The Story of Sibovini Community
The community of Sibovini is a desert community, far from any borders, with the only water source being the local river. With few opportunities for formal employment, many people rely on finding odd jobs in the community or working for the owners of marijuana farms to survive. Sadly, many of the men and young mothers leave the community to try to find work in the larger cities – only to never come back. Many children are left in the care of their grandparents who struggle to provide for their families. These challenges, compounded by strongholds like witchcraft, alcohol abuse, the growing of marijuana, and mixing the gospel with traditional practices, make Sibovini a tough place to live.
50 Children currently supported by 21 Care Workers
Basic Services Started in OCTOBER 2024
10 km from the Phophonyane Local Office
Since July 2022, Hands at Work has been serving in the neighbouring community of Phophonyane – about a 3.2km walk from Sibovini. Over time, as word spread of what Hands at Work was doing in Phophonyane, one of the families from Sibovini started coming to the Care Point, desperate for support. Although they were not formally a part of the Care Point, the family received food, as their situation was so challenging.
Hearing about Sibovini from this family and from community leaders, Hands at Work leadership, together with the local Hands at Work team in Phophonyane, started walking in Sibovini in February 2024.
The team began by visiting the family who had been added in at Phophonyane, accompanied by a member of the Chief’s office, and then continued to visit other families in the community to better understand the situation. Encouragingly, there was already a group of women with a heart to care for the most vulnerable children who, at one stage, would cook for the children when food was donated by a non-profit organisation. However, it had been a year since they had received donations. Thankfully, these women have become some of the first Care Workers in Sibovini. After identifying the most vulnerable children through Holy Home Visits and hearing their stories, the Primary Caregivers were also invited to join as Care Workers.
In 2024, local pastors participated in a church mobilisation workshop where they gained a deeper understanding of the vision and heart of Hands at Work. In October 2024 – the same month that 50 of the most vulnerable children began receiving the three essential services of a hot, nutritious meal and support with their education and basic health care, the Care Workers participated in a Maranatha Workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to share more about who Hands at Work is, and who Jesus is and can be in their lives.
The local Hands at Work team in Phophonyane currently supports three 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 Phophonyane. It also gives administrative support, including helping with funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation, bookkeeping and reporting to donors.
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