Christian Council of Mozambique
Center for Support of Girls in Need (CARAN)

The Christian Council of Mozambique is a national council of churches that relates to Global Ministries.  Its membership includes the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa – Mozambique Synod. 

Mozambique is in southern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania.  The official language is Portuguese with indigenous dialects.  Its geography has coastal lowlands with high plateaus and mountains. The country is plagued with severe droughts, devastating cyclones, and floods.

Mozambique is recovering from a civil war that ended in 1992.  It is among the world's poorest countries and remains dependent on international financial backing.  Its population is suffering from extreme poverty, malnutrition, disease, hunger, and a high illiteracy rate. The high rate of HIV infection is alarming and AIDS has lowered the average life expectancy.  Mozambique's large and secondary cities are plagued with violence and crime.  Young girls are victims of these conditions due to social standards, abandonment, and dominant practices in the treatment of women. Girls come from situations where they are abused physically. Many girls have been orphaned and some are infected with AIDS. 

The Christian Council of Mozambique founded the Center for Support of Girls in Need (CARAN) in 1996 to support young girls in Maputo.  Many are AIDS orphans and some are HIV-infected.  The Center supports approximately 60 girls, ages 6-15, many living on site and additional girls daily. This is an increase in capacity from a few years ago when the Center could support a maximum of 34. This was made possible by the opening of a second location several years ago. The girls are enrolled in schools and around 90 percent of them do very well in their formal studies, quite an accomplishment considering the obstacles they have faced.  

At the Center the girls receive proper nutrition, housing, health care, and skills training.  The skill-building courses include sewing, cooking, computer and language skills, games, and traditional dance instruction. They also support an income-generating project and have expanded the garden and begun to raise chickens. There are fellowship events with members of the Center's Advisory Council and children from member churches of the Christian Council.  CARAN encourages extended family visits and relationships.  After their successful residence, some girls are reincorporated into their families, while others go on to find a job and live independently. 

CARAN is an important project and has had much success.  The girls have greatly benefited from the Center. They are learning valuable life skills and are enjoying happier lives. 

The following is a list of examples for how your gifts can support the work of CARAN:

• $30 can help provide school supplies or materials for an income generation project
• $50 can help provide nutritious meals and health care
• $100 can help provide computer and language skill instruction