1. What is Casa Madre Maria Clara?

Casa Maria Clara is a social institution that is committed to take care and provide a long term home to the abandoned, orphan or helpless children.

    The address is: Missão de S. José de Lhanguene, Maputo, Moçambique.

    Today, more than 100 children live in Casa Maria Clara. Our children's age is between 1 and 18 years.

2. Tell a friend about "Casa Maria Clara"!

Hint: If you don't remember your friend's email, then write your email. Later, you forward it from your mailbox.
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   3. Our Mission is:

• To promote and ensure the education of these children. To develope the children's capacities: personal, cultural and moral. This is required for a complete integration in the society;
• We wish to provide to these children the opportunities to become a dynamic example for the next generations;
• To provide the required education resources, matching the all schooling levels;
• To create a familiar atmosphere and a fellowship attitude, where everyone are respected. These will be the women of the future Mozambique. They must realize their crucial role in society and family.

4. This institution is managed by the CONFHIC Sisters: Congregation of Hospitalier Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception

This Congregation is in Moçambique since the 26th of August of 1922.  

Província de São Francisco de Assis CONFHIC

There are missions in most provinces of Mozambique: Maputo, Inhambane, Sofala, Manica, Zambézia and Nampula.

    The Sisters of this Congregation provide help to the poorest people. They work on social subjects such as health care, school education, catholic education, orphanages, help to the older people,... Our main attention goes to the helpless people, particularly children.

    In this institution, the complete education is supervised by the Sisters of this Congregation.

5. How is the daily life of the children in "Casa Maria Clara"?

    These children receive an integral education. Besides the school, the Sisters of this Congregation teach them theoretical and practical knowledge that will be very useful in the future life: how to seam, how to make handicrafts, cookery, farming and cattle raising, ...

    Six Catholic Sisters are responsable by the children education. They feel that living in this institution is almost as living in a very big family, where everyone is loved. Furthermore, everyone has some task to do. This way, the children feel that they are important and needed by the community.

    They have remarkable results in school: Every year, approximately 95% succeed in the school exams.

    The children also participate in the parish events: there is a youth center and a catechesis. Most children have already accomplished the first communion, the Holy Sacrament and the chrism.

Waking up(5:45)	Having Breakfast (7:00)	Washing the clothes
Feeding the hens	Agriculture (only on friday)	Maize grinding
Study of the Morning (8:30)	Cooking the lunch	Serving the lunch
Lunching (11:30)	Washing the dishes	Sewing (14:30, wednesday)
Agriculture	Maize grinding	Study of the afternoon(14:30)
Cooking the dinner	Dinner(18:30)	Going to sleep (20:00)

6. Do you want to become a "godfather" / "godmother"?

    The "godfather" (or "godmother") is someone that will support one child's education. Your encouragement messages, your advices and financial support will contribute for the personal education of your goddaughter. The exchange of correspondence, the affection and the personalized attention, will be favorable to the emotional stability of your "goddaughter".

    "The children, the Congregation of Hospitalier Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, and me (Director of this institution), would like to express our gratitude for your kindness and generosity. Thank you for helping this challenging task: the task of rebuilding the human resources; the mission of recovering this nation."

7. Which are the main needs of the "Casa Madre Maria Clara"?

The main needs of "Casa Madre Maria Clara" are:

• to provide feeding and clothes 
• obtain materials needed by the students, such as pens, notebooks, rulers, books,... 
• ensure the hygiene in the habitation spaces, and the maintenance of the equipments in this house 
• develop a program of cultural and recreative activities, for children of all ages 
• To Create practical activities which will give the children a professional experience. Examples are: how to seam, how to make handicrafts, cookery, farming and cattle raising, computer basics, ... 
• learning the basic knowledge of health, hygiene, pediatrics principles, ...

8. How is "Casa Madre Maria Clara" funded?

    For its subsistence, the Casa Madre Maria Clara depends upon God and benevolent people. Fortunately there are some kind people that understand the importance of this work, for a better future in the Moçambique of the future.

    The main aids come of some humanitarian organizations and the "godfathers" and "godmothers". 

    Furthermore, the children, with the aid of the Sisters, make small "businesses", as selling of home-made ice-cream, candies, biscuits, cookies and cakes.

    As means of education, and to help the orphanage's subsistence, the children participate in activities, such as: cookery, agriculture, cooking, sewing, making handicrafts...

9. The children will thank you for your help:

 These children live, thanks to solidarity of people as you!

-Become a "Godfather" or "Godmother".

-Support these children.

11. Contacts of the Casa da Criança Madre Maria Clara:

Ir. Maria Isaura Lino Soda    Casa Madre Maria Clara, Missão de São José de Lhanguene,  Bairro de Chamanculo, "C" Av. do Trabalho, Maputo, Moçambique   Tel: +258-21-401943 Fax: +258-21-400277 http://casamariaclara.no.sapo.pt

In Portugal, there are two addresses related with the House: Sede Geral da CONFHIC, Rua Madre Maria Clara, 1 Linda-à-Pastora, 2795-759 QUEIJAS PORTUGAL Telf: +351-214 241 840 +351-214 182 807 Fax: +351-214 182 717 www.confhic.com Lígia Sofia Reigada Pires, Av. Rodrigues de Freitas, 74-4º A, 4300-455 PORTO PORTUGAL Telefone: +351-225372622 Telemóvel: +351-934500793

12. Calamities have affected Moçambique: 

• Since 1974, 18 years of war destroyed 40% of the schools, health centers, industry and vast areas remain infested by mines.
• Later, 1992 was the worse period of drought and hunger of the century. Therefore, Mozambique was the 2nd poorest country of the world (WB). 
 drought.
• In 2000 and 2001, the floods and the cyclones killed 700 people, they destroyed the house of hundreds of thousands, (one quarter of the population was affected) and destroyed a great part of the country's infrastructure.
• In 2002 a severe drought devastated the center and south of the country, including zones that were previously harmed by floods.
• In 2003 the country was affected by the floods (in the north) by drought (in the south) .

More information: www.mozambique.mz, BBC, AlertNet, ReliefWeb.

13. Statistics on Mozambique:

• -It's the 4th Country with lowest development index: 0,322;
• -It's the 5th country with more cases of Malaria: 18%;
• -It is the 5th country with more people malnourished: 54%;
• -It's the 6th country with less percentage of children in school: 23%;
• -It's the 9th country with the highest rate of infantile mortality: 20%;
• -It's the 7th country with the lowest percentage of feminine literacy, compared to masculine: 48%
• -It's the 9th country with the lowest education index: 0,37;
• -It's the 10th country with more AIDS infected adults: 13%;
• -It's the 11th country with the lowest income per-cápita: 697;
• -It's the 13th poorest country. 38% live with less than 1 dollar per day;
• -It's the 15th country with the lowest life expectancy: 44 years;
• -It's the 16th country with less investment in health, per-capita: 8 dollar/ano;
• -It's the 16th country with the lowest hope for healthy life: 35 years;

More information: UNDP, WHO, UNICEF, WFP.