The Story of Msengeni B Community
Within Msengeni Community, there is a lack of employment opportunities and many families rely heavily on farming to support themselves. However, without the rain needed to farm, many families struggle to survive. Additional challenges within the community include the reliance on alcohol and the common practice for a man to have more than one wife, leading to distrust and a lack of unity.
The effect that HIV/AIDS has had on many of the families in Msengeni Community is substantial. Child-headed households are common as parents have either passed away from HIV/AIDS or left to find work in other areas.
75 Children currently supported
7 Care Workers coordinated by Sphiwe
Basic Services Started in 2017
10KM from the Eswatini Local Office
In August 2015, the Msengeni Community Based Organisation (CBO) began providing the three essential services of a hot nutritious meal daily and support with education and basic health care to the most vulnerable children.
As the need of the most vulnerable within the community continued to grow, the leaders of Hands at Work, together with the local Hands at Work team in Eswatini knew that they needed to respond. Many of the children attending the Msengeni A Care Point were walking long distances that were often unsafe. In order to reach more of the most vulnerable children and help alleviate the burden of children who walk great distances, another Care Point was started in an area known as Msengeni B.
A volunteer Care Worker who had been serving at the Msengeni A Care Point, but lived within the Msengeni B area, connected with the Chief who agreed to give the Msengeni B Community Based Organisation (CBO) a piece of land to use for their Care Point. Taking initiative, this Care Worker started mobilising other woman within her community to come and serve the most vulnerable children.
In addition to the several children going to the Msengeni Care Point but living in Msengeni B, the Care Workers started visiting additional homes and identifying more children in need of life-giving services. In 2017, 50 of the most vulnerable children in Msengeni B Community began attending the Care Point where they began receiving a hot, nutritious daily and support with their education and health care. Since the start of the Msengeni B CBO, the number of children being served has increased from 50 to 75. In addition to caring for the children’s physical needs, the Care Workers are committed to caring for their emotional and spiritual needs.
Since the Care Point began, a cooking shelter, toilet and a jojo stand for water has been constructed which helps to ensure that the most vulnerable children are being cared for well every day. Recent projects at the Care Point have been the construction of a new storeroom and covered area which, together with a new pathway to the toilet and security bars fitted to both buildings, ensures that everyone can meet in secure, clean facilities, helping to reduce the spread of germs and contributing to the health of all.
Meet Thomas
Nine-year-old Thomas* has experienced pain and rejection. All five of his siblings live with their fathers in different communities. When his mother, Mary*, remarried, she left Thomas with his grandfather in another community and moved to Msengeni B. Life was challenging and eventually he stopped attending school to herd goats. In Msengeni B, Mary’s husband had children attending the CBO. When Care Workers heard Mary had a child who was not being well cared for, they advocated for Thomas to live with Mary. In 2020, Thomas moved to Msengeni B and later was invited to the Care Point. Providing the basic necessities is challenging as Mary and her husband rely on selling vegetables in the market and washing clothes. At home, the children don’t treat Thomas kindly, leaving him feeling isolated and unwelcome. Thankfully, he has developed a strong relationship with Care Worker Futhi, with whom he feels free to share both the good and bad in his life.
The local Hands at Work team in Lomahasha currently supports four 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 Msengeni B. It also gives administrative support, including helping with funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation, bookkeeping and reporting to donors.
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