When asked how the idea of Lend A Hand came about , the founder Maxine Chisweto is not really sure. What she does know is that at some point she asked herself " what if instead of giving me gifts on my birthday, my friends pool their resources, I add my share and instead we give to someone else?".
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From that simple idea, Lend A Hand was born. Lend A Hand is an initiative that seeks to make a difference in someone's life at least once a year. Every year, leading up to the Maxine's Birthday in January we have a collection of something we have identified to be a need to certain communities. Lend A Hand has been running since 2015. Over the years we have managed to hand out sanitary pads, host a free shopping experience after having collected, washed and sorted second hand clothes as well as pay school fees for 50 children, hand out toiletries as well as toys to children.
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To date the numbers have been astounding! On every single occasion , the receiving crowds have never been less than 300. Recipients are chosen based on need and usually places that most charities simply overlook or never dare to go to. Usually places just on the border of Harare. You will be shocked how close need can be to you yet you are blind to it. The team that goes out to give are usually friends, family of Lend A Hand or someone who heard about us and simply wanted to Lend A Hand.
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For Lend A Hand, we just don't wish to swoop in, give and go. No. We make every single giving day an experience. Our mission is to inspire, give and plant a seed. We talk to each individual who gets something from us, we hear their stories, we laugh with them, we dance them , we tell them our stories but most importantly we try plant a seed in their heart. A seed that tells every single child we come across that you can be anything you want to be. A seed that lets them know that even though we stand before you giving today, tomorrow you too can be the giver. A seed that reminds them that in this world , we need each other to make it. And so we encourage each child, woman, boy or man that their stories never have to be confined to what they see. We encourage the kids to work hard in school because as cliché as this sounds - that is the future of our nation. We treat them with love and respect because we realise that today we are in the presence of VIPs, and we may well be helping the next President have a better day!
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In everything we do, we seek the love and knowledge of Christ. If we show up to a community and they did not feel the love of God then our day of giving failed. We realise we may not be able to solve someone's problem in its entirety but if we can just help lessen their burden for even just a day - we will do it! If we don't do it, who will?
