The Story of Gobogobo Community

Within the rural community of Gobogobo, there are many challenges that make life extremely hard. There is a strong presence of witchcraft and a mix of belief in Jesus with ancestral worship. There are many early marriages and polygamy. Malnutrition and limited access to safe drinking water contribute to the overall decline in healthy living. Compounding all of these challenges is the lack of services like a clinic or higher education.

56 Children currently supported

13 Care Workers coordinated by Isaac

Basic Services Started in 2023

60 KM from the Chimoio Local Office

In October 2022, Farai Gunhe (African Volunteer, Zimbabwe) and the local Hands at Work team in Chimoio started walking in Gobogobo, discerning if it was the community God was calling them to. They connected with a church leader named Louis who then started introducing the team to other church leaders and community leaders. Initially, Farai and Audrey (the Chimoio team coordinator) felt discouraged: the homes were far apart and, from the outside, they weren’t convinced that there were many children living in this community.

But on the third day of visiting the community, Farai felt God saying to him, “If you leave this community, who is going to care for the children? They didn’t choose to have their community set up like this. Are you afraid of walking a long way?” At that moment Farai felt convicted and shared this with Audrey and the Chimoio team. As they continued walking and visiting families in their homes, it was clear that God was calling them to serve alongside the local church in Gobogobo. In one home, they met a young boy named Patrick* who lives in a small shack with his grandmother, who is very sick, and his grandfather, who is blind. At another home, they met a girl named Precious*, whose mother struggles with a mental disability and is often taken advantage of by men in the community – resulting in her having six children.

As they visited children and assessed the needs within the community, they continued meeting with the church and community leaders, sharing the fundamentals of who Hands at Work is and what God has called them to. As they continued connecting with churches, they met men and women who wanted to get involved as Care Workers. 

In July 2023, with a newly-formed group of Care Workers, the Gobogobo Community Based Organisation (CBO) was formed and began officially serving 56 of the most vulnerable children.

Meet Ofilia

Six-year-old Ofilia* has a story of brokenness and grief beyond her years. When she was just three, her mother passed away and her father left not long after. Ofilia had to move away from the only home she knew to live with her grandmother in Gobogobo. Although her grandmother does the best she can to care for Ofilia, her frailty and elderly age mean she cannot work in the fields like other caregivers.

This is why men and women from local churches in Gobogobo have come together. Care Worker Fatima, along with twelve others, is committed to learning how to care for families who need to be loved and supported. As the Care Point grows in their understanding of God’s heart for the most vulnerable, Ofilia will not only have her physical needs met as she does now, but she will find healing and transformation in her life by being loved, accepted and valued.

The local Hands at Work team in Chimoio currently supports five 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 Chigodole. It also gives administrative support, including helping with funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation, bookkeeping and reporting to donors.

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