The Mission

The mission of Operation Helping Hand is to lift up the people of Zambia by teaching vocational and agricultural self-sufficiency, empowering them to create a better life and to pass this knowledge on to future generations.

In Anita’s words:

Having been raised in the third world environment, and being a Zambian/American as well, I have had the opportunity to see the devastation first hand. I lived in the bush of Congo, back when it was known as Zaire, and though I went out of the country for schooling, I was always aware of the real heartache that can come from not having enough. We lived with local people who were so poor many only had one outfit to wear and not enough to eat. I was speaking the language, playing with the village children and not realizing that there could be a difference.

As a young adult I moved to the United States and saw that there was a reason I was born and raised in such a condition. As a Zambian National, with the blessing of being an American, I am able to reach into the lives of these, my people, and help in a way many others cannot.

Being married to Randy, who fell in love with not only me but the African heritage in me, we are excited as we see how much we can do for my people. We realized that our calling is not limited to the sharing of our knowledge of Organic Agriculture. We have received much favor from the people there and have even gotten involved with a ministry that reaches into the lives of the people on the street. These are children and young adults whom are living on the streets. They are homeless and dirt poor, fighting to survive another day, often times eating one meal every 2 days if they are lucky. This life is not in most cases what they would choose but what society and the world has forced them into. With some, they have one or both parents. The parents have too many children and so if they are one of the older children and there is not enough food for them, they are pushed out onto the street to fend for themselves. There are some who are orphans and then there are a few who are on the streets because they had issues with leadership or authority.

One young man we spoke with was kicked out of his home because he kept getting into trouble in school. He completed grade 7 and then his family pushed him out. The young men are found anywhere they can make money, even a simple 10 cents for you letting them watch your vehicle while you go into the grocery store. They ‘protect’ your vehicle from the other boys who would try to steal things from you. We fell in love with these young souls as we have teamed up with our brother Elijah Chembo, a Native and once a street kid himself. He took us to meet 4 young boys ages 11-16, or so they say, whom he has been working with over the past months. These boys often sleep literally on the street, even if it is raining, with a piece of cardboard as a cover. They also sleep up in trees during the rainy season so as to get less wet. Randy and I sat with them and we got to hear some of their dreams. There was one who wanted to be a soldier, another a Doctor and even another a Pilot! Though they may never have these dreams come true, they still are human and still have the ability to dream BIG!  Sadly, most, if not all, are hooked on drugs and sniffing glue or the drug of choice, paint thinner or lacquer. Randy and Elijah went and spent most of a night with these four boys. There was so much hunger and pain that these boys endure and they were so happy when the men brought them some treats from our kitchen. But the suffering is something Randy remembers and looks forward to end.

We intend to go over and start working with some of these young men, teaching them planting organically and we hope to start giving them a nutritious meal once a day.

We are also like to reach the rural areas to share the Jesus story or the God story in the national language that they can understand. We also want to provide practical ministries, such as  a class on organic agriculture and focus on teaching compost and teach the saving of seeds. All these are vital for survival where things are not easy to buy as many live too far away from a shop. Then we would sit with the chief of the village and and pick a number of people to come to work in the program. They would sign a contract that states that they would stay for the whole course and then come back to the village and teach the villagers. This way, the village is able to provide for itself and not have to depend on others.

There is much need around the world as we all know but here is an opportunity for you to get involved with an organization that is working right in the middle of the problem.

We have had many obstacles to overcome, but are planning to return to Zambia this year in order to begin the building of the mission and to meet with their directors already working on the ground.

We need partners to join with us in prayer and support.  We are also looking for speaking opportunities to share our hearts and stories with.

If you desire to support us financially, please visit our support page.  Please also let us know if you have an opportunity for us to share with others, and thank you for your prayers!

In Him,

Randy and Anita Trythall

info@ohhz.org

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