On the weekend of July 27-28, 2024, Miss Sthembile Ngcobo from the Projects Department and Lieut-Colonel D. Dlamini, the Community Care Ministries Secretary, conducted community engagement training at Emangweni. Delegates included officers, soldiers, and community members from around the Nkomazi Section. Lieut-Colonel Doris Dlamini opened the training with a devotion titled “Reach Out and Touch,” in which she encouraged the delegates to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their respective communities.
Throughout the weekend, we focused on the “serving suffering humanity” aspect of the mission of The Salvation Army. Miss Ngcobo highlighted the importance of The Salvation Army’s involvement in the community and working with other stakeholders. Various activities, such as group discussions, broadened our understanding of community engagement. We noted that simply making ourselves available in the community and utilising the resources we have can bring about sustainable change. Every Corps represented was challenged to go back and make a difference in their communities.
This training reminded us that community engagement will always be important. As long as there are social ills and brokenness in this world, we are needed in our communities as the salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16).
