Meet the team - Ben!

Hi, I am Ben and I’m looking forward and excited to go back to South Africa with the team this year. I have been lucky enough to go twice in the past and enjoyed every minute of both trips. 

My two trips to South Africa gave me a different look on Christianity and my faith. The way they pray, preach and come together to enjoy worship inspired me and allowed me to connect closer to God. Even in some of the cruelest times, these people are still able to believe and give their lives to the Lord and celebrate that each day with uplifting songs. 

The second year I went, to see the children and Care Workers in Mafambisa again was something special. As they run up to you shouting your name after 2 years is incredible. Seeing the Care Workers come out of their shells more post Covid taught us all how meaningful these visits are. 

Since I have last been, I have struggled to stay close to God in the business of life after Sixth Form. However, just before I go to University in September, I believe this is a great opportunity for me to go again and relight my relationship with Christ.

Meet the team - Carolyn!

 Returning to Africa: Why This Journey Matters to Me

This is my second trip to Africa, and going back feels just as meaningful as the first time. My first visit, four years ago, was genuinely life‑changing. It opened my eyes to a different pace of life, a different kind of joy, and a community whose strength and warmth stayed with me long after I returned home. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to go back, not just to see familiar faces, but to see how Mafambisa has grown and progressed.

I’m especially looking forward to spending time with the children again and supporting the care workers who give so much of themselves every single day. There’s something about being in Africa that reminds me how simple things can bring real happiness. A smile, a shared moment, a song, a hand held these small things carry so much meaning. Every time I’m there, I’m reminded that life doesn’t need to be complicated to be full.

This trip also feels important for my faith. I’m hoping it brings the same enrichment and fulfilment I experienced before maybe even more. It’s a chance to step away from the rush of everyday life and reconnect with what truly matters.

So as I head back to Africa, I’m carrying all of that with me  the memories, the gratitude, the lessons learned, and the hope for what this next chapter will bring. I’m excited to see how Mafambisa has changed, but I’m also ready for how it might change me again.

Meet the team - Lucy!

Hi, I’m Lucy, married to John, have 4 children who have all been to South Africa over the 10 years of our partnership; this is my 3rd trip to South Africa with Hands at Work and I am very much looking forward to it . Each visit is different and I feel this will be the case this year! I’m sure we will refer to Chris Parker, many , many times and I thank Chris personally for setting up this partnership and sure all who have visited feel privileged to have gone and spent time with those in South Africa, and found their faith deepened in doing so . This will be particularly poignant as we wash the care workers feet on fellowship (previously appreciation) day, on my last 2 trips I sat alongside Chris in completing this powerful and privileged task. 

I am interested in seeing the team at Mafambisa and how the Carepoint has developed since my last trip. I made a personal connection with Kitsewe on my first trip and delighted that she is now the lead amongst the Careworkers at Mafambisa; her situation resonates with me, we share a connection with both having had 4 children and having the gift of hospitality. I am excited to see the children at the care point, I’m sure many familiar faces, it will be good to see how they are developing and see how the Holy spirit is working within that setting and the surrounding community. I look forward to hearing and seeing updates from previous Holy home visits. I’m excited to visit the communities of Pfunani and Seville B this will be my first visit to them, each community have their own characteristics and it will be great to see how these operate. 

I look forward to our team bonding, seeing each person on this journey and excited to see how the Holy Spirit works within each of us whilst in South Africa but also on our return to England. 

Each trip I have taken I have swept leaves at the Mafambisa Care Point, a small therapeutic act which is something the care workers then don’t need to do … I hope they still have a rake ! 

I would be wrong if I didn’t say I am slightly anxious but place the trip in the hands of the Lord who will be with me and us all of the way; please pray for us, read the blog and comment it’s such a support to read them.

Meet the team - Rachel!

Hello, I am Rachel and this will be my second time going to South Africa. I had the opportunity to go last year and I decided to go again as I want to continue building relationships I started making last year and now I have more knowledge of how things are there I think I will be able to get stuck in more. 

I am looking forward to going to two new care points for me Seville B and Pfunani. I have matured so much in the past year and i feel when I was there last year it brought me so much joy and peace and I can’t wait to be able to share my stories of going to South Africa when I come home.

Meet the team - Freya!

Hi, my name is Freya, I am 15 years old and about to go into my GCSE year at school. I enjoy lots of sports, in particular netball and golf.

This is my first time going to Mafambisa and I am very excited to be able to experience everything God has in store for me. I have grown up watching all the other Africa teams travel to Mafambisa and hear about all their adventures with the children and care workers which has made me want to experience it myself. I am very excited to be part of this years team. Please pray for the team as we travel out to Africa together, may we be safe as we ask for Gods guidance when needed and the strength to share his love.

Meet the team - Lesley!

 

Hi my name is Lesley. This will be my 3rd short mission to SA

And second with 

'Hands at Work.. .

Last there in summer of 2017.

I love all those smiling faces of children and the care workers. Feeding , playing, caring, sharing faith and visits to homes. 

The joy is infectious for those who have so little. You just can't help falling in love!

At 75+ I'm the eldest in the team of 10 but eager to give my best in serving these wonderful people.

Meet the team - Sally!

Hello – I am Sally and am I excited to be part of the 2026 team from St Andrews. I first went to South Africa as part of the team in 2024. We went as a family - my husband Christopher, our children Adam and Pippa and myself. It was a life changing trip for all of us and I was so proud when both the children chose to return again last year. Adam could only get one week off work - but still went anyway for the time he could - and Pippa was brave enough to go without her parents (with Alice volunteering to becoming her legal guardian for a fortnight!).

I would have loved to have gone last year as well, but at the time I needed to commit I was still in the middle of my main breast cancer treatment. And of course I was not the only person to be frustrated at not being able to travel last year. I visited Chris Parker at Lister Hospital a number of times during the time the team were away including on the way back from dropping the team at Heathrow and on the middle weekend while Adam was flying back on his own from Skukuza to Johannesburg and then onto Heathrow. We enjoyed reading and commenting on the blog together over a cup of tea and monitoring the team’s progress thanks to the fact I could track both my children’s phones. We both were determined that we would do our best to make the trip this year whatever condition we were in! Sadly in Chris’s case this was not to be and he will be very much on all our minds while we are away.

I am looking forward to returning to the communities in Mafambisa, Seville B and Pfunani which we visited back in 2024 – meeting the care workers and the children again and seeing how things have changed and developed. You may recall from my intro blog in 2024 one of the things I was concerned about was whether our two-week visit really could make a difference to these vulnerable communities. I can confirm that I saw first-hand that simply by going and supporting local care workers, listening to caregivers and sharing God’s love with the children, we can provide encouragement and hope in extremely challenging circumstances. It is a real privilege to be going again and having the opportunity to do this. Whilst I am still coming to terms with the ongoing impact of my treatment and worrying how I will manage the trip with my fatigue and aches and pains, I am acutely aware that I have been blessed with access to excellent healthcare and support over the last two year and in the big scheme of things and compared with the challenges these communities are facing I have much to be grateful for.