Child sponsorship letter from Sferai
29/11/2007
Sferai, July 2007
Dear Friend,
We wish that this report will give you updated and interesting news about SOS Children’s Village - Sferai. Thanks to your fidelity, you are an active partner in the well being of the children who look to the future with hope and trust.
Currently 57 children live in 8 SOS Family Houses. 56 children are going to neighboring schools and Khodr, who is less than one year, is happy to stay with his SOS mother.
On Children’s Day, an open-day was organized by the a well-know Youth Association for the children living at the SOS Village and the neighborhood children aged 5 and above. The main objective is to develop children’s skills and potentiality through cultural and artistic activities, such as :
- Sensitive and physical exercises for a well-balanced growth
- Drawing competition - Child’s play and mime
- Writing of a short story about happiness
Children were divided into groups according to their age and they were happy to win valuable prizes. At the end of the day, a special song was dedicated to SOS Mothers as a sign of gratitude.
For Mother’s day, two interesting events were organized :
- On the National Level, a ceremony was organized in a famous hotel. SOS mothers from the four SOS Children’s Villages were invited. It was an occasion for everybody to honor and thank the SOS mother for her crucial role in providing the best possible care for the children, surrounding them with the love and warmth they have been deprived of.
- On the Village level, SOS mother visited the well known soap museum, a former old soap production facility dating back from the 12th century. Attention was taken to restore the building to its original condition, while introducing the necessary modern elements
The ongoing training program for SOS staff is a very important part of the SOS work. In partnership with the Right to Play Organization, a training workshop was held for SOS mothers and co-workers during the month of February. This organization uses specially designed and play programs to improve health, build life skills and foster peace for children affected by war, poverty and disease. The workshop aims at making childcare professionals fully aware of a holistic educational approach to child development, focusing mainly on enhancing the role of sport and play in child development.
Our children are looking forward to the summer season. They will participate in recreational outgoings such as ecological excursions and swimming activities. They will choose the book they would like to read and discussed it with their friends during the “book club” activity. They will also contribute with the sport teacher to plan organized summer games and sport activities. To end the summer season, a sports event will take place late of September and all the children will be very happy to participate.
Through your active support, you are participating in providing 57 children living at the SOS Children’s Village with the best possible care. We wish you a great summertime.
Yours sincerely
Houda Hélou
Sponsorship Coordinator
Sponsor's letter from Ksarnaba
Ksarnaba, July 2007
Dear Friend,
We hope that this report will give you updated and interesting news about SOS Children’s Village - Ksarnaba. Thanks to your fidelity, you are an active partner in the well being of the children who feel safe and secure in their daily life .
Currently 42 children live in 7 SOS family houses. In February 2007, two new SOS family houses have opened. They are under the care of Mother Gihane and Mother Najah. Mother Gihane has welcomed 4 children among them a family of 3 children and baby Salam who will celebrate his first birthday in August. As for Mother Najah, she is taking care of 4 children who come from two different families. 24 children are going to neighborhood schools, 15 are attending the SOS nursery school and 3 children, who are under one year old, keep company to their SOS mother.
As you already know, the SOS nursery is located in the SOS Children’s Village. Children living at the SOS Village and neighborhood children who attend the nursery are divided into two groups. The first group is for children who are one to two years old. Their daily activities are : playing educational games, learning the colors, the animals farm names as well as singing, drawing and painting. The second group is for children from two to four years. Among their pre-school activities is learning how to spell and write their first name, the basic shapes, counting as well as poems and songs, etc.
Our children are looking forward to the summer season. They will participate in recreational outgoings such as ecological excursions and swimming activities. They will choose the book they would like to read and discussed it with their friends during the “book club” activity. They will also contribute with the sport teacher to plan organized summer games and sport activities. To end the summer season, a sports event will take place late of September and all the children will be very happy to participate.
In partnership with the Right to Play Organization, a training workshop will be held for SOS mothers and co-workers during the month of August. This organization uses specially designed and play programs to improve health, build life skills and foster peace for children affected by war, poverty and disease. The workshop aims at making childcare professionals fully aware of a holistic educational approach to child development, focusing mainly on enhancing the role of sport and play in child development.
Active since 2005, working on implementing the Family Strenghthening Program (FSP), the SOS social center in Ksarnaba was officially inaugurated on the 16th of March 2007. It main objective is to prevent child abandonment in vulnerable family or family at risk due to the critical economic situation in Lebanon. Currently 87 families including 385 children and 82 care takers are supported by the FSP. Moreover, all the families benefit from the medical services of the health care unit and the dental clinic, in addition to all the other activities including the library. These services are also made available to the surrounding communities.
Through your active support, you are participating in providing 42 children living at the SOS Children’s Village and many other neighborhood children with the best possible care. We wish you a great summertime.
Yours sincerely
Houda Hélou
Sponsorship Coordinator
Child sponsor letter from Kfarhay
Kfarhay, July 2007
Dear Friend,
We wish that this report will give you updated and interesting news about SOS Children’s Village - Kfarhay. Thanks to your fidelity, you are an active partner in the well being of the children who look to the future with hope and trust.
Currently 81 children live in 11 SOS Family Houses. During the first semester 2007, two baby girls have been admitted. They feel safe in their SOS Home and their SOS mothers are giving them the special care and emotional security they greatly need.
As you already know, SOS Children’s Village offers children in need the best possible form of care on case-by-case basis. That may mean a permanent place in a SOS Children’s Village or a stay for a certain period of time mainly for children whose biological family is going through a difficult time due to personal or temporary factors. Meanwhile the SOS social worker works with the children’s biological family in order to prepare their reintegration. In such cases, she coordinates her work with a multidisciplinary team. Together they organize a rehabilitation project for the family. The decision to reintegrate the child in his biological family is taken by the SOS pedagogical committee and the child’s parent on the basis of the child’s best interest. 3 different families will soon leave the SOS Children’s Village to join their biological families.
The former SOS Village Director wished to change the style of work and he presented his resignation. After a six-month training period within the SOS Village, the new Village Director officially took his work. The bond of loving trust and reliability is being weaved day after day between him and the children.
On the 23rd of March, the Lebanese Association of SOS Children’s Village, and under the sponsorship of a leading pharmaceutical company, celebrated Mother’s day. It was an occasion for everybody to honor and thank the SOS mother for her crucial role in providing the best possible care for the children, surrounding them with the love and warmth they have been deprived of.
The ongoing training program for SOS staff is a very important part of the SOS work. In partnership with the Right to Play Organization, a training workshop was held for SOS mothers and co-workers during the month of February. This organization uses specially designed and play programs to improve health, build life skills and foster peace for children affected by war, poverty and disease. The workshop aims at making childcare professionals fully aware of a holistic educational approach to child development, focusing mainly on enhancing the role of sport and play in child development.
Our children are looking forward to the summer season. They will participate in recreational outgoings such as ecological excursions and swimming activities. They will choose the book they would like to read and discussed it with their friends during the “book club” activity. They will also contribute with the sport teacher to plan organized summer games and sport activities. To end the summer season, a sports event will take place late of September and all the children will be very happy to participate.
Through your active support, you are participating in providing 81 children living at the SOS Children’s Village with the best possible care. We wish you a great summertime.
Yours sincerely
Houda Hélou
Sponsorship Coordinator
Relevant Countries: Lebanon.