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SOS Villages Georgia
SOS Children’s Villages is an independent, non-governmental social-development organisation which has been working to meet the needs and protect the interests and rights of children for more than 55 years. The Villages have developed an approach based on building a community for children who really have no one. The charity builds a group of between ten and 15 houses as a small community. Up to ten children of mixed ages live in each house cared for by a “mother” who has an “aunt” to work with her and provide extra support. Most children will stay in the village until they are able to live independently.
The Children’s Village, Kutaisi, the second biggest city of Georgia, was formally opened in 2002. This is the first institution of its kind in Western Georgia. At present there are 83 children living in 12 Family Houses: 42 girls and 41 boys. 75 of them go to school and eight to the kindergarten. Children are rooted in the families and enjoy a real sense of security and belonging. They live and grow together; siblings are not parted; they get a sustainable family in order to grow up as a healthy individuals. SOS Children’s Village Kutaisi makes a big effort on children’s education, especially on the language study. Now intensive work is being carried out for the preparation of the further generation of youth who will move to the Youth Facilities in 2007. There they will lead a semi-independent life sharing a flat or living with a caregiver. It is an environment where they can practise self-reliance as the key to a secure future.
SOS Children’s Village, Kutaisi is also concerned with families who are socially unprotected; families with big financial difficulties; children who live in poverty and face the danger of getting into orphanages and children’s asylums. Kutaisi Village, together with the partner organisation Kutaisi Social Services, is setting up a programme Prevention of abandonment, strengthening of the families, to give destitute families foodstuff once in a month and so help these children to maintain their biological families and reduce the risk of abandonment.
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