The Story of Seville B Community

Seville B is a rural community, where many people from Mozambique have made their home. It is a community where there is a strong presence of alcoholism and many people face the reality of unemployment. This is a result of no identification documents because of people’s refugee status, thus limiting their ability to find formal work. Compounding these challenges is the lack of a local clinic, meaning that people must walk or pay taxis to access medical care in another community.

50 Children currently supported by 6 Care Workers

104km from the HAZYVIEW Local Office

Basic Services Started in 2023 

For many years, Hands at Work has been serving in the community of Welverdiend, where two ladies, Thembi and Angel, led the Pfunani Community Based Organisation (CBO) in caring for the most vulnerable children. Over the years, the local Hands at Work team in Hazyview has seen the growing capacity in Thembi and Angel, and has been wanting to help them grow in their care of vulnerable children, beyond the reaches of their own community. In January 2023, Thembi and Angel joined the Hazyview team and handed off the leadership of the Pfunani CBO to another Care Worker. Around the same time, the Hazyview team was looking to expand into a new community. Thembi and Angel, aware of another community called Seville B, shared it with the rest of the team, and together they started walking in this community.

As a team visiting for the first time, they didn’t know where to go and were simply following the lead of the Holy Spirit. They didn’t go with plans of building a Care Point but of hearing from God. They were able to speak with the Induna (local community leader) about whether this was the right place and, hearing from him, knew that God had led them to the right place. Initially, they started visiting the Mozambican side, where there are many refugees, and by the next visit more people knew that Hands at Work was interested in helping. They brought the Hazyview team to the other side of the community and set up a church meeting, but nobody from the Mozambican side came. It was clear that they didn’t want them to be working with the refugees.

The Hazyview team called a meeting, which attracted 60 people from both sides of the community. They all wanted to know what was going on, why the team had come and why, out of everyone, they had stayed with the refugees. It caused a stir. In front of 60 people the Hazyview team was able to share with them the story where Jesus said, I didn’t come for healthy people, I came for the sick and those in need of healing. That’s why we stayed with them. That is why we are here. That is who we are here for.

From that meeting, the Hazyview team continued to meet with the local pastors, Primary Caregivers, and key people in the community doing church mobilisation. And out of those meetings a team of Care Workers mobilised and officially started serving 50 of the most vulnerable children in July 2023. 

Meet Abigail

Abigail* is a five-year-old girl who lives in Seville B with her sister Ruth*, who is seven, and their grandmother (Gogo). They are a family from Mozambique who have no documentation, meaning they have no income and can’t easily access government services. Their house is very small and they sleep together in one room. Ruth takes care of Abigail and Gogo, doing all the household chores and cooking. Abigail was unable to attend school until a Care Worker from Seville B CBO helped her enrol and get a school uniform. Today, Abigail goes to school with her friends and enjoys learning. Care Worker Marsha visits them regularly and helps them with their needs. She also plays with Abigail and Ruth and listens to their stories. Abigail and her family are grateful for the love and care they receive from the Care Workers at the Care Point.

The local Hands at Work team in Hazyview currently supports six Community Based Organisations, which exist to care for the most vulnerable in their communities. The office provides training, networking, and encouragement to those Community Based Organisations like Sommerset. It also gives administrative support, including helping with funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation, bookkeeping and reporting to donors.

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