Children
Inhamizua Centre
Casa Reom began in a building in the centre of Beira, to rescue children from the streets of the city following Mozambique's civil war. Today, children who have no family to look after them, live as an extended family at Casa Reom's Inhamizua site on the outskirts of Beira.
Boys between the ages of 5 and 21 live at Casa Reom, where they are supported to complete their education and learn the skills to live independent lives when they leave.
As well as being cared for by the staff, the boys are given responsibilities, like learning to cook, taking turns to prepare meals and cleaning up in the kitchen. A small garden on the site is used to teach the boys how to grow food, complementing the food supply for the centre as well.
Re-integration
A major issue in the region around Beira is the number of children who end up in orphanages even though they still have family members who are capable of bringing the boys up in a normal home environment.
Casa Reom have pioneered ways to help children re-integrate back into family life where there are existing families who can give them a stable home. The staff travel many miles to find family contacts once their research reveals a potential family connection. With the support of social services, the family situation is assessed to discern whether a suitable home environment exists and to support the transition back into this home.
Boys who have left Casa Reom to live with their families are able to come back and visit during holidays when they can catch up with their old Casa Reom 'family'. Regular visits to re-integrated boys provide moral, and sometimes financial, support over the longer term.
