12/07/2026
Happy birthday, Benji. ✨
Earlier this year, we shared the heartbreaking news of the death of Benji Hartfield, the beloved son of our National Director, Michael Hartfield, and Jane, and much-loved brother of Olivia.
Today, on Benji’s birthday, we are deeply proud to share something hopeful that is being created in his memory.
The Benji Hartfield Creative Arts Programme is being established at the Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation in Western Uganda.
The programme has been founded through the generous contributions made in Benji’s memory at his funeral, together with a foundational donation from our friends at Future Partners.
That support has helped turn the love surrounding Benji and his family into something lasting: a creative space where children and young people with disabilities can express themselves, connect with others and experience joy.
Of all the programmes we have been privileged to support, this is one of the most personal and meaningful to us.
Benji was a photographer, painter, sculptor and gardener. He was endlessly creative, generous in spirit and deeply attentive to beauty, whether found in art, in nature or in the everyday world around him.
This programme carries that spirit forward.
The Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation supports children and young people with disabilities and their families in a context where disability can still bring exclusion and stigma.
For young people with severe intellectual disabilities or limited communication, opportunities to express themselves and participate fully can be especially limited.
Through painting, clay, music, movement and sensory activities, the programme will create a regular space where each young person can explore, connect and experience joy in a way that works for them.
There is no pressure to produce a finished artwork. The focus is on participation, expression and the simple dignity of being seen.
The programme will also train local staff and caregivers, particularly mothers, to lead these activities themselves using affordable, locally available materials. In this way, it can become a lasting part of life at RSNF and extend into the homes and families it supports.
Naming this programme after Benji feels profoundly fitting.
It brings together so much of what mattered to him: creativity, generosity, growth, beauty and the belief that every life has value. Through colour, texture, movement and shared moments of joy, Benji’s creative spirit will continue to make room for others.
Today, we remember Benji with love, and we continue to hold Michael, Jane, Olivia and all those who love him in our prayers.
For those who would like to mark Benji’s birthday in a practical way, a gift of $26 in his memory will support our food and livelihoods programme alongside families connected with the Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation.
🎨 Learn more about the programme and give in Benji’s memory:
https://anglicanmissions.org.nz/food-and-livelihoods/rsnf/
