Birds fly over Children's Village Arusha, Tanzania.…
There are four parts to the work SOS does in Arusha; The village, the nursery, the social center and family support. I have found a story about the family support that involves a robbery, and a happy ending.
- Lisa
-
A girl playing at the SOS Psychosocial centre Darfur, Sudan.
Here is a little piece about the practical work being done in Sudan. It is all valuable for giving children, like the little girl in the picture, a chance in life.
In addition to the reintegration programme for child soldiers, SOS Children's Village is also operating an SOS Family Centre at the Abu Shok refugee camp in the conflict-ravaged Darfur region, where hundreds of children and single mothers are receiving basic necessities and trauma therapy.
This project in Darfur will also be expanded to include a second SOS Family Centre. Both centres will be expanded to include so-called "safe areas" where young girls and single mothers can find protection from the high incidence of rape at Abu Shok.
Within these areas, mothers will care for their own children as well as for other orphaned and unaccompanied children.
SOS Children's Villages has been carrying out humanitarian work in Sudan for the past 27 years and today operates two children's villages in Khartoum and Malakal, which were founded in 1978 and 2002 respectively.
The facility in Khartoum includes an SOS nursery, SOS School for primary and secondary education and an SOS Vocational Training Centre.
In addition, SOS Children's Villages has recently inaugurated a school and social centre in Umbada. The school here is currently providing three shifts of classes for 45 children per shift and may even be extended to three shifts in the near future. -
- Mary
-
Birds fly over Children's Village Arusha, Tanzania.
There are four parts to the work SOS does in Arusha; The village, the nursery, the social center and family support. I have found a story about the family support that involves a robbery, and a happy ending.
On this particular weekend, the family support coordinator, Beatrice Matotay, received a call informing her that her office had been broken into.
The route of entry was through the kitchen windows where the glass panel had been unhinged and the perpetrators slipped in through the narrow opening between the metal bars.
The persons responsible were four young boys, actually children, 11 and 12 years old.
As it turned out, this was the third time the boys had forcefully entered the building. They explained how they were careful not to break the windows so that their activity would go undetected. This included putting the glass panel back and carefully rearranging all boxes or food items.
The boys had been stealing eggs, butter, jam, utensils, and milk as a means to make money to buy food. But this time was their last, when a security guard caught the boys in the act.
Rather than immediately calling the police, the security officer called Beatrice Matotay, who promptly arrived at the office to assess the situation.
Seeing the children, she quickly made the decision to talk with the boys.
When asked why they broke in, the boys said that their families were unable to care for them. They often went hungry and had heard that this facility provided food to its members. One of the boys explained that his father had left him followed by his mother, who dropped him with a neighbour who hardly took notice of him.
After hearing their stories, the Beatrice and then the other social centre personnel decided they had to take a role in these boys' lives. Beatrice arranged a meeting with each boy's parents or guardian to discuss the things that brought the boys to this place to begin with. After the meeting, the parents, guardians, and the boys agreed it would be in their best interest to go to school.
Beatrice has ensured the boys are supported in terms of school fees, uniforms and some food items.
For the past week, the four boys have been regular faces at the programme's after school playground. Their laughter can be heard throughout the building as they play with other children their own age.
Share: