How did HANDZ come about?

Projects to inspire the idea of HANDZ started in the summer of 2005. Two Pacific University graduates, Andrea Bowden & Emily Smith fulfilled their dream to go to Africa by getting the opportunity to live at a village women's center in the copperbelt region of rural Zambia. The two worked in the area with six different small women's cooperatives to facilitate workshops dealing with healthy eating, making soy milk, cooking, english lessons, jewelry making, & other living & sustainability skills. Beyond the women's centers, the two were asked to teach classes at the local government school, Muchinshi Upper Basic School, serving grades 1-9. They taught two days a week at Muchinshi as well as facilitating arts & crafts at the Muchinshi preschool.
During this time, Emily identified a dire need for assistance with school fees after seventh grade. Many children, especially girls, end their education in sixth grade due to required fees & expensive books.
Emily travelled back to Muchinshi, in July of 2006 on a teacher's assistant contract for Gonzaga University students. She had raised over $3,000 of private donations and funded 57 students' administration fees.