In view of the misery of countless war orphans and homeless children after the Second World War, the Austrian Hermann Gmeiner initiated the construction of the world's first SOS Children's Village in the small Tyrolean town of Imst in 1949.
Following Gmeiner's initial intentions, today's SOS Children's Villages aim to give children who have lost their parents or who are no longer able to live with them a permanent home and a stable environment. The SOS Village family-like structure has four basic parts: mother, brothers and sisters, house and village.
SOS Children's Village Structure
Each child is given an "SOS mother." She is the main person who cares for the child and is a substitute for the child's natural parents. Mothers live in a house together with the children that they care for. Together with them she organises the family's daily life. Mothers create strong and dependable relationships, giving the children a safe and loving home. The job of an SOS Children's Village Mother is usually carried out by single women who have to complete an extensive training programme. They are supported by educational co-workers as well as by women who are still training to be SOS mothers.
Girls and boys of differing ages grow up together in an SOS Children's Village family like brothers and sisters. Natural brothers and sisters are not separated. Children are accepted as small babies and up until the age of ten unless there are brothers and sisters involved, in which case the children could be older.
Every family has a house of its own. Each house has a combined living/dining room as the centre of social life. The atmosphere of a home of their own encourages bonding within the families and is another important piece in the "mosaic" SOS Children's Village that gives the children a feeling of belonging and shelter.
On average, an SOS Children's Village has between ten and fifteen family houses. The village provides the background for an extended family community. This supplies the children with cultural roots and gives them a feeling of belonging.
Special emphasis is placed on giving the children a thorough preparation for life on their own after they leave the village, ensuring the children can be integrated into their local community. The facilities which follow the SOS Children's Village in the chain of care and support are therefore of utmost importance. Youth facilities, vocational training centres and schools belong to this group of secondary facilities.
Types of SOS Children's Villages Secondary Facilities
SOS Kindergartens
Normally children from SOS Children's Villages attend the local kindergartens. However, in countries and regions where pre-school facilities do not already exist or are inadequate, SOS Children's Villages build their own. These kindergartens offer children from both the SOS Children's Village and the local community access to early learning and supervised play facilities that would not otherwise exist.
The availability of suitable classrooms, games and toys ensures that the children are given the optimum conditions for developing their social, intellectual and creative skills. Used for kindergarten classes in the morning, the kindergarten building often serves other groups from the SOS Children's Village in the afternoons, and plays host to a variety of activities.
SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools
Education is a privilege and not a basic right in many parts of the world, where school facilities are non-existent or inadequate. Therefore, in countries outside Europe, SOS Children's Villages often builds schools which are open to both SOS children and young people from the neighbouring districts.
All SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools are often regarded as model schools in the country of their location. They are state recognised and teach according to the applicable national curricula. Cultural features are taken into account. Between 30 and 40 pupils per classroom are taught by well-qualified teachers, almost exclusively local personnel.
SOS Medical Centres
The centres provide for basic medical needs, cover specialist needs, and provide preventative medical services.
The clinics are open seven days a week and normally offer out-patient treatment and preventive medicine (vaccinations, courses on hygiene, prophylactics, nutrition, first aid, etc). Many clinics also have their own laboratory, a small ward and a pharmacy. They have a qualified staff of state registered nurses, midwives, laboratory technicians and doctors.