Monmouthshire based charity Hands Around the World (HATW) celebrated its 21st birthday last Saturday (8th August).

Around 150 of the 500 volunteers who have worked with the charity through the years reunited to recognise their globe-spanning achievements.

The event, held at Bridges Community Centre included the serving of dishes from all around the world, and a speech by the founder Dr David Steiner.

David and his wife Lynda founded HATW after a year-long trip to Zambia, and the charity now has several projects around India and Africa, working to educate and provide healthcare to vulnerable and disabled children.

HATW concentrates on working with the local communities to develop

educational and health care initiatives, with a long-term goal to make self-sustaining projects that greatly enrich areas in need.

The charity is run in the UK mainly by a team of dedicated volunteers, and so this birthday celebration was as much a reflection on the charity’s achievements as it was the coming together of all those that have made these projects a reality over the years.

HATW accountant and fundraiser Julie Godfrey, who has been involved with the charity for around four years, said: “This is a celebration of the growing success of the numerous charity projects and achievements of dedicated volunteers. But ultimately this is about the children in the developing world who need our continued support, and to spread awareness of how we can help stride forward.”

A shining example of the charity’s success is its partner project Maluba PIZZ, a small school in Zambia, which provides vulnerable children with health care and a primary education. The aim is to improve the children’s lives, many of whom are orphans, so they can continue their further education and employment. Through its fund-raising, HATW provides monthly grants for teachers’ and carers’ wages, a vital daily school meal, and an avenue for a child sponsorship scheme which follows a child through five years of primary education.

HATW currently has a volunteer at PIZZ over the next few months to help run a summer school, which continues the support and education out of term time, and also provides the vitally important daily school meal.

At this event, there were plenty of opportunities to find out about many projects, and even to consider getting involved as a sponsor or volunteer. There is more information on the website http://hatw.org.uk.