In 2005 SOS Children's Villages Indonesia launched its first support…
In Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, Indonesia, many families were already struggling to survive in tough conditions before they were hit with the tsunami of Decemeber 2004.
- Lisa
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In 2005 SOS Children's Villages Indonesia launched its first support to families at risk of abandoning their children. We now offer a number of practical ways to keep families together.
In Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, Indonesia, many families were already struggling to survive in tough conditions before they were hit with the tsunami of Decemeber 2004.
So what did SOS Children's Villages do to help these families?
We have the following reasoning: a child's fate depends on the fate of their families. Families in turn depend on active village communities. So SOS Children's Villages built multi-purpose centres and social centres, in the heart of the communities, as places to provide family support.
A total of 18 community centres were built in India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. These buildings are places were SOS offer nurseries and schools so children receive an education and are safe while their parents can build up skills and buisness to support them. The buildings offer advice points to guide parents to this financial independence.
The schools offer younger children IT training and other tuition, and there are music and dance classes. Older children recieve vocational training. The center also provides medical care and advice.
Every aspect of the programme aims to ensure that families manage their own lives, that the children are well-cared for and receive a good education, that they form social networks in which families assist each other and that people take responsibility for themselves and for each other in village communities.
The building have the added benefit that their roofs can support people taking refuge if there are floods. The centres are to be handed over to the communities for them to manage themselves after a period of three to five years, during which SOS Children's Villages will be present to coordinate and give advice.
As well as families, another important target group is young women and single mothers, many of whom are widows. The girls and women learn to sew, embroider, make candles and otehr crafts. Most importantly, the women learn how to use their skills to run their own small businesses.
- Mary
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An SOS mother holding two babies in her arms in Children's Village Khartoum.
Babies born out of wedlock are very frequently abandoned in the Sudanese capital Khartoum. This is why raising babies is a common thing for SOS mothers at SOS Children's Village Khartoum.
I have been finding out about this big responsibility, but also delightful experience:
Hossam is four months old and has been living at SOS Children's Village Khartoum in Sudan since April 2008. He is the youngest child at the village, but he is not the only baby - not even in his SOS family. Hossam's SOS mother Taiba is currently taking care of two babies; a big challenge for the mother of eight children.
Caring for babies is a tough task and a big responsibility, but a rewarding and joyful experience. "Babies love to be carried and cuddled," states mama Taiba, gazing warmly into Hossam's big shiny eyes.
According to village director Tajalarifeen Sirajeldin, hundreds of new-born babies are abandoned in Khartoum every year. The majority of these children are born out of wedlock, which is regarded as sinful and socially unacceptable in the Sudanese society.
"On average, three babies are born out of wedlock every day in Khartoum", says Tajalarifeen. "The lucky ones are found and registered with the police, then handed over to the Maygoma [the governmental orphanage in Sudan]. However, thousands more are not found in time and left to die alone, paying a hefty their parent's actions."
The majority of the children living at SOS Children's Village Khartoum come from the Maygoma. "When they first move in, many show signs of stress and are very thin, as a result of having been neglected at such an early age", Tajalarifeen explains.
At SOS Children's Village Khartoum, working in line with the organisation's vision - every child belongs to a family and grows with love, respect and security - means that the village is a baby-oriented place and all those brought to the village receive special attention and care amid a warm and tender atmosphere.
Mama Taiba and SOS mothers Rakzallah, Nawal and Weedad - who all have babies in their SOS families - enjoy watching their little darlings grow and recover day by day. "This experience is extremely delightful," says mama Weedad with a smile.
The baby's name has been changed to protect his privacy.
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