Who we help

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The point of departure and main focus of all youth care work at SOS Children's Villages is naturally the children and youngsters themselves, with their resources, abilities and individual histories. Seeing as confidence is the basis for self-confidence, it is vital that they experience continuity and reliability in personal relationships. Therefore the care process begins on the day the child first arrives at the SOS Children's Village. SOS youngsters in front of their house in Draria, Algeria - Photo: T.Z. Machat SOS Youth Facilities While the SOS Youth Houses can accommodate several groups of youngsters, the SOS Youth Community is designed for a maximum of 14 young people. The age of admission to an SOS Youth Community depends mainly on the individual's maturity, studies or job training. The youth community is located within easy reach (by public transport) of the SOS Children's Village. When cultural conditions make it necessary, girls have the possibility of living in girls' communities on the children's village site or in a community located in a "safe" residential area. For the children and youngsters, the most important person in their personal development on the road to self-reliance is their SOS mother. This continues to be the case when they move into a youth community from the age of fourteen to embark on a new phase in life. In the SOS Youth Communities, supervisors continue the supportive function alongside the SOS mothers. During this phase, it is particularly important that the youngsters are increasingly involved in the decision-making processes, so that final decisions concerning alternative courses of action can be transferred more and more to the youngsters themselves SOS youth from Cochabamba, Bolivia entertaining his friends - Photo: H. Veliz The semi-independent housing programme The semi-independent housing programme is designed for youngsters who are still in the responsibility of the youth authority but are already capable of living independent lives. These schemes are designed in particular for youngsters whose needs can be met more effectively through individual supervision. The young adults live either alone or in groups of a maximum of four in an apartment rented or provided by SOS Children's Villages. In this case there is no round-the-clock support. The supervisors (male and female) provide individual assistance as required. The meaning of self-reliance and how we help We always talk about the youngsters' road to self-reliance. What exactly is meant by becoming "self-reliant" and what do SOS Children's Villages do to help youngsters achieve this goal? With regard to their everyday needs, they are encouraged to take responsibility for their own lives. This self-reliance training focuses on the following aspects: The head-start scheme The head-start scheme for micro-business projects is a special programme, which helps our young people to integrate into the world of work. This is best illustrated by the following real-life example: Anna grew up in an SOS Children's Village in Bolivia. She trained as a dressmaker in La Paz before taking her first steps on the free market. She soon realised that her chances of success would be greatest if she established her own small business, but she did not have the necessary capital. So she contacted SOS Children's Villages and with the help of the SOS co-workers she drew up an initial business plan. The feasibility of the project was carefully analysed and the go-ahead given. For Anna that meant start-up funding in the form of a low-interest loan. She went out and found suitable premises, and soon she was in business at "Salon Anna". In fact she had so many customers that she was able to pay back the loan relatively quickly. Today Anna is one of about thirty successful micro-entrepreneurs in Bolivia.