About Us

Hands of Help is a grass-roots charitable association committed to making a difference to the lives of people living in poverty around the world.

Hands of Help was established in 2005 by a University of Sydney medical student, Phoebe Williams. With a background in development economics and having visited East Africa and seen the poverty and desperation of the people first hand, Phoebe returned to Australia determined to go back to Africa with more time, money and people to make a difference.

With the overwhelming support and enthusiasm from close friends and other medical students, Hands of Help was created. The group fundraised over $100,000 and sent 17 volunteers over the summer of 2005-2006 to rebuild a primary school for 650 children in remote Uganda. Volunteers also conducted hut-to-hut health research surveys using local interpreters. The research found people had no access to even basic preventative health care, and access to advanced medical clinics was virtually impossible. On the back of these findings, Hands of Help are now working in conjunction with the International Medical Group of Uganda to establish a Community Health Project in Uganda, run by Ugandans, with funding from Hands of Help.

In 2006, Hands of Help sent 60 volunteers, including 50 medical students from The University of Sydney, Flinders University, The University of Queensland and The Australian National University, to rebuild another two schools in Uganda, as well as an orphanage in Nairobi. The Community Health Project was also expanded in Uganda. Hands of Help has also established an indigenous health pilot project in Wilcannia, NSW, to conduct paediatric health checks and health education sessions.

Hands of Help works to build equality to alleviate poverty, advance education and provide for the relief from sickness and disability for people living in developing countries and for disadvantaged people residing in developed countries.