The Story of Oloba Community

Far into the bush in Nigeria is a rural community called Oloba, where there is a lack of access to basic government services such as health care facilities and schools. Many people find work growing and harvesting the natural resources in their community like oil from palm trees, cassava and pepper. While people try to sell their goods in the local market, this rarely provides enough for their families.

Within Oloba, idol worship runs deep and many people participate in the practice of witchcraft and ancestral worship. Additionally, there are many Muslim families living there and the good news of Jesus is not commonly heard.

25 Children currently supported

6 Care Workers coordinated by Janet

Basic Services Started in 2023 

In 2023, the local Hands at Work team in Ibadan was looking to expand their work in Nigeria, committed to their care of the most vulnerable children. Mama Bola is a Care Worker in Onilemo, another community that Hands at Work is serving in, in Nigeria. Onilemo is about a 45-minute walk from Oloba, even longer in the rainy season. Within Onilemo, there is a community school that many of the children from Oloba attend. Recognising the distance that the children walk and the great need, Mama Bola shared about Oloba with the Ibadan team and the Regional Support Team.

In 2023, they started visiting the community regularly and doing Holy Home Visits. The purpose of these visits was to gain a deeper understanding of the vulnerability that exists in Oloba. In Oloba, the Ibadan team connected with a man of peace, the local chief and a local church leader. With their support, the Ibadan team revisited the homes to mobilise Care Workers, who are also the Primary Caregivers, through casting the Hands at Work vision of who we are and what we do.

As the team was visiting the families, there was one family in particular that was invited to attend the Care Point in Onilemo, because without it, they might not survive. For other families, whose children were unable to walk to Onilemo, food parcels were distributed to those who were in desperate need. This was happening before Hands at Work had officially started serving there. 

At first, there was some resistance from one of the community leaders, even though we had the blessings of the chief. Thankfully, the Primary Caregivers/Care Workers advocated for the involvement of Hands at Work and stood their ground because they had heard testimonies from children from Alugbo and Onilemo and seen the impact of the distribution of food parcels. Through the dedication of the Ibadan team sharing the heart of Hands, this community leader is now understanding the vision of Hands at Work and supportive of the work that we are doing.  

Once a team of Care Workers was mobilised, the Oloba Community Based Organisation began officially serving 25 of the most vulnerable children in November 2023. Although the children from Oloba still walk to the community school in Onilemo, they now have Care Workers in their own community who are committed to visiting them in their homes and ensuring that they are holistically cared for when they return from school.

In January 2024, the Care Workers participated in a Maranatha Workshop, to hear about Christ and who He can be in their lives. 

The local Hands at Work team in Ibadan 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 Oloba. It also gives administrative support, including helping with funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation, bookkeeping and reporting to donors.

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