South Africa
South Africa stands alone in Africa as having the continents biggest economy, yet it is still a county of great poverty.
Oasis is based in Cosmo City, an exciting new economically integrated housing development in the north west of Johannesburg. If successful, Cosmo City will serve as a national model to provide housing to people living in shacks - helping to overcome the segregation of the past and the economic inequality of the present. Oasis works with local churches and organizations to turn this area into a vibrant and healthy community, with our projects also extending into the surrounding informal settlement (slum) communities.
Meet Christina, Oasis Community Health Worker
Nozadana Christina Siyo was born on the 9th of July 1973 in the Eastern Cape province in a village called Ugie as the firstborn of four children.
She completed her final year in school in her home town and set of to Johannesburg to become a nurse. When she arrived in Joburg, life was much harder than what she anticipated and she did all kinds of small jobs to earn money.
During these hard times she kept on praying and asking God to help her realize her dream of becoming a nurse. She met someone who has fled Zimbabwe and it wasn't long before they fell in love. They've been on and off for about 10 years and have four handsome boys. The twins were born in 1990, followed by a son in 2000 and the last was born in 2004. Thabo has since been deported back to Zimbabwe which leaves Christina to raise the boys as a single parent.
Christina heard about the Oasis Community Wellness project through her church and immediately thanked God for the answer to her prayers. At the first meeting Christina felt even more blessed when she realized that Oasis is motivated by the love and passion of Jesus and was proud to be part of the team.
Since the joining the Community Wellness project in Cosmo City, Christina has received more offers to work in retail businesses, but she has decided to stay on as a community health workers because it has given her hope and she loves being part of the positive change that is happening in her community.
Christina was diagnosed with a chronic illness a few years ago and now has to take daily treatment. She says the training the Community Health Workers did assisted her to understand her own illness and medication and she now feels more empowered to assist others in similar situations.
