SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES
What does a growing child need? “A loving home with a mother, siblings and a community” surmised Dr.hermann Gmeiner who lost his mother when he was young and who was brought up by his elder sister. Dr.gmeiner founded SOS Children’s Villages first in Austria and then it has now spread to 136 countries.
“Through our SOS Family like Care (SFC) and SOS Family Strengthening Programme (FSP) we have cared for over 4 million children since the humble beginnings in 1949. It is the commemoration of the 100th birth anniversary of Dr.gmeiner that is known as SOS DAY and celebrated on the 23rd June 2019” said Mr.divakara Ratnaduri, National Director, SOS Children’s Villages in Sri Lanka.
“Donorship is extremely crucial to SOSCVSL. (SOS Children’s Villages Sri Lanka). So much so that we are at a decisive crossroad where the continuity of SOSCVSL solely depends on the donors’ generosity towards children without parental care and children who are at risk of losing parental care in our country. After the World Bank categorised Sri Lanka as a middle income earning country, funding for SOSCVSL has been gradually lessening. This is because these funds are being diverted to needier countries by international donors. By 2023, SOSCVSL has to be self-sufficient to sustain our six villages and other social development programmes currently in place” he added.
Started in 1979, there are six
SOS Children’s Villages in Sri Lanka in Piliyandala, Nuwara Eliya, Galle, Moneragala, Jaffna and Anuradhapura.
The first ever SOS Children’s Village in Sri Lanka was established with 16 Family Houses in Piliyandala. The first group of SOS Mothers, having been trained at “Sarvodaya”, moved into their new homes in December 1981. The Village has been home for three generations of children and the present is the fourth generation.. At present there are 135 children in 16 families. More than 307 children have been successfully integrated into society during the past 35 years.
The SOS Family in Nuwara Eliya was setting an example as to how the two communities (Sinhala and Tamil) could live as one with understanding and peace.
In August 2009, towards the end of the 30 year long ethnic conflict, SOSCVSL was invited by the Sri Lankan Government to take care of the unaccompanied children in the Internally Displaced Persons’ Camps in the north. After two years of the Temporary Care Programme, 81 children who had either lost their biological parents or the parents were physically challenged due to the civil war, remained under SOS care.
At present, 94 children are being cared for in nine families after 15 children have been reunified with their families of origin.
“It’s like being at home and I don’t feel the time passing.”said Ranjini, one of the mothers attached to a home. “I have fifteen children starting from one and a half years. They even make cards and gifts for me. I supervise their homework and tell them not to waste money. I used to do everything for them but now I have realised that they must become independent. They also learn to cook and to keep the house clean.”she added.
“Our primary purpose in society is to ensure that these children without parental care also get equal opportunities in life, so they may grow up to reach their full potential and be contributing citizens of the country” summed up Mr.ratnaduri, the National Director.