Mbabane

Country information

The SOS Children's Village Mbabane is situated in the Sidwashini-valley in the High Veld, around 6 km from the city centre of Mbabane, the capital of Swaziland, which means that the Village enjoys all advantages of the nearby city like shops, markets etc. The South African border is at a distance of about 18 km. The SOS Village Mbabane comprises 10 Family Houses, an SOS Kindergarten, SOS Youth Houses and an SOS clinic. The SOS Primary and Secondary School aims at providing practical education and training for the children, and therefore agricultural courses, like chicken farming and fruit and vegetable growing were introduced. In the middle of the 1990ies, SOS Youth Houses were built, where the youths live during the time of their vocational training or education and prepare themselves for an independent life under the guidance of their youth leaders. The SOS clinic was only finished in 1997, but it is already providing medical care for around 60 patients per day. This project is a simple yet attractive addition to the existing SOS facilities, offering programmes on health education and nutrition as well as ante and post natal care for mothers and babies. As the schools, the kindergarten and the clinic are also open to the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, the population of the surrounding area is very enthusiastic about the commitment of SOS in this region.