

There are many challenges for the individualswho use this support group, although medicationis free. One of the challenges is purely logistical,in the fact that although medication is availablewithout cost, patients are required to travel tothe local hospital(1 hour away by vehicle) every two months toreceive a physical/emotional check-up and col-lect their drugs. Transport is not readily avail-able to anyone in the Zumbo community and thelittle that there is, is costly. Travelling in thearea consists of flagging down apassing vehicle (usually an open truck) andsquashing yourself and any luggage you have inthe truck for a very bumpy journey. The costoften prevents need people accessing their vitaldaily medication.

Another problem is the diet, which although ad-equate in ‘filling the stomachs’ of the commu-nity, is nutritionally deficient in a general senseand more so for those who are HIV positive.

Following our meeting, Steve and I agreed to fi-nancially assist the group with transport andfood costs (the money for the food being partic-ularly important on the day they go to the clinic,as they often have to wait hours before seeingthe doctor and are not fed whilst waiting). Weare doing this by sending £100 per quarter tosupport the project.

Mary Whitsey remembers the children... We arrived in Zumbo to be met by many smilingchildren's faces! Our relationship with the schoolchildren, and those who lived near us, blos-somed during our stay. We soon found ourselvesbeing followed home after work, and beingasked for balloons, bubbles or stories. We nevertired of these requests, also going to great

by the teachers. We have since sent the schoola consignment of posters, books and a largeworld map and we will continue to do what wecan to support their efforts to improve the ed-ucational environment.

As for building lasting links, we hope that an-other team of volunteers will return to Zumboin two years time to help with the constructionof a much-needed children’s ward for the vil-lage Health Centre. We know that the commu-nity will be delighted to see them and will beready once again to work hand in hand together.

Zumbo Classroom before

and after

lengths to try and teach a small group of children howto play rounders - although this did not end quite aswe had hoped due to the growing number of childrenwishing to try and hit the ball! As our time in Zumbowas drawing to an end we happily gave the school thePE equipment to enable them to continue playing batand ball games.

Steve Turner, one of the team, writes:Due to my background as an ambulance paramedic for25 years, I have connections with St. John Ambulanceand they kindly donated to the clinic in Zumbo hun-dreds of unwanted sterile dressings and lots of otherfirst aid equipment which were in perfect condition.When I delivered the equipment to the clinic I wasgiven the opportunity to help out in the out-patientsdepartment for a couple of days, assessing the newpatients with James, a clinician, and also one of thenurses. My experience of the poor and basic conditionsin the clinic was a real shock to the system, and it re-ally brought home to me the importance of carryingon with follow-up projects; there is a possibility ofhelping to build children's wards which are non-exis-tent at present.

Helena Turner writes of her experience:I’m not a regular church goer, but one of myfavourite experiences visiting Zumbo was infactbeing welcomed to church by all of the localpeople. We went to the service in English, butthen when the local language (Alur) servicestarted, we were quickly taken to the front ofthe church where everyone wanted to greet us.

We ended up spending 4 hours meeting the local peo-ple - singing, praying and enjoying their traditionalmusic and dancing; it was a wonderful experience thatfully immersed us in their culture.

The children of Zumbo

visited Zumbo Primary School in Uganda d:

Recently, a container was sent out to our ABOPHA partners in Benin who support local or-phaned children. The contents included a carefully-chosen old tractor with plough, a 100year old anvil, a freecycled church organ, 42 bikes and lots more. The container has ar-rived, been unloaded and amid much excitement the tractor is starting to work in thefields around Affame as you can see. A service of thanks and dedication was held in thelocal church. The picture shows some of the bicycles and the organ.

BEnIn ExCITEmENT uNCoNTAINEd! THanK YOu!

A huge thank you to Lyn Harper and friends

who arranged teas and cakes at an NGS

Open Garden in Penallt recently, raising the

magnificent sum of £320.73 for HATW.

Well done!

Just text hAtw01 £10(or a lower figure)

to 70070.Thank you!

Did you know that you can nowsupport the work of

HANDS AROUND THE WORLDby donating viatext message?

Lyn Harper and friends

Some of our other partner centres need car-pentry hand and electric tools, bikes etc.and we have some storage space. Please ringor get in touch on [email protected] if youhave items you would like to donate. Wehope to send containers to others beforelong...

In association with charities 'Aviation withoutBorders' and 'Tools for Self Reliance' sometools have just gone out to Kenya for ourfriends at the Paluoc carpentry trainingworkshop in Kisumu.

We are also collecting children's shoes andwellies in good condition. Please drop themin to our office near Monmouth (directionsare on our website - www.hatw.org.uk) orpost them to us at the address overleaf.If you ring us on 01600 740317 before youcome, we'll put the kettle on!

Thank you to Cathy Tindall who sent thesebeautiful shoes!

christmAs cArds AvAilAble now

Please let us know which onesyou would like.

Packs of 10 cost £3.75including postage.

Wording inside reads: "May the

Peace and Joy of Christmas be with

you today and always"

have you visited uson facebook yet?We have lotsof interesting itemsthere. Please comeand see!

could you helP vulnerAblechildren in AfricA?

Volunteers needed - 3 weeks to 3months. You could help building,

painting or bee keeping; help withchildcare, physiotherapy, carpentryor sewing training, sports, music,

TEFL, classroom support or mentor-ing teachers! And more... Please tell

your friends too!

would you

like to win

A brAnd new

kiA PicAnto cAr?

Tickets are £2 each, or why not askfor a book of 10 to sell for us?

Ring us on 01600 740317 or [email protected]

NB 90% of the ticket price comesstraight back to HATW as a donation!

Dick Wheelock writes:

I spent most of August in Benin and will bringyou up to date on developments since thecontainer arrived in Cotonou. Usual customsformalities took several days before the finaljourney to Affame (a few hours’ journeynorthwards) where ABOPHA is based. Affameitself is a very rural town on the banks of thepicturesque Oueme river and almost all theinhabitants are engaged in subsistence farm-ing, with some money coming in from the saleof palm oil, fish, sand and firewood. One ofthe factors limiting agricultural output is thesheer back-breaking work of cultivating theland in an area which, up to now, has not hada single tractor in use. Thus, the donatedtractor and plough were soon pressed intoservice. Dieu-Donne, driving, is a trainedmotor mechanic, while Albert is a localfarmer. Both proved to be quick learners inthe art of tractor operation. It is intendedthat the tractor be used in a training pro-gramme for the orphans, for contract work tohelp local farmers, to raise much-neededcash for the orphan project and for transportof building materials for the proposed or-phanage.

Distribution of bicycles to orphans attendingsecondary schools has already begun, and theorgan is now playing in the local Methodistchurch.

Many thanks to all involved in this ongoingproject.