SOS Children's Village Sanothimi
SOS Children's Village Sanothimi is located just ten kilometers from the center of Ktahmandu, Nepal's capital city. It was the first children's village in Nepal and has been supporting vulnerable children and families for decades now. Kathmandu is located in the Himalayas at an altitude of around 1,300 meters in Kathmandu Valley and has a population of just over one million.
SOS provides assistance so that families can stay together and the children grow up in a safe environment. They also assist families with food, medical treatment or with repairing their homes when needed. For children from Kathmandu Valley who's families can no longer take care of them, 16 SOS families provide a loving home on the sprawling campus. In each family, the children live with their brothers and sisters, affectionately cared for by their SOS mother.
Children attend the SOS Herman Gmeiner School, where they are taught together with children from local families, which helps them become part of the community. The school offers primary and secondary education for over 800 pupils. Once the children reach adolescence, they usually move to the SOS Youth Program when they start vocational training or go on to higher education.
With the support of qualified professionals, the young people develop perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions. Young adults also have the option of attending the SOS Vocational Training Centre, where courses in ceramics are offered. The skills acquired during the six month course enable the students to generate an income and provide for themselves.
I was first introduced to the SOS Children's Village NGO in Mauritius. The organization and methodology are incredibly well done. I'd wholeheartedly endorse them and recommend anyone investigate one of the worldwide villages to see how foster care and education can be done in a transformational manner.