Rionegro

Country information

The third Colombian SOS Children's Village was built in 1996. It is located in the north-western part of the country near the city of Rionegro in the province of Antioquia. Rionegro is situated at an altitude of 2000 metres above sea-level in a region whose economic importance has increased over the past few years. The paper, food and chemical industries have moved from the capital of the province (Medellín) to Rionegro. The newly constructed international airport has also contributed to the improvement of the region's infrastructure. Many people also move from Medellín, which is 40 km away, to Rionegro since the quality of life there is much better: there is less violence and unemployment. The SOS Children's Village was erected on a site of 27,000 square metres and comprises 12 family houses, the house of the Village Director, an administrative building, a multipurpose hall, some workshops, a sports ground, an SOS Kindergarten, a house for the SOS aunts and a guest house. The children attend the public schools of Rionegro.