SOS Children’s Villages ensures that no child grows up alone and neglected.
On my visit to the SOS children’s villages, I held my heart in my hand. Here is a place were children who have to grow-up without parents end up. This thought broke my heart. So I prepared myself for just that.
Yet, as entered the gate I was met with promise and hope.
SOS Children’s Villages is the largest independent, non-governmental (NGO), nonprofit international development organization. It is a global NGO working to protect and care for children who have lost parental care. The first SOS Children’s Village was founded in 1949 by an Austrian philanthropist Hermann Gmeiner.
The first Namibian village was founded in 1984. Now with three villages across Namibia:
- Windhoek, 86 children
- Ondangwa, 104 children
- Tsumeb, 84 children
The Village in Windhoek encamps 11 houses. Each house with its own house ‘Mother’. The mothers live with the children. It is a 24/7 job. They live on the premises permanently; cooking, cleaning, helping with homework, nursing them through life, loving them as best they can…as best a mom can.
Each house mother is trained and empowered with psycho-social skills to ensure that they are well equipped in dealing with children who come with traumatic experiences and behaviors.
Each village has it own full-time social worker who also stays on site.
As I held my heart in my chest, my grip loosened when I saw that this was no ordinary orphanage. NO! This was home.
Each house is personally decorated. In each home there is a presence of warmth.
The children are not ostracized. They attend school at the SOS Kindergarten and the SOS Hermann Gmeiner Primary school across the road that is inclusive of children from the neighborhood. They are well integrated and socialised within the community.
As I sat on the bench, one child walked over admiring the beads I had on my braids. She thought they were pretty, ” one day I’ll have beads in my hair just like you”, she said. Then it dawned on me again; In as much as there is love here, help is still needed here. These beads cost me just N$ 5.00. But to this child, N$ 5.00 was a luxury she could not afford.
HOW TO HELP
Sponsor or donate
- You can sponsor a child
- Sponsor a Village
- Sponsor one house within the village
- Or simply make a donation. As you do your monthly groceries, you buy a few things for the home too.
A little goes a long way.
Corporate Partnership
Each corporate partnership is tailored to create co-operations that tangibly improve the lives of the vulnerable children and families. For instance, you can sponsor a house, and that house will be names after the company.
They cannot do it alone.
What is immediately needed:
- Back to school supplies
- School uniforms
- Cleaning material
- Toiletries
- Food
As the African proverb goes: “It takes a whole village to raise a child”. WE ARE THEIR VILLAGE.
Contact details:
(061) 222457
31 Heinitzburg Street
Klein Windhoek
Windhoek