Child sponsorship update from Bahir Dar
27/03/2008
Update from June 2007
The Year 2007 has gone half way and here we are from SOS Children's Village Bahir Dar with warm greetings and truly felt wishes of a wonderful summer time. Your big SOS family stayed great. All our children are growing up very well and all co-workers are striving to bring the goal - shaping the futures of our children - to reality.
119 children in our village continue attending their elementary education in the SOS Primary School. Seven of our children are in the nursery school, and the remaining one has not yet start school. As to the 1st semester result, the majority of the children got a pure pass with the highest average of 95.86 percent - females lead. Children with remarkable improvements were awarded; interestingly previously weak students were included.
All the village co-workers are working to help the children. Besides the formal education, training was given for all the children in the areas of child abuse, building self confidence, child right and life skill by professionals.
Broadening Outlooks
We believe letting children to participate in some pro-social activities takes a big room to build up life for children. Club activities are strengthening with each child supposed to participate in at least 1 of the 12 clubs. To start with, the Hiking Club with 65 children, 1 mother, and 6 staff made a trek to monasteries on Zegie Peninsula found on Lake Tana.
Beside their routine, children visited different public facilities in town during their Easter break after the holiday. Of these, their visit of the AIDS Resource Center, where they browse on the Internet, read publications, watch films was a very great one. Besides, 21 kids also visited and made an encouragement for street children being cared under one non-governmental organisation.
For instance, the grown up children of the village met with a review team for an overall review of activities by the village in the year completed.
Celebrations
As usual, there were celebrations with colorful stages in our village. Children brought life to the day with cultural fashion shows, cultural dances and dramas. March 7, Mothers' Day was also a lively celebration. Mothers and aunts were interviewed and there was a live phone discussion with listeners about motherhood, especially SOS mothers who are committed to care children who were once had no one around them.
Similarly, the Sponsorship Day celebration for the first time at village level was also a great event. In the morning, kids in the Sharing and Caring club made a visit to small children in the prison under the custody of their prisoner mothers. The children also donated some gifts of used clothes in memory of the day.
SOS Primary and Nursery School
Our SOS Primary School has kept on providing education for 340 students with 2 community students left the school during the past six months. The nursery school has also been doing well for quality education for the kids. Seven amongst the nursery school students are from our village.
Co- Curricular and Neighborhood Activities
Students continue participating in the co-curricular activities on which they work on their creativities for their mental development. To mention some, the Mini-Media and Drama clubs are working on presenting different educational and entertaining shows for the school and village community as well. In another co-curricular activity, all grade 5 students had a visit to the Fish Corporation which is the huge supplier of fish from Lake Tana. From their visit, the students got detailed explanation on fish breeding and processing for food. To celebrate all the club activities, the school had organised two eventful celebrations of co-curricular days on which students show their creative works.
The school compound also stayed colorful on Anti HIV/ AIDS day with the hot stages of students' artistic and educational presentations reflecting the issue.
SOS Social Centre
We are truly glad to tell you that this one more facility finally came to life to strengthen poor families so as to fight child abandonment. The selection of the children - to be cared at day time in the center - was a bit difficult for almost all the residents in the area are very poor families. Thus the admission committee held a house-to-house visit in the vicinity to reach the most disadvantaged.
Most of the selected families were one parent headed with most of them living in destitute situations. The 100 admitted children of ages 2-6 are now enjoying their stay at the center divided in four classes based on their age.
Finally, we once again extend heartiest appreciation to have you by our side with bountiful of help to make everything we do possible for better of children. Wishing the best of life till we reach you in our letter next time, stay well.
Sincerely Yours,
Abeba Tiume-lisan (Ms.)
Village Director - Bahir Dar Village
Sponsor's update from Makalle
Update from the SOS Children's Village Makalle, June 2007
Life in the village
It is with a great sense of fulfillment that we tell you our children’s village has become a home for additional 30 new children within the past six months. Moreover, the village management has already opened a temporary nursery school inside the village so as to prepare the newly admitted children and make them fit for the coming new academic year.
We were also been successful in creating a link with Makalle University students and found 15 volunteers who are willing to give a home tutor for those children who scored low results in more than three subjects. Our children and youths found it very interesting and they are fascinated to be taught by their age mates. Most of our children and youths managed to get good results in the first semester.
Our village has also been chosen to host the 7th round pre-mothers basic training which lasts for three months. We welcomed a total of 17 trainees who came from all children’s village of the country including ours.
SOS Primary School and Nursery School
The school has continued its renowned reputation in delivering a quality education for both our children and for the community. Currently, there are a total of 863 students out of which 155 are our children.
At the beginning of this year the school has bought additional 23 used computers and started providing Internet services for the students. This helps to enhance our children’s knowledge and enables them to introduce themselves with new technologies.
Our previous nursery school students have also accepted the recently admitted children with a very warm and colorful ceremony. The new children were very exited by the warm welcome which includes different entertainment activities such as cultural dance show.
Nursing School
As always, our nursing school is making every effort to deliver quality education for all of our SOS children in the country. The number of students who are eager to join the school is increasing from time to time.
Medical centre
To stretch our hands more and reach out the community in a more profound and better way, we transferred our medical centre to a more densely populated area of the city where there are a lot of mother led families and economically disadvantaged people. Accordingly, more people are visiting and the number is increasing from time to time.
Finally, our grateful thanks may stretch to you over again whose help enable us to reach our present position - rescuing orphaned and destitute children.
Sincerely,
Negussie Eshete (Mr.)
Village Director - Makalle
Relevant Countries: Ethiopia.