Hands Around The World Jersey

We are a branch of the charity founded by Dr David Steiner, a former GP in Jersey, now based in Monmouth. We are totally volunteer-led; all proceeds from our fundraising activities go directly to support our projects. Our main focus now is on Rwanda where we have been working with schools in Rusizi District in the southwest for the past 12 years. We have a strong relationship with our partners there, including our local project manager. We have been able to play a significant part in improving teaching and learning conditions in six schools by providing new or renovated classrooms and other facilities including toilets, school kitchens, hygiene rooms, handwash facilities, sports pitches and IT equipment. Each year we aim to take a small group of volunteers with us to spend up to four weeks at our projects. They may help with English language classes with local teachers or join with our local team renovating and decorating classrooms. We spend time preparing volunteers for their experience so that they can understand the context of the people and places they are visiting.

In 2020 HATW received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services.

We also support a number of students through secondary school and into further education including university degree, or vocational training. We are immensely proud of our latest graduates in veterinary medicine, midwifery, teaching, and tailoring. Our projects are generously supported by Jersey Overseas Aid who have recognised our ability as volunteers to deliver large scale construction projects with our local partners in Rwanda.In 2023 we started on a new three-year partnership with schools in Bugarama. Named Ubumwe, meaning Unity, we are continuing to focus on improving the learning environment through new and renovated classrooms, latrines, water tanks and security fencing. These are all funded through a generous grant from Jersey Overseas Aid

In addition, through our own fundraising, we are supporting two new initiatives in the schools:

We are planning to build a Girls Hygiene Room in each of our nine partner schools. Many girls miss out on education through period poverty so we hope to boost attendance and academic success for girls. Each room will have toilet and shower facilities as well as beds for resting. We also fund training for school matrons and distribute dignity bags containing sanitary materials.
Street Children’s Lives Matter: St Paul Muko School has encouraged over 400 students who had dropped out of school to return to education. We are supporting their feeding programme and hope to set up a programme of pig rearing which will provide disadvantaged families with a source of income which will enable them to afford to keep children at school.

Our fundraising activities include our annual sponsored walk, the Great North Coast Charity Challenge across the north coast of the island from St Catherine’s to Grosnez in September, an annual Quiz Night and an offering of painting or gardening work for donations.

Our latest initiative is our new charity shop at 16 Union Street with a great display of pre-loved clothes for ladies and gentlemen.