The Story of Chilabula Community
In 2007, a local community group named Mutende Organisation travelled to different communities, speaking to their leaders. They encouraged the communities to unite to support the sick and dying by visiting them in their homes. The leader of Chilabula was inspired and spread the message to local churches, who soon got involved. From these churches, men and women came together and began visiting patients, using anything they could from their own resources, and counselling and praying with the sick. Thus, the Chilabula Community Based Organisation (CBO) was born.
125 Children currently supported
12 Care Workers Coordinated by BArton
Basic Services Started in 2008
15 km from Luanshya Local Office
In 2008, Hands at Work partnered with the Chilabula CBO and encouraged them to focus on caring for the most vulnerable children. Hands at Work shared the biblical mandate that the church has to care for the orphaned, the widowed and the dying. A group of Care Workers were mobilised to begin caring for children and doing weekly visits to the children’s homes. These Care Workers come from the same community as the children and have grown up in a similar way, giving them a unique ability to relate to and understand the trauma that the children have experienced.
When the Chilabula CBO initially started, the most vulnerable children began coming to the Life Centre. As the Care Workers grew in their capacity and understanding of what it means to care for the most vulnerable, the number of children being cared for increased to 125 – a huge answer to prayer given the level of vulnerability in Chilabula. Caring for these children means assessing their vulnerability regularly and responding to their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
The local Hands at Work team in Luanshya is a group of Hands at Work volunteers who are committed to supporting eight communities in the Luanshya area, including Chilabula. Since Hands at Work partnered with Chilabula, they have been walking with the CBO to ensure that the leadership is healthy. Initially under the coordination of Jackson, the Luanshya team encouraged him to involve more Care Workers from the Chilabula CBO in the day-to-day running of the Life Centre, enabling the Care Workers to feel empowered and valued. Eventually, Jackson stepped down as coordinator and asked Barton to take over – a huge step in Jackson’s growth and involvement of the other Care Workers.
To enhance the safety and security of the Life Centre, grill doors were added to the toilets and kitchen, and brick ventilation windows were added to the kitchen to increase airflow. This work is another great step in ensuring the health and hygiene of the most vulnerable children. Additionally, the storeroom has been renovated, securing the storage of the food that the children will receive.
The local Hands at Work team in Luanshya currently supports ten 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 Chilabula. It also gives administrative support, including helping with funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation, bookkeeping and reporting to donors.
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