Mersch

Country information

The SOS Children's Village Mersch comprises eight family houses, a house for the village director, an administrative building and a multipurpose ground. The eight SOS mothers care for about thirty children. The SOS Youth Facilities offer accommodation to SOS youth on their way into independence as well as to external youth, who can not stay with their natural families for a variety of reasons. The girls and boys can stay at the SOS Youth Facilities during their vocational training or further education and prepare themselves to an independent life under the guidance of their youth leaders. In the SOS Youth Facility in the city of Hamm, young men, who are already of age and earn their own living, share a house. They have to manage the household themselves, but their educator helps them in every respect when necessary. Another house in Bonneweg offers the same programme to girls. The SOS Children's Village Mersch also runs workshops for youth who could hardly find a job on the job market. They receive an extensive vocational training, become used to regular working hours and receive support if conflicts arise. The youth receive an extensive know-how in a variety of fields, like wood and metal processing and home economics. The training in each of the fields takes from one to four years and every six months the pupils have to pass a test. The SOS Workshops offer eight training posts.