With the GoodWorX support, musician Panashe J. Sibanda, known as Sev7n, has turned a personal journey of faith into a growing movement using music to inspire Hatfield’s youth.
“I was once lost, but God found me.”
For Sev7n, these words capture the transformation behind Let Your Will Be Done, a faith-based music project that is changing both his career and the message he brings to his community.
Sibanda did not start making music for fame. He started writing songs as a form of self-therapy, using music to navigate difficult moments. Over time, he began questioning the messages in his lyrics. Instead of adding to stories centred on money, fame and drugs, he chose to write about hope, purpose and faith. That decision came with a cost.
When he announced his move into faith-based music, his producer left, several artists departed the HoodWrat initiative, and he had to start again. But he completed Let Your Will Be Done, his debut album, and committed the work to God.
Soon afterwards, a friend introduced him to the The51’s GoodWorX Grants programme. Learning that the programme supported projects with tangible community impact, Sibanda recognised an opportunity to take his music beyond the studio. He applied and received funds to support the album launch and its accompanying community outreach activities.
Since its launch, the album has generated more than 2,500 streams across digital platforms, while approximately 120 people have attended the launch and community shows, with some purchasing music and merchandise directly.
But for Sibanda, the most meaningful feedback is not measured in numbers. “People don’t just say, ‘Nice song.’ They say, ‘I needed to hear that,’” he says.
Pastors have told him that young people stay behind after church to discuss his lyrics. Listeners familiar with his earlier music now share the album with their younger siblings. These moments affirm his belief that music can do more than entertain, it can start conversations, offer encouragement and help people feel understood.
His message is particularly directed at young people who feel trapped by their circumstances. Sibanda wants the young man in Hatfield who believes he has no way out to see that another path is possible.
“You can be real, you can be hip-hop, and you can still glorify God,” is the conviction behind his music.
The impact of Let Your Will Be Done has extended into Sibanda’s professional life, too. Through ZimWorX and The51, he has gained a stronger understanding of branding, copyright, marketing and the business of music. He has also been invited to perform at churches, bars, restaurants and community events, and members of the Zim Hip Hop Awards community have invited him to join a music camp focused on developing his understanding of the industry.
Today, Sibanda says he is operating as a professional, copyrighted artist. HoodWrat is evolving beyond a personal label into a platform for artists from Hatfield, with more young creatives expressing interest in joining the movement. This is the wider potential of The51’s GoodWorX Grants programme, a relatively small investment can unlock opportunities that extend far beyond the original project.
Launched in April 2025, GoodWorX empowers ZimWorX team members to develop practical initiatives that address community needs. Previous projects include the GreenTheGhetto Movement, which promotes school-based fruit-tree planting; Early Foundations: Textbooks for Success, which provided learning resources to learners in Sunningdale, among others. In Zambia, Breakthrough Bootcamp has supported young men through mentorship and discipleship, while Healthy Mothers, Healthy Future has provided antenatal education and emotional and mental health support to expectant mothers.