The Official Blog of SOS Children's Villages - USA

U.S. Women's World Cup Captain Signs Appeal to "Give AIDs the Red Card"

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:51:00 +0000

June 28, 2011: Unites States FIFA World Cup team captain, Christie Rampone, is one of five nations' team captains to sign the Give AIDS the Red Card appeal in support of a global plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015.

“UNAIDS asked the US soccer team to help lead this campaign around the world, and we are happy to lend our support on a global stage to a global problem. The UN wants to end pediatric AIDS by 2015 and so do we!” Rampone said.

The campaign was started by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS at the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa. It aims to use the star power of FIFA soccer to draw attention to the issue of HIV/AIDS among children and gain support to help end it.

Read the full story here.

Michelle Obama Does Push-Ups...

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:46:00 +0000

June 2011: Continuing her tour of Southern Africa, Michelle Obama made a visit to Cape Town’s new soccer stadium to meet with Nobel Peace Prize laureate and SOS Children’s Village advocate Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Obama’s daughters, Malia and Sasha, were also present at the event, which aimed to teach local youth ways to stay healthy through sports and protect themselves from HIV/AIDs.

This was just one stop on Obama’s six-day tour through South Africa and Botswana. The tour is the First Lady’s second solo trip abroad and is intended to promote positive relations between Africa and the United States and to encourage youth engagement, education, and wellness.

Along with doing push-ups with Desmond Tutu, Obama visited another SOS Children’s Village advocate, Nelson Mandela, and his wife, Grace Machel.

The most memorable moment during the First Lady's visit may have been her emotional speech at the Young African Youth Leaders Forum in Johanesburg. Obama expressed to the youth that there are more causes to fight for and encouraged them to take action to end poverty, fight HIV/AIDs, and stand up for women’s rights.

Poverty, women’s rights, and HIV/AIDs are just a few of many causes SOS is currently addressing at our eight SOS Children’s Villages located in South Africa. Sign up for our eNewsletter to learn more about how SOS is making a difference in the lives of children in South Africa.

SOS in the News

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 17:45:00 +0000

June 1, 2011: Drought in Somalia Deeply Affects Children

The drought currently afflicting almost a third of Somalia’s people is one of the worst in recent history. More than 240,000 Somali children are malnourished. SOS has been on the ground in Somalia since the early 1980s, continuing to protect children under difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions.

June 2, 2011: SOS Children’s Villages Sends Two Relief Convoys to Liberian-Ivorian Border

SOS continues to respond to emergency situations across the world. Tens of thousands are fleeing the Ivory Coast to Liberia where SOS staff are providing much needed emergency supplies.

June 2, 2011: SOS Children’s Villages in the Sudan Remain Vigilant in the Face of Rising Unrest

Fighting has resumed in the disputed Abyei region on the border between northern and southern Sudan. SOS Children's Villages in the country remain safe while SOS Staff remain vigilant regarding food security affecting Malakal.

June 3, 2011: SOS Other Mother Contest at Final Voting Stage

FOX 5 sat down with SOS-USA CEO, Heather Paul, to discuss what it means to be an "Other Mother." Voting is open until June 12, 2011 and the final winners will be announced on June 16, a few days before Father’s Day, which is on June 19.

June 3, 2011: SOS Mobile Library a Boon to Indonesian Children

Bogor, Indonesia does not have any local libraries. In order to provide access to books, SOS brought a mobile library to the schools giving children the opportunity to read.

Kenyan Youth Honor Their Other Mother

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:42:00 +0000

Voting for the Other Mother of the Year is underway and while the contest is about honoring Other Mothers here in the United States, SOS Mothers all over the world are providing loving homes and families to over 80,000 children.

Throughout the world, generous women and men have taken on the role of a parent for children in need. Their commitment to stepping in and being there for a child in need often goes unmentioned. One such person is a woman named Merdinah Otuma. Merdinah is a volunteer for a small grassroots non-profit called Dream Sponsors, Inc. She lives in a small village in Kenya where she mothers 8 once-orphaned children with great care and love.

Two of the children living in Merdinah’s village wrote letters to SOS to show support for their Other Mother. Here is what they said:

Philip's Letter

"Merdinah has always taken seriously the life challenges I have. She has helped me to heal emotionally after a trauma I had gone through."

Click on the image of the letters to enlarge

Sharon's Letter

"Meridina regularly visits us in our homes and schools. She always has interest to know how we progress academically and socially."

Click on the image of the letters to enlarge

The Ovarian Lottery

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Mon, 16 May 2011 17:54:00 +0000

By Suzanne Gatto
Director, Household Marketing

Truly, it is a lottery where each of us is born. From the socioeconomic circumstances to the geographic location, to the health of our biological mother when we enter this world. Warren Buffet calls it the “ovarian lottery.” It, above all, positions each of us for a certain fate of obstacles in which no one has a choice. Some of us are born to a loving, caring, stable mother and father. Others are not born so lucky. Over 140 million are orphaned, abandoned, left with no one. Immediately, they are at a disadvantage. And, over time, this disadvantage could snowball into a chaotic life, a warzone of emotional turmoil and sadness that no one cares enough to witness. Unless someone steps in to stop it.

You can trace back in history the tremendous obstacles mankind has faced, and has conquered. The technological advances that have enabled the world to open up trade routes and migration patterns, develop economies and new ways of life, new standards of living, and more choices. Today, we see a widening and vast gap between rich and poor, privileged and unfortunate. It will not always be this way. It is part of the evolution of life. That’s why in the short time any of us has in this life, if we care about being global citizens and good neighbors, we should try to evolve the current situation of our children, our neighbors and friends, who are struggling all around us in our own hometowns, in our country and in our world, towards the life we want to have for ourselves.

A mother will sacrifice so much for her children, so that they will have a better life than she had. It is every parent’s hope to see their children succeed. But, what of the children who have no mother or father to see that they have a good life? These are the ones who are orphaned, abandoned, neglected, abused, hopeless and battered, who without someone to step in and support them, to parent, mentor and coach them, will not only fail themselves, but also their offspring, for generations to come. A cycle of abuse and poverty and lawlessness. A pattern that causes horrendous damage to society over time. Now, look at it from the other side. A child born into a well-off family, parented by a strong mother or father or both, is loved and educated and contributes positively to society. Neither the child born in the slums of Africa nor the child born to a middle class American family is any more intelligent than the other, but this is not a comparison of intelligence or equity, it is a comparison of luck and opportunity.

Between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, I want to celebrate the Others—Other Mother figures and Other Father figures who have stepped in to fill the gap where biological parents were absent, ill, serving in the military or otherwise incapable of being there to provide the care, love and support every child in this world deserves. Help us celebrate. If you know someone who had stepped in to help a child who was not their own, nominate them for Other Mother of the Year. Nominations are being accepted through May 22, 2011.

SOS in the News

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Mon, 02 May 2011 20:33:00 +0000

April 26, 2011: Rising Food Prices in Asia Threaten to Throw Millions into Poverty

The Asian Development Bank released a study recently claiming that if the price of food continues to increase, 64 million more people could become poor in Asia. Many SOS Mothers have to now make important decisions on their families budget, but are getting help from their communities.

April 28, 2011: SOS Still Helping Chernobyl Children, Twenty-five Years Later

Last week marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster that took place in what is now Ukraine. SOS still helps and takes care of families in Belarus who were affected by the disaster.

SOS in Kenya Tries Green Approach to Power Village

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Mon, 02 May 2011 20:30:00 +0000

May 2, 2011: SOS Children’s Villages in Kenya is turning greener with every sunrise. Together with German company Asantys Systems and Kenyan African Solar Designs, a solar power plant was built near SOS Mombasa and has recently become fully operational. The energy produced by solar panels will power the entire Village, giving electricity to the 15 homes in the Village as well as the Hermann-Gmeiner School.

The building of the plant is part of the Renewable Energy Export Initiative, a German program that aims to support small- and medium-sized renewable energy companies in foreign markets, specifically emerging and developing countries.

The eco-friendly initiative doesn’t stop at solar panels. Instead of electric light bulbs, the Village is using energy-efficient LED bulbs. SOS staff at the Village have also taught the children important lessons about managing resources like water, and recycling.

New Village to be Completed in Peru by 2013

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Mon, 02 May 2011 20:29:00 +0000

May 2, 2011: The cornerstone has been laid for a new SOS Children’s Village in Cajamarca, Peru. Many officials came to the laying of the foundation, including President of SOS Children’s Villages International Helmut Kutin.

“We have decided to build the next SOS Children’s Village here in Cajamarca because we think it is necessary to continue spreading out our work to the most-needed areas, such as the mountains in the country, so that we can give children the necessary conditions for a happy childhood,” Kutin said.

In total, almost one hundred children will benefit from this Village. Overall, SOS will construct eight family houses, a Village Director’s house, an SOS Aunts’ house, and news administrative offices on the Village grounds. The infrastructure for the Village is expected to be completed by mid-2013, but the first 20 children and 6 SOS Mothers will be able to move into the area soon.

SOS Decal Speeding Along F2000 Series

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:04:00 +0000

The F2000 Championship Series kicked off this past weekend in Alton, VA, at the VIRginia International Raceway. If you look really closely, you can probably see a familiar logo on the sides of the race cars. That’s actually the SOS Children’s Villages logo in orange!

SOS was named the official charity for both the F2000 and the F1600 Championship Series last month. In October 2011, awards will be presented to winners of the SOS Children’s Villages Watkins Glen Cup (two races taking place June 3-5 and October 14-16). Whoever scores the most points during the two weekends at the racetrack in Watkins Glen, NY, will win the coveted championship.

And who knows? Maybe one day we’ll get to see the SOS logo decal on cars everywhere! Can you spot it below?

The Week in SOS: April 1, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:45:00 +0000

Want to catch up on all things SOS Children’s Villages? Read about the latest stories from the SOS Newsroom right here:

Rising Food Prices: SOS Children’s Villages Forced to Make Adjustments March 25, 2011: Across the Middle East and North Africa, political upheaval and weather have strained food resources. SOS is concerned that shortages could indicate a global food crisis. Food is scarce and prices are high. How are the SOS Children’s Villages in the region dealing with this issue? Read more...

SOS Mothers in Croatia Featured on CNN WorldView March 28, 2010: CNN WorldView recently featured SOS Children’s Villages Croatia in a broadcast from Croatian news channel NOVA TV. The story focuses on the lives of the SOS Mothers in Croatia and the major responsibilities they face. Watch the video and you’ll see that being an SOS Mother is no easy job. Yet, in over 130 countries around the world, these women provide the most loving homes for their SOS children. Read more...

Malawi Community Brings New Baby to SOS Children’s Village March 31, 2011: Baby Steven was born less than a year ago. With his grandmother unable to care for him after the death of his mother, a group of people in Malawi decided to help.Through extensive talks between the SOS Children’s Village, the Malawi government, and the baby’s grandmother, SOS was able to give Steven a new, loving home. Read more...

Mother in Zimbabwe Faces Tough Call on Children’s Care April 1, 2011: 38-year-old Tariro Moyo of Zimbabwe found herself in the difficult situation of having to send her children to live with her ex-husband so that they could have enough food to eat. Like many different countries in Africa, a quarter of a million families in Zimbabwe are struggling to get food on the table. Read more...

Nominate Your “Other Mother” as “Other Mother of the Year!” SOS Children’s Villages invites you to celebrate the Other Mothers of America with us! What is an Other Mother, you ask? An Other Mother is any person who “mothered” you when a biological parent could not. It could be a grandparent, an aunt, or even a neighbor or a teacher! To check out details on the contest, check out the official contest page at our website. Read more...

Want to learn more about SOS Children’s Villages? Sign up for our eNewsletters, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter to get involved, keep up, and show your support!

A Young Man's Voyage for SOS

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:27:00 +0000

Our supporter on the seas, Lee Winters, has been sailing in the name of SOS Children's Villages since early 2009. Texas Christian University, his alma mater, recently profiled Winters, who graduated in 1998.

One day he's chilling with tortoises in the Galapagos, another he's swimming with stingrays in French Polynesia, but mainly, he's sailing.

Lee Winters '98 has clocked thousands of nautical miles in his 39-foot offshore sailboat, Jargo, since leaving Kemah, Texas in January 2009. As long as Jargo and Winters' savings hold out, he'll keep going solo — another two and a half years at his current pace ought to do it — all the way around the world.

According to his blog, Sailing for SOS, Winters has survived Hurricane Ike, a broken standing rig and battering seas. He's thankfully never had to call Mayday. But with every photo, video and entry he posts about his journey, he sends out a signal for a good cause.

Six years ago, Winters was living The American Dream and realized that he was miserable.

"When I sat down to examine what I wanted out of life it wasn’t a big bank account, big houses, three weeks vacation and early retirement. I knew there was no amount of corporate success that would satisfy me."

Around the same time, he discovered Joshua Slocum's 1895 memoir detailing his singlehanded sail around the world. It planted a seed. Winters worked harder than ever, but now he had a purpose: to escape.

Many thanks to Lee Winters! Read the rest of this article at the Texas Christian University Online Magazine.

Towards Stability in North Africa and the Middle East

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:41:00 +0000

March 4, 2011: All of us have watched the images and sounds of people across North Africa and the Middle East shouting and even dying to have their voices heard. They clamor for human rights, as does SOS Children's Villages in each of these countries.

And, as voices and weapons are raised in North Africa and the Middle East, SOS continues to care for those who have the smallest voice -- orphaned and abandoned children. There is one SOS Village in Algeria ... there are two in Sudan ... three in Egypt ... and four in Tunisia. Villages in each of these nations have suffered but, with a difference: We have assured that every child eats well, is a part of a loving family and is provided a good education.

Even outside our Villages, SOS helps the most disenfranchised families stay together by providing food assistance, school fees, and literacy and vocational training. Our Villages are tested now more than ever. Children crave normalcy, routine and security. There is no "normal" in countries of such civil unrest. Fires, violence, and deaths in the street traumatize children, especially children whose family bonds are fragile or nonexistent.

SOS Children’s Villages is unfortunately accustomed to trauma. In countries like the Sudan, Somalia and Rwanda, we have seen the pain and suffering on a child’s face. Our well-trained SOS Mothers and psychiatric social workers are trying to heal these children every day across these countries. You can give children a voice. Make a donation to support SOS Children's Villages.

As we read headlines about Egypt, Libya and other countries, we have to consider the news stories that you are not reading -- the stories of children that no one will hear except SOS Mothers, SOS brothers and sisters, and SOS counselors. Now more than ever, SOS needs support to continue strengthening our operations in critical areas of the globe.

Foster stability in a Middle Eastern or North African child's life today by donating to SOS Children's Villages. It's very simple to turn a child's life around for the better, especially when the threat of danger from political upheaval is a daily one.

Landslides in La Paz, Bolivia: SOS Children's Villages Planning Relief

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:01:00 +0000

After several weeks of rain, landslides have caused massive destruction in several areas of Bolivia's capital La Paz. While details on the situation are scarce, three SOS Community Centers have reported damages.

Presently, there are nine SOS Children's Villages in Bolivia, SOS Youth Facilities at each of those nine locations, and three SOS Schools, five SOS Vocational Training Centers and SOS Social Centers throughout the country. SOS Bolivia is preparing an Emergency Relief Program to aid children and families affected by the recent landslide disaster. Details on the extent and financing of this program will be shared on http://www.sos-usa.org/newsroom as soon as they become available.

Landslide Photos from La Paz, Bolivia:

For more information, please sign up to receive SOS Children's Village eNewsletters!

SOS Children's Villages Tanzania ready to help the community after explosions in Dar es Salaam

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:33:00 +0000

February 22, 2011: At least 20 people were killed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, last Friday in a series of explosions at a military depot. The SOS Children’s Village in the area was not damaged and offered to accomodate unaccompanied children affected by the blasts.

4,000 people sought shelter at the national stadium after evacuating the areas around the site of the explosions. SOS will join a team made up of the Red Cross, other NGOs and government officials to assess the damage and discuss possible solutions.

The explosions took place a couple of miles from the Dar es Salaam International Airport and scattered debris across neighborhoods surrounding the area. 23 ammunition depots, a secondary school and two houses were leveled to the ground in the blasts.

After investigations by the military, there seems to be no indication of foul play in regards to the cause of the explosions, but this isn’t the first time an incident like this has happened in Tanzania. In April 2009, a similar series of explosions killed 26 people and wounded 700 more in the same city of Dar es Salaam.

Learn more about SOS Children's Villages around the world. Sign up to receive SOS eNewsletters.

Nursing School in Ethiopia an Inspiration to Its Students

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:52:00 +0000

With the growing demand for highly skilled and knowledgeable health practitioners in Ethiopia, a nursing degree opens up career options and opportunities for students interested in the health sector. It also helps reinforce core values such as compassion, respect, teamwork, and communication. Since the opening of this nursing school back in 2002, it's become a beacon of hope for many young people as they transition into their adult lives.

The Nursing School in Makalle

The SOS Herman Gmeiner Nursing School in Makalle, Ethiopia, was established with the support of the SOS Children's Villages in Norway and was officially opened by SOS Children's Villages International President Helmut Kutin on May 7, 2002.

Today, Sister Martha Mamo, the nursing instructor at the school, explains, "Here in the Tigray region and in Ethiopia in general, there is a great need for medical training courses. Nurses are needed not only in hospitals and small clinics, but also in rural areas where access to any type of modern health care is very limited. Besides that, our school gives young people the opportunity to learn a profession with good prospect for employment."

Sister Martha is a nursing instructor for child health, nursing arts, and health assessment. She enjoys teaching the course and regards herself as privileged to be part of a successful program developed to train more nurses in Ethiopia. She previously worked as a clinic nurse at the SOS Children's Village in Asmara, and later came to SOS Children's Village Makalle where her husband was working as the Village Director. She has been teaching at the nursing school for two years. She enjoys helping students, especially when she hears that they have been assigned to clinics and hospitals, and that they are able to help the community.

Most students, as she explains, come from SOS Children's Villages in Addis Ababa, Awassa, Harar, and Bahar Dar. "They are really eager to learn,'" she says. "They are very keen to become nurses and motivated by a desire to help others. An added incentive, though, is that they will have secure jobs in the future. We have an agreement with the Ministry of Health that our graduates will be enrolled in government hospitals and health centers."

The SOS Hermann Gmeiner Nursing School initiative: "A good chance in life"

Genet, a 19-year-old girl from SOS Children's Village Addis Ababa, is a second-year student at the school. She is very enthusiastic about the course, despite the fact that she had to leave Addis Ababa. "At first I wasn't happy to leave the village in Addis," she says, "but I was keen to become a nurse and help the community. SOS Children's Villages has been my family since I was two years old; I'm really happy to be able to help others, just as SOS Children's Villages has helped me."

Asraham, a 24 year-old from the community near Makalle, is also a second-year student. "I knew about the course from the Catholic mission in Makalle," he says. "I love nursing and I'm not doing it to get a job or for the money. If you have patience, this is the most rewarding job you will ever have. I want to help my nation and my people, especially those who can't help themselves. As an orphan myself, I was looked after by the Catholic mission. The nursing school initiative gave me a good chance in life; it improved my scientific knowledge and my ability to give professional care to others."

Girum: "SOS Children's Villages helped me to become self-reliant and taught me how to help others."

Former SOS child Girum graduated from the Makalle Nursing School in 2005. He worked for three years in the border areas of Tigray and Amhara and was then hired as a nurse in the Ayder Referral Hospital in Makalle. "Those years in the field were tough," he recalls, "but I believed in my mission. I lived in a small village with no running water or electricity. After that, the local hospital here in Makalle had a vacancy for a nurse with two year's experience in the field. I applied for the job and was successful. I have been working here for almost two years now, and I love it. I was five years old and had lost both my parents when SOS Children's Villages gave me a family. SOS Children's Villages taught me to become self-reliant. They helped me develop as an individual, and taught me the value of helping others. To help the weak and the sick gives me a great feeling of fulfillment. Nursing is a profession that requires strong ethical and moral values, but I wouldn't change my career for anything."

Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit!

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:26:00 +0000

Today marks the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit, celebrated by many around the world as a new period of calm, quiet reflection and thoughtful action. SOS Children's Villages would certainly appreciate a year of calm, especially after the last 365 days.

The past year was catastrophic for millions of people. Terrible earthquakes toppled Haiti and Chile; floods ravaged Pakistan, Colombia, and Brazil; and volcanic eruptions in Java, droughts in China, and political unrest in other parts of the world tested the resolve of many of our SOS staff.

Yet, in each of these situations, SOS took advantage of its long history in the area and used the resources and experience necessary to meet disaster with its own version of calm, deliberate action. SOS is indeed a haven in the storm for so many children across the world who are the most vulnerable victims of any major disaster -- the children who have lost families.

When tragedy and chaos strike, SOS Children's Villages is there. Here is what we have done and will continue to do in extreme circumstances:

Immediately following a tragedy, SOS takes in children whose families are lost, registers them with local authorities, and begins the search for their biological family members. In this painful time of loss and uncertainty, children are given the love of an SOS Mother and the calm of an SOS family. When all is chaos on the outside, inside an SOS Children's Village there is order: brother and sisters attending school and eating nutritious meals together.

SOS also serves the larger community. We distribute tons of supplies –- clean water, food and medicine -- to help children and families. We often establish temporary housing and provide medical care to thousands in need.

Regardless of whether a child enters SOS for a temporary respite or for a whole childhood, SOS is always there. No doubt the Year of the Rabbit will not be completely tranquil. Tragedy and chaos will strike again, somewhere, sometime. Rest assured, there will always be an SOS Village ready to bring calm to some children's lives.

Wish your friends and family a peaceful, happy Lunar New Year today. Send a free Lunar New Year eCard in the spirit of the Year of the Rabbit, courtesy of SOS Children's Villages!

Situation at SOS Children's Villages in Egypt

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 19:39:00 +0000

UPDATE - February 3, 2011: The SOS Villages in Cairo and Alexandria were broken into on Tuesday as a group of men scaled the perimeters of the Villages. As they were being shooed out, Alexandria's Village director was injured and required stitches at a local hospital. No SOS children or Mothers were harmed and no structural damage to the Villages was reported. Read more about this developing story at the SOS Newsroom.

February 1, 2011: Egypt is currently in a state of civil unrest, as protestors opposing President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule have taken to the streets to demonstrate against his government.

Since January 25, 2011, protestors have defied government-imposed curfews to prevent their assembly, marching through Cairo calling for President Mubarak to stand down.

Violent clashes between protestors and police are believed to have led to around 100 deaths and over 2,000 injuries. There are reports of prisoners escaping from jails across the country and the looting of private homes and businesses. Civilians have formed armed volunteer groups in districts which are not protected by the army in an attempt to defend their houses and properties against the looters. Communications are being restricted and internet connections have been disabled across the country.

Initial reports from our SOS facilities in Egypt confirm that the three SOS Villages and Youth Homes in the country are safe and being guarded securely. All of the children living in these Villages in Cairo, Tanta and Alexandria are well-protected within the SOS premises.

SOS Children's Villages began working in Egypt in 1977 when the first Village was built in the country's capital of Cairo. Since then, two more Children’s Villages have been built in Alexandria and Tanta. There are also three SOS Youth Homes for older children, two SOS Nurseries and three SOS Social Centers which work with children and their families in the local community. In total, these SOS Villages currently support over 2,000 children in Egypt.

Learn more about SOS Children's Villages around the world by signing up for our newsletter.

From SOS to Fashion Designer

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:01:00 +0000

Janet is a fashion designer. She grew up at the SOS Children’s Village in Nairobi. Janet attributes much of her career success to her SOS Mother who gave her the confidence and strength of character to make the most of every opportunity.

She made me feel loved

Janet Ndugu, now in her thirties, came to the SOS Children’s Village in Buru Buru when she was seven years old after both her parents had died. The village was opened in 1975 and Janet and her two younger brothers were the first children in her family house, Number 14.

“Everything was strange to us,” she recalls. ”It was a completely new way of life. I felt shy, especially as I only spoke Kamba (a local language) and all the other children spoke Kiswahili. I couldn’t understand what they were saying. My mother, Mama Frances, taught me a little Kiswahili every day, and that was how the learning process of my life really started. I thought she was a bit stern and serious at first, but it only took me a few days to work out that she was really a very sweet person. I must have been quite irritating at times, yet she never lost her temper.”

Learning from mistakes

Janet feels that Mama Frances’ patience was one of her best qualities, though she had many others. “She always tried to ensure that I felt loved and protected. That’s especially important when you’re growing from a child into a teenager, when changes and conflicts are normal,” she explains. “My mother was never invasive; she realized that as an adolescent I needed more privacy. She allowed me to make mistakes and learn from them, but she also set limits that expressed her love and concern for my well-being and safety.”

Janet says that her mother taught her never to back down from challenges. “She taught me to be strong, to be true to myself, and to not let other people push me around. On the other hand, I also learned to consider others, to have compassion and solidarity, and to show love.”

Recognizing talent

Today, Janet works as a fashion designer, a career she says she owes to her mother and her upbringing in the SOS Children’s Village. “I have always been creative,” she explains. “I couldn’t stand math in school, and I couldn’t see myself as a secretary, sitting at a desk and typing documents. My mother recognized my talents; she told me that I had style and an eye for fashion.”

Her mother had confidence in her abilities, so together with SOS Children’s Villages she arranged for Janet to take a course at tailoring school. After two years, Janet obtained her certificate. She then went on to be an intern for one year at the SOS Vocational Training Center so that she could put her theories into practice.

The SOS Vocational Training Center is about a kilometer from the Nairobi SOS Children’s Village. Opened in 1985, the school teaches woodwork, electrical engineering, fashion design, food and beverage skills and computing.

“After one year there I was accepted by the Fashion College in Nairobi,” Janet recalls, “and SOS Children’s Villages paid my student fees, so I could further develop my design skills.”

“SOS not only gave me a chance to develop my skills and talents”, she says, “They also gave me a sense of discipline, which we all need in life, no matter what we do.”

If I only could tell her…

Today, Janet works as a fashion designer but finds the time to make school uniforms for the children at the SOS Children’s Village.

Sadly, Mama Frances passed away in 2009. “I really miss her,” Janet says. “We always talked to each other about everything. Even after she retired I used to go to her rural village and talk to her. If my mother was still alive” she adds, “I would tell her that I love her and tell her how much I owe her for the way she brought me up.”

Learn what Mama Frances and countless other SOS Mothers are doing for their SOS children.

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Flood Updates: Brazil, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Three SOS countries have recently been affected by major rain and flooding. As with every natural catastrophe, SOS Children's Villages is doing all we can to provide relief for children and families affected by the deadly floods.

Brazil - The government has declared SOS Children's Villages as the temporary caretaker of orphaned children in the areas affected by the flood. SOS is helping local authorities identify and register all those children who lost their family. Almost 1000 people have already lost their lives in the flood. Check out the latest press release about the Brazil floods here.

Sri Lanka - No SOS Children have been harmed, but some SOS Kindergartens in the area took in varied amounts of water. Furniture in these buildings is ruined. 43 people in Sri Lanka have died because of the heavy monsoon which caused the flood. Below are pictures of the flood and some damage to a kindergarten facility.

The Philippines - Fortunately, none of the SOS facilities, mothers or children are harmed. The country, however, is still in a dire situation as the rain and flooding has been going on since last month and more is expected in the coming weeks.

Helping Us Help Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:37:00 +0000

It’s now been a year since the devastating earthquake brought tragedy, despair, and unimaginable suffering to the people of Haiti. Among the victims were hundreds of thousands of children, left without schools, protection, and, in many cases, parents.

Immediately, SOS Children’s Villages began providing shelter, schools, and food for Haiti’s children. Aid poured in from around the world. Among the most generous donors was Amway, a global leader in direct sales based in Ada, Michigan. Amway provided more than $1 million in cash, products, and services to SOS and to other emergency relief efforts.

Amway – the corporation, its employees, customers, and Independent Business Owners (IBOs) – is now contributing an additional $250,000 toward building a house in the Les Cayes Village.

The Les Cayes Village will include 15 family homes, each providing nine children with a real home and the opportunity to build a lasting relationship within an SOS family, according to our tradition and mission.

In addition to growing up in a stable, nurturing environment, the children will attend kindergarten and primary school within the Village, and their health and social needs will be taken care of at on-site medical and community facilities.

SOS Children's Villages is grateful to Amway and its IBOs for their generosity in helping to fund SOS Les Cayes.

In the year since the earthquake, the eyes of the world have turned to other global tragedies. Yet in Haiti, the scars are still fresh and the suffering continues. That's why we’re grateful for the steadfast support of Amway, its employees, and IBOs.

SOS in Sri Lanka Moves Displaced Children to Jaffna

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 20:44:00 +0000

January 18, 2011: Eighty children in Sri Lanka that were left without parents from the civil war that lasted until May 2009 have been moved to the northern city of Jaffna. The children will be staying in rented houses until construction on a new SOS Village in the city is complete.

Before going to Jaffna, the children were living in a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the city of Vavuniya. The children moved to Jaffna at the beginning of December after the announcement of the camp’s closing.

The SOS Village in Jaffna will provide permanent homes for not only the 80 children but also for 60 more child war victims.

SOS has been involved in Sri Lanka since 1980 and has continued to support the country through its toughest times like the tsunami of 2004 and this civil war that lasted 26 years starting in 1983.

You can help young Sri Lankans and children from other countries by sponsoring an SOS child and providing them with meals., clothing, shelter, medical care and an education.

To check out this full story, visit our newsroom. For other ways on how to get involved, visit http://www.sos-usa.org/.

Washington Post Readers Interview Heather Paul on Haiti One Year Later and All Things SOS

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:13:00 +0000

In remembrance of Haiti one year after the earthquake, and as part of Washingtonpost.com’s live, online question & answer series, readers from the Washington DC area and beyond wrote in today to ask Heather Paul, CEO of SOS Children’s Villages USA, many, many questions about SOS and our work in Haiti.

Here are some of the topics covered in the interview:

33 Orphans in Haiti

SOS Haiti Long-Term Plans

Spending Money Raised for Haiti

SOS around the World

Angelina Jolie's Support of SOS

The Role of Education in SOS Villages

Corruption in Haiti

Graduation from SOS

Global Village Builders

Read the full interview on Washingtonpost.com and learn even more about the work of SOS
Children’s Villages in Haiti at http://www.sos-usa.org/haiti.

Gone Too Soon, But Forever Remembered!

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:58:00 +0000

A poem by Barbara A.

So many days, so many weeks,
So many months have already gone
But pieces of their shattered dreams
Are still buried deep under the rubble.
The pain is too heavy for my soul to hold
The shame is weighing too much on my patriotic conscience
Unstoppable tears left their salty pathways down my cheeks
Like damp footprints on the sand,
Like those rivers of human blood on the streets of Port-au-Prince
The horrific scenes of that scary movie of January 12
Are still perturbing my peace of mind from time to time
My thoughts are still clouded by the nightmare
Of this reality show, starring millions of Haitians
With guest appearances by the international community
And all that premiered on CNN that Tuesday afternoon…

At the deep bottom of the ocean of my shaky thoughts,
The same exact question I lashed out at the informant
Suddenly resurfaced with a bitter taste
“What! Are you sure? Are you for real?
When? How? Why? What the what? Why us?
Why Haiti?”
Why this fate of misfortune?
Suddenly swallowed my people’s 2010 wishes
Why, in only 35 seconds, this quake crushed all our hope?
Why hasn’t it left a freshly blossomed flower
For the butterflies to kiss and flirt with?
Now, Port-au-Prince has so much of too many
Too many eagles left with broken wings
Too many parrots with lost feathers
Too many dogs wandering with a severed tail
Too many mockingbirds without a voice to sing
Too many kittens walking around with broken hope
Too many doves flying without a branch to pose on
Too many humming birds chased away from their nest by blue jays
Too many bats blinded by the spotlight shined on our misfortune

Not enough coffins for so many corpses
Not enough tears to cry for so many lives
But my heart will continue to shed bloody tears
To mourn those brothers and sisters
Victims of this unfortunate twist of fate
And my mind will forever be haunted by their disturbing souls
Which, obviously, cannot rest in peace
Until all the survivors in Haiti can finally live like human beings
Until our selfish leaders can finally paint to the world
Another good and respectable image of our country
Until the wind of hope and prosperity can blow over our country
Until our patriotism can give wings to our dreams of a BETTER Haiti

About the Poet

My name is Barbara A. and I am 20 years old. I was born and raised in Haiti, and moved to Florida in 2003. Two years later I became a ward of the state of Florida, and lived a very nomadic and unstable life until I moved to SOS Children’s Villages in Coconut Creek, Florida. I lived there for two years and I have a younger brother in 12th grade that still resides there until his high school graduation this coming June. I am currently a sophomore at Florida Atlantic University with a double major in Political Science and Social Work. My intentions are to attend Law school to earn a Juris Doctorate in International Law and hopefully one day work in nonprofit to defend the rights of neglected children internationally, preferably back home in Haiti.

VIDEO: Marevie's Story - Haiti One Year Later

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:54:00 +0000

Just a baby when a deadly earthquake hit her home country of Haiti, Marevie was found by SOS staff members in one of the countless tent cities, alone and dying from total neglect. After being examined and fed she was rushed to the hospital, struggling for weeks to survive. Her SOS Sister explains, “everyone thought she was going to die.”

After recovering, Marevie was brought to house #8 in the SOS Children's Village in Santo to meet her new family.

Today, Marevie is happy and healthy and clearly enjoying her new life. Marie, her SOS sister continues, “My first feeling for her was love. I would like for her to grow up and be an honest person, who is fully supported and respected. She deserves it.”

SOS Children's Villages helps children like Marevie who are orphaned, abandoned or whose families are unable to care for them. We give these children the opportunity to build lasting relationships within an SOS family. You can help give children around the world a chance at a new life by becoming a Global Village Builder today. Find out about other ways to support SOS Children's Villages at http://www.sos-usa.org.

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VIDEO: Reuniting Haiti’s Families

noreply@blogger.com (SOS Children's Villages - USA) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:03:00 +0000

By Daniel Escoto

The earthquake a year ago in Haiti separated many children from their parents.

“Right from the beginning, family reunification was one of the most important tasks for SOS Children’s Villages,” said Georg Willeit, spokesperson for the SOS Emergency Relief team in Haiti. “So far, we have been able to reunite 150 children with their families.”

One child, Samuel, was able to reunite with his parents six months after the earthquake. Samuel was found and taken to an SOS Children’s Villages where, with help from the Red Cross, his biological parents were able to meet with him and take him home.

Many children are not as lucky as Samuel. Learn more about SOS in Haiti and support the efforts of SOS Children's Villages to reunify children with their families in Haiti and around the world by making a donation to SOS today. Or, for more information on ways to get involved, visit http://www.sos-usa.org.