Parabens (Congratulations), Chef Catarina!

Our foundation, the Sunshine Approach Foundation, seeks to uplift and transform the lives of the poor, widowed and orphaned. Our Sunshine Homes serve two equally vulnerable people groups- widows/abandoned women and orphaned/abandoned children. By pairing one of these women with 4-6 of these children, we create families. While it is often the cute little children living in our homes who garner all the attention, we are as committed to our moms as we are to the little darlings for whom they care. 

It is our goal for our children that after receiving a full education and training, they will be prepared to enter the real world and live independent, self-sustaining lives as productive members of society. We have the same goal for our mothers when their children have left the family home. We have yet to have a child or a mother “age out” of our program, but for now, we are doing what we can to prepare them for this moment in their future lives. 

For our mothers, this means providing them with the training and tools they will need to live successfully on their own…much the same as what we are doing for our children. We shared with our moms that if there is an interest or training they desire to pursue, we will provide what they need to realize their dreams. All our moms have taken preschool teacher training courses to grow their skills as leaders for the community children’s projects they conduct at their homes. Zelda and Ilda have completed cake baking and decorating courses and are now baking and selling cakes in their community (not to mention our need to purchase cakes for the numerous birthdays for our children, moms, and community project celebrations which keeps their ovens running). These accomplishments have increased our mothers’ self-esteem and abilities, and we are proud to see their gains. 

Catarina is the mother at our 5th Sunshine Home. Faustino (12), his sister Beatriz (10), and their friend France (11) were the first 3 children we brought to her home in April 2021. She has done nothing short of a miracle in training these children who came to her ill-mannered, angry, and mistrustful. All 3 of them had been hurt and abandoned and never were privileged to learn the basic skills of living in a family. Catarina dug in her heels and took on this challenge. She was firm and loving, consistent, and present. Eventually, all 3 children have transformed under her watch into well-mannered, caring, and disciplined family members. 

Then in June 2021, 10 year-old Fernando and his little 7 year-old brother Antoninho (whom we affectionately refer to as our “bichinho”- little bug). These boys came from a life so difficult that they chose to live on the streets rather than remain in their father’s house. Catarina took them and blended them right into her existing family.

I love the patience and fortitude Catarina has displayed in her parenting of these children. I equally love Catarina’s zest for life and laughter. No matter her mood or situation, one is always greeted with the biggest of smiles and the happiest of tones in her voice. It makes you feel like she has been waiting all day just to see you! You get the sense that you are the joy in her life just by showing up! 

I cannot remember a time when I have entered Catarina’s home and not found a cooking show playing on the television. Usually, it is just background for her as she works about the house. But on the rare occasion, you find her sitting and watching the programs as famous TV chefs prepare delicacies whose ingredients I cannot even pronounce. At such times, I will sit with her, and we chat about foods, cooking, and our favorites as well as our failures. These visits led to a discussion on whether she would like to participate in a cooking course. Was she ever excited about that! 

We looked around and found a general culinary course at Escola Culinario, a not-too-distant walk for her in Matola. We got her registered and were pleased to discover that a course was starting the next week. The course was only 4 weeks long but being a full-time mom made this no easy task. Each day began with her seeing her 5 children off to school. She then prepared a lunch to leave behind for them when they returned from school at 12 noon. She then got herself ready and was in class from 10:00 until 2:00 each day, returning home about 3:00. You always knew when Catarina got home. In her usual authoritative “mom-manner”, she entered the home and started calling out the children on whatever chores they had disregarded in her absence, asking if they had eaten their lunch and calling back in anyone who instead chose to run off and play, and checking to see who did or did not complete their homework yet. She does make me laugh! 

I am pleased to announce that Catarina completed the course with great success. The end task was an exam where she was to purchase materials, prepare a full meal at home, and then bring it to her school to present to the professors. She chose to make a curry and amazing cake! Needless to say, the professors were pleased, and she passed, receiving her certificate. 

We now look forward to seeing what Catarina will do with her newly acquired culinary skills. She now has the ability to not only prepare nutritional and delicious meals for her family, but she can prepare meals to sell in the community or to cater events. We know that whatever she decides to do, she will approach the task and succeed. Well done, Catarina. Parabens!!!