With an unbelievable strong heart, Mom
Carolina becomes responsible for 110 children that
found a home and
love on following
their ways.

Some of the 110 children
that live with Mom Catarina.

Mom Catarina e Carolina

On the neighborhood of Sao Paulo, the biggest city of Brazil, we find Carolina´s House. It's a special house: over there, ninety-five children live, some handicapped. All this people has been received on last years by Mother Catarina and her big heart.

All the story begins on 1991, when Catarina de Oliveira knew an eight year old girl, called Ana Carolina. She had meningitis. Her mother was really poor and couldn't giver her special care that she needed. Catarina begun to advise her mom and received the response: "If you care, why you don't take her to your home?" It was exactly what Catarina did. Ana Carolina went for her house, Catarina took care of her and later, adopted her. Today Ana Carolina is a teen, uses a wheelchair and need special care. Her name would be given to the social work that would grow up based on this meeting of destinies.

Mother Catarina had gone to live near a favela and begun to treat of many children that uses to go to her house. One day, there was a gunfiring and a woman died. This woman had eight children, all of them were constantly at Catarina's house. Their destiny would be an terrible orphanage.

Catarina and her husband, Benedito, didn't accept it. And went to the children's state office and decided to stay with the children. Soon, another mother, that had drug addiction, felt that was being searched by cops and gave another four children for Mother Catarina care. Some people saw that Catarina couldn't help all this children alone, and decided to help her. At this moment she met german architect Doret Pohl, that begun to help her. They created the Carolina'House and Friends Association. Today, there are 110 children!

Actually Carolina's House has 22 sponsors that helps on food, cleaning and structure. Althought all dificulties, all children has care. All of them gone up the year on their school! Mother Catarina says: "This is a home for abandoned children. I don't want to know why. We just want to give care and tenderness to all of them."

To know more (in english):

http://members.tripod.de/ReinerK_2/kinderheim1.htm