NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, Oct 9
SOS Children’s Villages of India, an international NGO dedicated to the holistic development of children without parental care and those at the risk of abandonment supported more than 24,000 Indian children and youth with a loving home in FY 2019-20, according to its annual report.
he organisation also supported 15,000 children during disaster and emergencies and 2,000 youth from underprivileged background for employability. In addition, 8,000 vulnerable families were given support through the SOS Family Strengthening Program (FSP), the report added.
Sumanta Kar, Senior Deputy National Director, SOS Children’s Villages of India shares: “Our unique ‘Family-like Care’ model offers personalised care to children by a trained caregiver, called an SOS Mother, Siblings, Family and a community (the Village). This is what sets us apart from other childcare organisations. Children in an SOS Children’s Village are raised with all the inputs needed for their safety, development, participation, and path to independence. But most importantly, they develop a strong emotional relationship with their SOS Mother and siblings with whom they stay in the same house for many years. The lasting bonds contribute to a much better physical and mental growth and hence holistic development outcomes for children.”
In FY 2019-20, a total of 6,685 children continued to live and grow up in 32 SOS Children’s Villages spread across the country. Also, 548 new children without parental care were brought to the Villages to a loving SOS Mother. (Interestingly, 25% of siblings in SOS Children’s Villages are biological siblings and are kept together in the same family, just as they would have in their own biological families.) More than 4,600 SOS children continued to attend regular school during the year.
About 200 girls and 151 boys graduated from Class 10th, while 146 girls and 121 boys graduated from Class 12th in academic year 2019-20. Also, 1,275 youth (54% girls) under the care of SOS CV India opted for higher education. As many as 180 SOS Children (46% of them girls) also got employment during the year (their first-ever job).
Additionally, 318 youth living in SOS Children’s Villages (54% of them girls) were successfully integrated into the mainstream society, with an average monthly salary of Rs 18,407. The organisation also supported 370 youth for enrollment in higher education and professional courses.
As part of its Disadvantaged Youth Skilling Programme, SOS Children’s Villages enrolled 1,200 youth from the disadvantaged background at government-affiliated skill development institutes. About 375 of them successfully managed to complete their course. A total of 283 of these youth (46% of girls) got the first job of their lives in the organised sector, with an average monthly salary of Rs 7,700.
Over the year, SOS CV India also continued to work with 470 children (60% girls) across 32 Children’s Villages who have some form of disability. The SOS Children’s Village Khajuri Kalan in Bhopal is a dedicated Village for children with special needs. It is currently supporting 105 children with diverse needs, specifically those living with Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, Autism, and Multiple Disabilities.
