Tools with a Mission is a Christian charity enabling people to earn a living and support themselves and their families. In many countries people have few skills, little education and no means of making a living. A switch from aid dependency to self sufficiency is impossible without some form of help.
TWAM started 30 years ago and has been operating in the Chesterfield area since 2015.
It has provided that help of becoming self sufficient by collecting and refurbishing tools and equipment no longer required in the UK and sending them overseas.
Through a team of volunteers in Chesterfield started by the late David Sanderson through St. Thomas’ in Brampton we were able to send up to four full van loads a year of tools and equipment to help transform many lives.
The tools are sent to Coventry for refurbishment and then onto Ipswich for kitting as we send complete trade kits, such as groundworkers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, mechanics etc.
We also send out sewing and knitting machines and haberdashery packs to help set up tailoring businesses.
TWAM as a whole shipped over 2000 sewing machines in 2020.
The requests for tools come through our partner organisations in Africa which also provide the training and mentoring to the people so the tools can be used effectively to learn the skills of the many trades which become their lifelines.
So we encourage you all to look in your sheds and under the stairs to see if you have anything that you no longer use but could transform someones life in Africa.
Please email: alans@twam.uk or telephone 01246 229683 and for more information about the work of TWAM check out the web site.
Words: Bryn Garland