Dear Hands at Work Family and Friends,

The story you are about to read reflects the care, activities, and access to services usually provided at Care Points across Africa. In the current season of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, those services look different and are largely focused on daily access to food,
and in ensuring safety for the most vulnerable children. Whilst adhering to government restrictions, our care for the most vulnerable will not stop. This is especially important in a season where our children face increased levels of vulnerability.

Within Zambia, Michael and the Luanshya local office team are committed to continuing in their care of the most vulnerable children they serve. On a weekly rotation, members of the local office team visit the eight communities in their region, standing alongside local Care Workers as they provide children with their daily meal whilst ensuring proper hygiene and hand-washing standards are being adhered to.

At many of our Care Points, local Care Workers are arriving as early as 6am to begin preparing food for the children. Two or three additional Care Workers then arrive to help lovingly, but swiftly, serve the children their meal, wash dishes and support children in adhering to social distancing requirements. The Care Workers also make sure that a maximum of 20 people are at the Care Point at any given time.

In the middle of April, Michael and the team arranged for the local health authorities to share with Care Workers from each Community Based Organisation around COVID-19. The goal was to dispel myths and help them to understand the precautions needed to keep themselves, the children they serve and their community safe.

All of these measures are to ensure the most vulnerable children continue to receive care in this season.

Please stand with us in prayer.

• For our Care Workers, who continue to experience fear in this time. Pray that our local office team would be able to speak words of encouragement and assurance in this season.

• Pray against the false teachings, rumours and mis-advice being circulated within our communities. Pray against those who are taking advantage of the situation for personal gain and mistreating and misinforming the most vulnerable within the communities.

• Pray that Michael and his team would be able to bring Jesus in everything they are doing, speaking truth into situations and testifying of God’s goodness.