The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2015
Empowering young people in Africa through vocational training
We are a charity based in Chesham, Buckinghamshire empowering young people in Africa (and the UK) to help themselves by developing the skills and knowledge needed to find gainful employment or start their own business.
We refurbish donated tools to a high standard and ship them to training centres and self-help organisations.

Urgent Appeal
Our partner in Zambia is in need of a new premises and we need your help.
Our partner in Zambia has been given notice to vacate their current office premises in Lusaka, Zambia. We need your help to get the new site operational before March when Container Peter 1996 is due to arrive. To find out more click here…

By donating money, you help empower young people in Africa to gain skills through vocational training. It is easy to make a financial donation by paying online or via the post.
Donating your unwanted tools and equipment can change lives as well as having a positive impact on the environment. Every year over 80 tonnes of tools are saved from landfill and refurbished.
We always welcome new volunteers to join our friendly team at our workshop in Chesham. There are lots of opportunities available and full training is provided for all.
Our Impact
In Africa


We believe that young people in Africa are the drivers of development and know the solutions to the challenges they face. We work with like-minded organisations to provide quality vocational training through the provision of tools, equipment and starter kits. These are used for training, which creates employment opportunities for young people, helping them escape poverty and promote sustainability.
Increasingly, we support vocational training organisations in Africa to refurbish tools and equipment such as the Kalwande project. We also fund comprehensive training for trainers in how to teach others to repair and service more complicated items such as sewing and knitting machines.
As an organisation, listening and learning is at the heart of all we do and as such we monitor and evaluate all our work and that of our partners in Africa. This enables us to make informed decisions about where to place our resources in order to achieve the greatest impact.
Where We Work
Stories
Meet Vesta and Roy
Vesta Zachari, Tailoring Student at Hakizetu
21-year-old Vesta lives with her seven siblings and their aunty. After dropping out of secondary school without any grades, she decided that she needed to take control of her life and find employment. Her aunty persuaded her to apply to Hakizetu and train as a tailor.
Keep reading Vesta’s story here.
Roy, Sewing Machine Maintenance Instructor
Roy is a Zimbabwean national who operates a small sewing machine repair shop in Lusaka, Zambia with two other technicians. He completed a diploma in sewing machine repair and maintenance in Harare, Zimbabwe, where the course is highly regarded.
Keep reading Roy’s story here.
Recent News
News From Africa

Moris Mumbere – Empathy Foundation
Moris graduated from Empathy Foundation in 2023 and is now a skilled carpenter in a small business. He’s determined to make a better life for his family
Hakizetu
Hakizetu Hakizetu is a women and youth organisation based in the outskirts of Mwanza town in Tanzania. The organisation helps young women who are vulnerable or victims of
Vesta Zachari
21-year-old Vesta lives with her seven siblings and their aunty. After dropping out of secondary school without any grades, she decided that she needed to take control of
Container Gavin
Container Gavin was named by Robin, one of our long-serving volunteers. Over the past 18 years, he has dedicated his time to Workaid.
Since Our Foundation In 1986, Over 190,000 Lives Have Been CHANGED


Our Achievements So Far
Our Impact
We work with like-minded organisations and place great value on ensuring these partnerships achieve maximum impact for young people in Africa. We are currently developing new comprehensive monitoring and evaluation systems with all our overseas partners.
These will place emphasis on measuring how young people use the vocational skills they learn to escape poverty and drive positive and sustainable development in the communities in which they live.