Hand and Heart

Hand & Heart's brand new project for Botshabelo involves 24 University of Washington students and 24 South African volunteers all working together to raise money and collect needed goods for Botshabelo. The CarWash was our first fundraiser and it went great. The students dove in full force and made a massive success of the day and raised some money and awareness for our project for Botshabelo. All the funds we raise will directly go to Botshabelo. We are planning on having at least 2 more CarWashes and a few other fundraisers before we go to South Africa, so watch the space...

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H&H Ambassador, Yuri Bojorquez, born and raised in Mexico, took an extended travel and volunteering break from her everyday life in Canada to travel the world and live at Botshabelo Aids Orphanage in South Africa for 3 months. While at the Orphanage, Yuri exceeded all of our expectations. Yuri not only became an incredible teacher, nurturer, and friend to the kids at the Orphanage, she also grew very attached to the staff and orphanage as a whole. While at the Orphanage, Yuri started her own tradition, which she has been repeating and will continue to repeat every year. This tradition is a kids celebration day that she makes her own by adding her very own unique Mexican flare to it. The kids at the Orphanage know Yuri as the Pinata lady and look forward to her visit every year! The kids get to make awesome Pinatas and explore the deeper meaning behind the Mexican Pinata Tradition, which is facing all your fears, frustrations and anger by smacking a pinata, so that you can break all these negative feelings and then open the doors for blessings (candy) to poor into your life and fall from the Pinatas. Yuri has touched the hearts of many individuals at the Orphanage and here at Hand & Heart and we are so proud of her, she represents Hand & Heart so beautifully! Click here to view pics of Yuri's Kid's Day...

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Hand & Heart partnered with 3 other businesses in South Africa and over 40 volunteers and ran a weekend long educational farming initiative at Botshabelo Orphanage. Our goal was to teach the staff and kids at Botshabelo Orphanage cost effective farming techniques and in the process fill the empty greenhouses at the orphanage with fresh new veggies and plants. While the older kids were hands-on learning the techniques and farming, the little ones were watching and learning and also painting veggies and being taught basic nutrition facts. The project was a huge success and was filmed and written about in local newspapers. Hand & Heart and our partners supplied all the materials needed for the weekend and donated plenty of much needed supplies and products to the orphanage to use and consume. It was a great weekend and we had lots of fun! Click to view more pics.

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Hand & Heart gathered up volunteers and resources to give the kids at Botshabelo Aids Orphanage a Christmas they will never forget. The thought that some kids have to sit and watch other kids get presents and have a great Christmas while their families or situations simply don't allow for it, is heart wrenching and something Hand & Heart knew it could do something about, and so we did. We gave the kids and staff at Botshabelo Orphanage, who otherwise would not have been able to afford a Christmas Celebration, a day to remember. There were jumping castles, water worms, barbeque, lots of candy, presents, good music, dancing and lots and lots of smiles everywhere! This might not have been a substantial or sustainable philanthropic project, but to the kids at the orphanage, it was substantial and sustainable in a sense that they will have this memory forever. We had so much fun planning and throwing this event at the orphanage. We started with nothing and with a little bit of effort from all our team members, we were able to not only give the kids an awesome day but also give the orphanage a lot of items they really needed at that point. Overall, this was just a really fun event, and something that enriched everyone's Christmas and brought lots of smiles. Click here to see pics of the X-Mas Event.

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Hand & Heart fundraised and collected a lot of art supplies and then for a whole weekend went to Botshabelo Orphanage with a big team of volunteers and ran a fun art campaign at the Orphanage. The goal was to enable the kids to get in touch with their artistic side and to use their own hands to generate future income for their community in the form of painting/jewelry sales. We brought back lots of paintings and jewelry made by the kids, and whatever gets sold, that money belongs and is given to Botshabelo Orphanage, either in the form of money, serivies or goods. Overall it was really great to enabled the kids to express themselves in something some of them have never been able to do before. Click here to view more pictures.

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