home - about hearts & hands - make a donation - the team - gallery - projects - our stories - news
  Hearts and Hands for Africa Projects





Micro-loans - Micro-loans are given to women to begin income generating initiatives.

Kiss Project (Kids Into SchoolS) – Interest free micro-loans enable children to go to school The KISS PROJECT

Project Pooh Bear - An initiative to distribute cow, goat and chicken manure to subsistence farmers.

Tree Planting - we encourage the planting of trees

 

Micro-loans - Micro-loans are given to women to begin income generating initiatives.
Microloans support the people’s right to something better based on their own will and initiative. In our project the micro-loan plan supports not only individuals and their ventures but also creates income for our other projects creating a win win situation for all. Currently, we are working with over 150 people who have been repaying their loans bi- and the results have been encouraging and rewarding. People previously sitting idle are active, helpless people now have hope, people’s finances have increased, food security is greater, entrepreneurial creativity is stimulated and self esteem is on the rise.


Kiss Project (Kids Into SchoolS) – Interest free micro-loans enable children to go to school The KISS PROJECT is a way of helping disadvantaged children return to school. Usually, following the death of parents, children are adopted by extended family members. Unfortunately, these families are often unable to cope with additional mouths to feed and these orphans are used as domestic helpers instead of being sent to school. The KISS PROJECT gives interest free loans to families to pay for school fees and has enabled dozens of children to return to school.


Goats for Grannies – Goats are loaned to groups of women to breed to uplift their respective communities. Communities of vulnerable women caring for children are offered an opportunity to breed goats. They are trained in animal husbandry, they build proper housing for the goats and organize themselves in rotation to care for the animals. Goats provide manure to rehabilitate their soil's fertility and help in sustainable income generation. 25 goats are loaned to 30 vulnerable women who in turn return 30 goats from their breeding. These goats are then used to begin other Goats for Grannies Projects for other communities of women in rural areas.


Project Pooh Bear - An initiative to distribute cow, goat and chicken manure to subsistence farmers. Because of poor farming techniques, global warming, floods and deforestation, the land is exhausted. As a result, crop yields are abysmally low and food security is worsening. Hunger follows. Manure is an exceptional addition to an ailing land and helps farmers improve crop quality and value.

Aid for AIDS - Provision of food supplementation for people with advanced AIDS.
Ideally, a comprehensive care program is needed that includes easy access to health care, supportive services and community awareness to combat discrimination, ignorance and isolationism. We have created a high protein supplement that can help patients reconstitute their immune systems.

Spontaneous Acts of Kindness [SAK]occasionally we forget that we don’t give handouts! We understand that charity cripples. We know that dumping and running isn’t developing people, isn’t transferring skills, promoting independence or self-reliance. We know and discourage this, but it feels so good to break ranks rules and regulations and it keeps the aid workers sane and humane. With such misery around and the tediously slow pace of change seen on the ground, quick fixes are breaths of fresh air. SAK includes: Sewing really cool buttons on kids’ crappy clothing. Beading bracelets, rings and necklaces and drawing pictures. Photographing people and printing, framing and delivery them, often times to people who have never seen their faces before. Buying all there is to buy from women who carry their goods on their backs along with their children wondering in the streets in exchange for a meal. Knitting hats and blankets and then draping them around shivering children. There is no end to the possibilities of "SAK-ing."


Fuel Efficient Stove Construction- Construction of fuel efficient stoves using local materials to stop deforestation. Zambia has the second highest deforestation rate in the world. Trees are cut down for charcoal production which is consumed rapidly for people’s energy needs. As land is being denuded, the soil is left unprotected and parched by an unrelenting African sun. Soil erosion is real and crop yields are abysmal. As part of our commitment to stopping deforestation, we promote the construction of fuel efficient stoves. They are made from easily accessible local materials - mud, ant soil and ash. Everyone participating in our projects must commit to building a fuel efficient stove.

Tree Planting - we encourage the planting of trees
Deforestation is a big problem in the area so to encourage the planting of trees we make it a prerequisite for a micro-loan. Participants in the Loan Plan can buy saplings from us at a subsidised price. Local children are given seeds, they grow the saplings and we buy them back creating an income to pay for school fees, shoes and books. We encourage the planting of fruit trees e.g. Guava and lemon and the Miracle Tree – Moringa. This is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree, which has the potential of building immune systems, an important consideration in treating AIDS. The leaves are edible and are highly nutritious.

home - about hearts & hands - make a donation - the team - gallery - projects - our stories - news