Sponsor's update from Awassa
27/03/2008
Update from June 2007
Appreciating your everlasting and ceaseless support, the SOS Children’s Village Awassa would like to present to you the warmest summer greetings and news of our village in the past six months.
The Village
Recently we admitted five children and continue making the village a home for the needy children. The new children easily familiarise with the village environment and started enjoying their childhood time with their age mates. Two of the admitted children have already joined the SOS kindergarten and the rest are freely mixing with the other toddlers in the village.
As an encouragement, outstanding youths in academics and behavior were awarded. On the other hand, Orientation on pre-youth home for children who are about to join the youth facility was given.
Training was also conducted for mothers on the concepts of HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination. Our village, in creating partnership, signed an agreement with local non-governmental organisation to work together on abandoned children. Examining our effort in raising a child, the local FM Radio gave a cover and broadcast the good practice of our village.
Moreover, the village staffs held the regular meetings to review activities and promote better way of carrying out tasks based on the appraisal.
Celebration and Co-curricular Activities
Co-curricular activities are strengthened and more children are participating in different clubs such as: Literature, Art, Music, Charity, Anti-Drug, HIV/ADIS, Scout and Agriculture clubs. . The scout club served as a media to provide moral lessons to the children where as the Art club and the Music Club presented shows to the public during the ceremony organised in the village.
There were different guests from the child-oriented organisation, local government bodies, community representatives and SOS community. Moreover, children presented a thank you and congratulations message to the mothers. On a related story, world AIDS day celebrated in our village together with the surrounding community.
SOS Farm
The Village farm has continued its great contribution for the village children and the surrounding community- providing dairy and vegetable products. Under our village farm programme, we conducted training on the green house management for 60 female headed households in the surrounding community.
Special Needs Children
The education and training unit performs well in equipping the special need children with some skills that enable them to be productive. From those nine special needs children one is transferred to live independently with financial and other necessary support from the village and she is now following training on hair dressing.
SOS Day Care Centre
By now we admitted two new children and are providing a full day care services for 152 children. On top of this, 35 children who were transferred to the government schools are provided with school materials. The center organised 66 of beneficiaries in six groups and teaches them the culture of savings.
All in all, the children in the day care center have shown great health improvements than the time of their admission. On the other hand, mothers whose children is being taking care in day care center trained on silk worm production and have given awareness on special needs children.
SOS Medical Centre
Our Medical Center is doing pretty good. Our VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) center provide a mobile HIV/AIDS testing and counseling to the community in collaboration with the city Health Bureau for three consecutive months for about 800 people. On top of this, our community reach out programme benefited 120 people in family planning, epidemic prevention and immunization.
SOS Secondary School
Despite the challenges posed by teachers turn over, our school is doing great offering quality education. Presently the number of students is increasing due to the commencement of IGCSE (International General Certificate Exam for Secondary Education) program which officially received accreditation from Cambridge University. SOS children from Harrar, Mekelle and Bahir Dar Villages enrolled in our school.
Other than formal education, children held a discussion in the area of reproductive health including personal sanitation and HIV/ADIS under the village education program.
Moreover, Parent-Teachers Association was established aiming to increase harmony between them and provide quality education to the students.
SOS Nursery School
The number of SOS children increased in the nursery school due to the new admitted children which on the other hand results in decreasing the community students. We are continuing providing quality education for the children using various techniques. Some regional officials, guests of medical college students and people from different NGOs visited the nursery school.
Finally we would like to say thank you once again for all your best deeds and thoughtfulness for our kids’ life.
Sincerely,
Abel Kassahun (Mr.)
Village Director - Awassa
Child sponsorship from Gode
Update from June 2007
Sending our sincere and warm greetings, we are very glade to converse how the SOS family in Gode has been doing since last six month. Let this letter bring you along our all time gratitude.
The Village
In response of rescuing abandoned children due to the flood and war in the region, we have admitted nine orphans that make the total number of children in the village 81 - 46 males and 35 females.
In a bid of supporting mothers’ effort to raise a child with appropriate skills, training was provided to all mothers on child upbringing, plan preparation, family budget management and how to support a child’s education.
We revised our children’s menu with the help of nutritionist. To strengthen the staffs’ perspective with regard to child raring, a discussion was held among all village staffs on child right and child abuse.
Education
Out of 15 school going SOS children, 12 were among rank students in the school. On top of this over all academic average of our children improved.
The village children participated in the monthly Question and Answer competition organised based on their grade level. Moreover, to broaden their perspective, the Children visited Wabi Shebele River Bridge that connects Gode Zone to Afder and Liben (neighboring zones of the region).
On the occasion the Children staged traditional dances and songs for the guests. On the day SOS mothers were cherished for their dedicated role to the development of our children.
SOS School and Nursery School
It is with great pleasure while we inform you that our school opened 5th grade and is now providing quality education to SOS as well as the Community Children. A total of 98 students - 15 from SOS - are attending school while 97 kids - 53 from SOS - are attending our nursery school. School children presented welcome songs to the parents and guests. The parents were briefed on the academic performance of their children and the challenges the school faced.
SOS Medical Centre
The service rendered by our Medical Center has significant impact on reducing morbidity and mortality caused by these diseases especially among children and mothers.
SOS farm
We are glad to inform you that our small farm plot is soon going to give us some additional fruits namely, banana, and guava. We have also grown some tomatoes though most of them have not reaped yet.
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 Yours,
Mustefa Haji (Mr.)
Village Director - Gode
Relevant Countries: Ethiopia.