Neighbours is a Non-profit organisation that was started in 2012 when the Branken family moved into Hillbrow to stand in solidarity as neighbours to those most marginalised in South Africa. The phrase they try to live out is “we are becoming good friends to our neighbours and then good neighbours to our friends”.

We want to be a personal prophetic witness to the church and will do this by:

1. Relocation
   We we have moved our work from Hillbrow to the Orange Grove area so that we can be a bridge and an “in-between” space with divergent and separated communities. We still believe that it is key to build equal loving relationships across class, race, national and other barriers. Loving our neighbour starts with knowing our neighbour.
2. Demonstration through our family:
   1. Personal resilience to climate change through working on personal and community food security and off the grid solutions
   2. Personal protest and activism as a regular rhythm of life as we fight to build movements and enhance citizen power towards a new world.
   3. Personal solidarity
      "Becoming good friends to our neighbours and good neighbours to our friends". We will continue to stand with our friends.
   4. Living simply and sharing our lives and resources
      We want to move from charity to community and justice at various levels.
   5. Social enterprises
      Implementing alternative imaginations in our personal economies by and with our neighbours (Music School, Art Business and other income generation).

We want to help the church to "love mercy, walk humbly and act justly" (Micah 6:8).

1. In the local church
   We believe that "each one should use whatever gift they have received to serve others faithfully, administering the grace of God in its various forms" (1 Peter 4:10). In our local church we will serve in the following areas:
   1. Ngecala Iakho (By your side)
      We will lead the Melrose Church NGO in its work with refugees and non-nationals, the LGBTQI community, displaced persons and other marginalised communities.
   2. Children's ministry pastors
      We will support children and their families in the community. We want to help enlarge the children's ministry toa more outward focus on vulnerable children in the community.
   3. General service
      We will serve in other areas where we have skills and time e.g. worship team, social media etc.
2. In the wider church
   
   1. Supporting churches and ministries in Johannesburg, South Africa and beyond. We will be involved in Mentoring/Coaching/Speaking and through writing and social media to help leaders and congregations journey towards and integral gospel proclamation and living justly.
   2. We will focus on the following messages for 2020:
      • Living wage
      • Climate change
      • Citizen power and movement building
      • Radical inclusion
      • LGBTQI justice
      • Racial and gender justice
      • Integral gospel proclamation

You can find out more about how we do this by visiting our website at www.neighbours.org.za. We would love to co-conspire with you and demonstrate that a new, just, kinder world is indeed possible because it is being lived out around us.

You can also partner with our many new and exciting ventures with the Hillbrow community in 2019. Send us an email (nigel@neighbours.org.za) if you would like to volunteer or have items that may assist us. Let us know if you would like to be added to our mailing list to keep up to date with our work.

Here is a link to our story covered by the Daily Maverick

For more information, visit www.neighbours.org.za

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