What we do

We are a center for Excellency in supporting orphans, other vulnerable children and their primary caregivers

Our Activities: Psychosocial Support (PSS), Life Skills Training, Vocational Training, Household Economy Training, Advocacy, Volunteers, Networking, Nutritional Support, Educational Support, and Material Support.

Psychosocial Support (PSS)

CARC provides psychosocial support using the Play Therapy Model, particularly the following methods:

  • Song and dance
  • Games
  • Drawings
  • Lego Blocks
  • Letter Writing
  • Special Play Times
  • Spiritual Support
  • Individual Counselling

Life Skills Training

This activity is conducted to empower children with vital skills for survival and development. The training is centred on Topics such as:

  • Hygiene
  • Leadership
  • Resilience
  • Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • Life Planning Skills

Vocational Skills Training (VST)

Adolescents are sponsored to train in Vocational Skills such as:

  • Clothing Technology
  • Carpentry
  • Building
  • Motor Mechanics

Household Economic Strengthening

CARC promotes the Internal Savings and Lending Scheme for primary beneficiaries. The organisation also provides them with seed money for small Income Generating Activities including trainings on:

  • Basic Project Planning and Management.
  • Animal Husbandry.
  • Organic Farming.

Advocacy

CARC conducts regular Advocacy Campaigns to tackle stigma and discrimination and promote the Rights of children in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The campaigns are carried out using the following methods:

  • Community Dialogue.
  • Banners.
  • Pamphlets.
  • Music.
  • Drama.

Volunteers

CARC is heavily reliant on volunteers like Community Adolescent Treatment Supporters (CATS), nurses, counsellors and pastors who are responsible for the following:

  • CATS are young people living with HIV who are trained to carry out home visits to their peers, providing adherence monitoring, basic counselling, referrals, leading support groups and raising community awareness.
  • Nurses provide health education.
  • Counsellors provide counselling.
  • Pastors provide spiritual support.

Networking

The Organization is an active member of the District Child Protection Committee (DCPC), District Gender Council (NAC) and District NGO Forum. The organisation also collaborates with the following key stakeholders:

  • Child Welfare and Protection Services Department (CWPSD).
  • Ministry of Health and Child Care.
  • Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
  • Ministry of Local Government.
  • Ministry of Youth.
  • Ministry of Women Affairs Gender and Community Development.

Nutritional Support

The Organization supports the nutritional needs of disadvantaged children by drilling boreholes for irrigation water, fencing nutrition gardens and conducting nutrition education for beneficiaries

Material Support

The Organization sources for materials such as clothes, blankets and stationary from individual well-wishers or donor organizations and these items are distributed to the most vulnerable child beneficiaries.

Educational Support

CARC supports the most vulnerable children with school fees to enable them to continue with their education. In addition, educational trips are organised to broaden the children’s knowledge and experiences.

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT RESOURCE CENTER

Geographical Outreach

  • CARC is currently operating in Manicaland Province
  • CARC is operating in Buhera district we have a Memorandum of understanding with the Buhera Rural District Council.

Estimated number of beneficiaries 2000 per year

Projects done

The primary target groups were children and adolescents living with HIV aged 0 to 24 years and caregivers of the children, community leaders who included teachers, traditional leaders, religious leaders and Child Care Workers.

  • WATF (We Are The Future) Phase 1 (2012 – 2015)
  • WATF Phase 2 (2015 – 2017)
  • Buhera Intergrated Recovery Action -BIRA (2019 – 2022) 
  • WATF Phase 3 (2019 – 2023) 

Human Resources

CARC is governed by a Board which has 5 members

The executive consists of a director, one projects officer, an accountant, one driver and a general hand

The organization works with community volunteers and currently there are 30 and these receive a monthly stipend