Welcome All.....

 

Dearest Friend,

Once again as we approach the closing of the year, I am happy to send you our warm greetings from SOS Children's Village Dar es salaam, a loving home for every child; greetings that we hope will spice your enjoyment of the upcoming festive season of Christmas and the New Year. This Village that you love this year is reaching the 5th year since it was innaugurated in November 2007; the Village has grown and so have the children! As a consequence, we now have a temporaly youth home, which has already, been approved into a full fledged youth facility from 1st January 2013. Right now 12 of our children have moved into this new youth home.

Our Family Strengthening Program (FSP)

Of the 53 families that this program is supporting, 32 will be exited this year because they can now stand on their own. This has been largely contributed by two major developments. The first is the new activity for the families called ‘Hisa’ (a Swahili word for ‘shares’), that was started earlier in the year; it has now grown to include 35 of these families. In Hisa families, pool resources together by collecting into a common fund from which a family may access a low interest loan depending on the number of shares they have bought. In this way, the community is empowering its self with the Village facilitating. The second is the establishment of income generating activities (IGAs). 34 families have been enabled to establish their IGAs, by our capacity building and start-up facilities. Additionally, FSP has facilitated the formation of school clubs where children discuss children rights, gender, environment, sports and academics.

Our SOS Mothers

Following the transfer of five aunts to Arusha (Where two of them have become mothers!) and the departure of the mothers of House 3 and 4 who left in order to start her own families, the Village has embarked in a process of recruiting 8 new SOS Aunts in order to continue giving quality care to our children. The 8 aunts who have already been recruited through our rigorous process, are now attend an intensive training in Nairobi, they will then join the Village where they will remain trainees under observation for a period of 21 months before they are finally hired permanently. With experience, the Village is now able to identify the best care-givers for our children, we are therefore more confident with our remaining mothers and the new aunts.The departure of these mothers was a sad event to the entire village and particularly her children, but the Village community understood thier aspirations and rallied around the children to give them support, to make a smooth transition. We are now happy to find that the new mothers have been able to intergrate very well to these families, and the children are very happy.  

Our Kindergarten

Our Kindergarten is now busy in the process of admitting new children for the New Year. Again since most of our children are growing older and joining primary school, next year our Kindergarten will be much more of a facility for the community rather our Village. Out of the 90 total number, only 17 will be from the Village. However, our village is still very proud of this facility, which is increasingly becoming popular as a center of Excellency for early child hood education in the city. This status has been especially boasted by the establishment of the computer laborator, with 10 computers at the kindergarten. The fact that this laboratory, which will also be use by other Village children and youth, was established by funding from all local donations is a clear indication of the growing recognition of the work of the Kindergarten and the Village in the local community. The laboratory need more computers, but we are again confident that people of good will, will rise to the ocassion and donate towards this good cause. 

  

Education, Religious and Cultural Activities

Eight children from the Village are expected to joing primary school next year, while eight other children who have completed primary education are now sitting entry examination to secondary schools. Our children, who are leaving primary education for secondary schools, have left indelible marks on the schools that they attended. One of our girls scooped all the 7 academic awards that were on offer from her school. This girl, who was also the school head girl, has already passed her entrance examination to two prestigious secondary schoools, from which she is free to choose one!

Again one of our youth boys received an award for outstanding leadership from another primary school. The same boy has also demonstrated outstanding footballing skills, and we are now communicating with Tanzania Football Federation to seek advice on how to develop his budding tallent. This year also we had the honor to have one of our youth boys pass the entry examination to the SOS International Academy in Ghana. This youth is already in Ghana pursuing his studies. The Village has already celebrated Eid El Fitr, a feast which follows the obsevation of the Islamic fast during the month of Ramadhan, and is now preparing to celebrate Christmas at the end of the year.

Our dear friend, while we celebrate these achievements, we are also proud and very greatful to our good friends and supporters as you, whose support has made them possible.  As we express our profound gratitude to you and all our supporters and friends, we at the same time wish you a Merry Christmas as well as a Happy and very prosperous new year 2013.

Yours trully,  

Angolwisye M. Mwollo-ntallima

Village Director