Child sponsor letter from Dassa-Zoume
04/12/2007
We are very happy to come up to you with some key events of SOS Children’s Village Dassa-Zoume in the Republic of Benin.
Since April 2006, we had a new president in Benin. At the end of the term of office for Mr Mathieu Kerekou, the former president, fair elections took place and Mr Boni Yayi won. The new president has already taken beneficial measures: free education in kindergarten and primary school and fight against poverty.
Benin remains the first country as regard freedom of press in Africa. According to Reporters without Borders, Benin is 23rd in 2006 together with Germany before some developed countries like United Kingdom, France, Italy and USA.
During the year 2006, our country encountered a disastrous accident. One tanker full of fuel fell and exploded in the northern part of Benin. More than 80 people died; and there are more than 200 orphans. This disaster increased the number of children in need in our country.
At the moment, 94 children live in SOS Children’s Village of Dassa-Zoumé: 56 boys and 38 girls. The newly admitted children are six (6). They were living in very bad conditions, when they were admitted in SOS Children’s Village Dassa-Zoumé. After admission, our SOS mothers took good care of them. Now, they are healthy and joyful.
As far as school is concerned, all our children moved a class. Among those 94 children, two are at secondary school, 77 are enrolled at our SOS Hermann Gmeiner Primary School, 11 at our SOS Kindergarten and four (4) are too young to attend school.
When it comes to sport, there is a football team and lovers of basketball have formed theirs and do their training twice a week by a coach recruited for them.
For two months (July and August) our best SOS pupils went to GHANA to spend their holidays and to learn English as part of a programme launched by SOS Children’s Villages Benin. The aim of this programme is to broaden the field of knowledge of children in our care so that they can benefit from all educational opportunities and face the challenges of their days. So children have developed some important skills that we must maintain and strengthen.
At the same time we had an exchange visit between two SOS mothers of Benin and Nigeria. The SOS mother of SOS Dassa-Zoume family house N°2 went to Nigeria to spend her vacation with her SOS children in the family house N°2 of her Nigerian counterpart and vice versa. These two SOS mothers and their children were delighted about that exchange.
The Director of SOS Children’s Villages Sweden and a delegation visited our Children’s Village in October 2006. This was an opportunity for children, mothers and staff to express them their gratitude for the support of Swedish people and SOS Children’s Villages Sweden as regard the well-being of children in need in our country.
The SOS Hermann Gmeiner Primary School ended its school activities very well.100% of pupils passed. This year, 208 pupils are attending the school: among them 77 are SOS children and 111 are from local community. The increase in the number of pupils is due to the high quality of our school. Nevertheless, because there are not enough places available, some community children can not attend our school. Demand is higher than supply.
Our Kindergarten, which is the best of community, has reopened its doors since 2 October, 2006. In this academic year, we have 52 children including 11 SOS children. Our Kindergarten teachers went to Ghana during holidays in order to exchange with their colleagues in Ghana.
Our medical and social centre opened its doors last year. It received for the last three months 686 patients coming from nearest towns and villages of Dassa-Zoumé. Among these 686 patients, 52,62 % are children and 47,38 % adults. The most regular diseases are: malaria, parasites diseases and acute respiratory infections. The quality of our work and the lower prices of our medicines attract a lot of people to attend our centre.
We would like to thank you very much for your continuous support to our work. Many children of our countries can hope for a better life thanks to your generosity. Our efforts and eagerness would be vain without your contribution.
We take this opportunity to wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, to your friends and relatives.
Sponsor letter from Natitingou
We are very happy to come up to you with some key events of SOS Children’s Village Natitingou in the Republic of Benin for 2006.
Since April 2006, we had a new president in Benin. At the end of the term of office for Mr Mathieu Kerekou, the former president, fair elections took place and Mr Boni Yayi won. The new president has already taken beneficial measures: free education in kindergarten and primary school and fight against poverty.
Benin remains the first country as regard freedom of press in Africa. According to Reporters without Borders, Benin is 23rd in 2006 together with Germany before some developed countries like United Kingdom, France, Italy and USA.
Six (6) children were admitted this year in SOS Children’s Village Natitingou. Today, we have 96 children apart from these who moved to SOS Children’s Village Abomey-Calavi for education purpose. The newly admitted children got quickly adapted to their new life. They have already many friends among other children and seem to be very happy to live in SOS Children’s Village.
Children were very happy to know and to meet the president of SOS-Kinderdorf International. From April 6th to April 7th 2006, Mr Helmut Kutin, President of SOS-Kinderdorf International has visited SOS Children’s Village Natitingou for the first time. For children in our care, SOS mothers, staff, local authorities and the people of Natitingou, it was a big event. They also had the opportunity to meet those who came with President Kutin: President of SOS Children’s Villages Sweden and a representative of SOS-Kinderdorf e. V. from Germany.
The last final school results (2005-2006) are heartening. Children who took part in special exams succeeded. Moreover, 90,69 % moved up a class. Among the nine (9) children who passed the entrance exam to secondary school, one got enrolled at a sport and study centre, where besides normal curricula, he can benefit from football training. Two decided to attend the SOS-Hermann Gmeiner Arts and Crafts Secondary School in SOS Children’s Village Abomey-Calavi in the south of our country. The remaining six (6) children are attending a general secondary school with other brothers and sisters. In general, our SOS youth have improved their school performance. Six (6) out of seven (7) were moved up a class with especially very good marks.
An English programme was launched this year. Eight (8) children were very happy to take part in an English programme that enabled them to visit Ghana a neighbouring English speaking country. They stayed there for two months. The aim of this programme is to broaden the field of knowledge of children in our care so that they can benefit from all educational opportunities and face the challenges of their days. So children have developed some important skills that we must maintain and strengthen.
This year, children and SOS mothers spent Easter Monday at a religious centre along a river with a cave and plenty of trees that offers a special place for picnic. They were very happy to be with a former SOS youth from SOS Children’s Village Abomey-Calavi who is independent now and who works in the field of finance at Natitingou.
Christmas will be special this year. Besides children in our care, children benefiting from the Family Strengthening Programme and other children from community will share a delicious meal. Father Christmas will then give them a lot of presents. They will have the opportunity of singing, dancing and winning a lot of things in kind.
As we created sport teams for boys and girls, children in our care use to take part in championships and competitions with children from community. Hence, they are discovering a new frame of expression, and above all, a basis of their social integration into community. They are more and more opened to their local environment.
We would like to thank you very much for your continuous support to our work. Many children of our countries can hope for a better life thanks to your generosity. Our efforts and eagerness would be vain without your contribution.
We take this opportunity to wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, to your friends and relatives
Children sponsor update from Abomey-Calavi
Today, 101 children (40 girls and 61 boys) aged 2 to 15 years live in SOS Children’s Village Abomey-Calavi. Among the children, six (6) came from SOS Children’s Village Natitingou to attend the Arts and Crafts Secondary School and one from SOS Children’s Village Lomé (Togo). Poverty is still causing terrible consequences on local population and there are more and more admission requests. Each week, we usually receive at least three requests to admit children in need. Fourteen (14) children are newly admitted in the SOS Children’s Village and an SOS family house is getting ready to welcome two new mother orphans. At the same time, one of our houses will soon have a triplet (three girls) aged two. The newly admitted children quickly got adapted to the life in SOS Children’s Village. They relatively feel well, except one little girl who need special health care.
Nine (9) youth who were living in the SOS Children’s Village in 2005 joined the SOS youth home together with fourteen (14) youngsters.
When it comes to school, 47 children out of 64 moved a class, among them thirteen (13) out of thirteen finished with primary school and got their entrance certificate to secondary school. Three (3) out of three (3) finished with junior secondary school. Seven (7) out of eight (8) got the vocational certificate in Arts and Crafts, three (3) out of four (4) the baccalaureate, three (3) out of four (4) the advanced vocational training certificate. The youth attending grade 3 and 4 at university are still waiting for the results of their exams.
An English programme was launched this year. Children were very happy to take part in an English programme that enabled them to visit Ghana a neighbouring English speaking country. They stayed there for two months. The aim of this programme is to broaden the field of knowledge of children in our care so that they can benefit from all educational opportunities and face the challenges of their days. So children have developed some important skills that we must maintain and strengthen.
The Family Strengthening Programme is carrying on with its activities and supports 81 families for 259 children and 108 adults. So children keep remaining in their respective families that are supported, in particular through loans, which enable them to carry out income generating activities.
SOS-Hermann-Gmeiner schools (kindergarten, primary school and Arts and Crafts Secondary School) started school year on October 02nd 2006. Our schools are still appreciated by local population because of their quality.
The SOS facilities that were newly inaugurated in April 2006 by Mr Helmut Kutin, President of SOS-Kinderdorf International, in Abomey-Calavi have really begun their activities. The SOS Social center has already enabled a lot of children to benefit from psychological support through which they would be able to overcome difficulties they are encountering in their respective families. Thirty-nine craftswomen and craftsmen, among whom there were more women than men, benefited from skills strengthening trainings. These craftswomen and craftsmen are now able to be competitive. The above mentioned Family Strengthening Programme is conducted by the SOS Social Center.
The SOS Regional Training Center has already trained many categories of staff from many countries of Africa so that they can better take care of children.
SOS Children’s Village Abomey-Calavi was entirely renovated this year. Another kind of roof that is more beautiful was used. And now the SOS family houses are really beautiful. Children and mothers are actually happy about their homes!
As far as culture and art are concerned, many activities took place in our village among which the most important were the participation of children in an international theatre festival from 11 to 19th February 2006 in Cotonou, cultural exchanges with other children or pupils and a fine arts workshop that enabled them to produce some works of art. One of their best works was a head of dinosaur.
Children kept on practising TAE KWONDO. They took part in a championship of this martial art on 06 and 07th May 2006 and won the second price, a marvellous trophy which increased their eagerness and interest in this sport.
On the African Child day (16th June) and on the SOS Children’s Villages day (23rd June), many sport and cultural events were organised in SOS Children’s Village Abomey-Calavi: football matches, cross-country, etc.
SOS Children’s Village got two main donations this year: a lot of computers and tons of books.
For the first time, SOS Children’s Village organised the global peace games for children and youth. Many children and youth took part in that event. The Global Peace Games for Children and Youth seek to build a culture of friendship, cultural understanding, peace and non-violence among children and youth around the globe. They demonstrate the important role that sport can play for development and peace. During these games in the SOS Social Center, children in our care and children from community practised various sport and educative activities such as football, ping pong game, knowledge competition, etc. The younger male football team won the cup of the football competition as part of this event.
We would like to thank you very much for your continual support to our work. Many children of our countries can hope for a better life thanks to your generosity. Our efforts and eagerness would be vain without your contribution.
Relevant Countries: Benin.