SOS Children Village

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SOS CHILDREN VILLAGE, KAVERE


 Introduction:

SOS Welcoming to everyone

     It is situated at the heart of Kavre district, Panauti. We reached from Bhaktpur to Panauti at sharp 10:33 am .It took us 1 hour 11 minute to reach there with normal speed of bus. On the way to panauti ‘PAU’, a kind of things to eat is so famous. It is salty, sweet, and in various flavor. It is obtained from the fruit called LAPSSI only found in Nepal. We had it and started our journey ahead. We were warmly welcomed there by Palpasa Prajapati,an assistant director of Sponsor department. She took us into auditorium. Seminar or information giving session was started sharply at 10:40am. She give us full information/ background about its history and story. She tried to make us clear all the sheets.
On the way to Kavre, Femous PAU at Shop
    
   As, I was former student at SOS, somewhat information was already inside me. I had spent my schooling there. Even though after the seminar I realized that being a family member of SOS family  I was also lacking information, that is to be known by all.
SOS children village is an Umbrella. Under the shade of whose many branches are working. There is school, village family, society, and many more.

“A loving home to every child”
It is the major slogan of SOS. It is motto of SOS. I use to see lots of time this slogan written over walls, certificate, mark sheet.
It selects those children who are deprived of love and care. Who had completely lost their parents and who are in the verge of losing their parents?


HOW STARTED?
    A long time back during Second World War, A lots of children were losing  their parents. They were literally being orphan. It was the case of an European country “Austria” Dr. Hermann Gmeiner was seeing every thing with his eyes. He himself was an orphan. He had 600 ceiling in his pocket. He collected money from his friends and started serving those children. Later on modifying the concept was modified to make family and later on SOS Family was established it is now working internationally. It is one of the test organization working in the field of children welfare. It has its own sponsors. This organization is not having any fund collection and moving ahead. Now its having its branches over 134 countries all around the world.
In Nepal, it was started in 1972 AD. It has a history of 45 years working experience in Nepal. It’s office was first established in Sanothimi, Bhaktapur. Till now and the date of today it is working in 10 district of Nepal i.e. Surkhet, Chitawan, Pokhara, Dhangadi, Kavre, Bhaktapur, Kapilvastu etc.


SOS KAVRE:
Office of SOS at Kavre 
    SOS Kavre has been working there since 1995 and had experience of 22 years. It is expanded in total of 50 acres of land. There is one school “SOS Herman Gmeiner School”. A village with 14 houses and 140 children. There are 10 children per house.






WHO AND HOW A HOUSE IS GOVERNED?
House with nice Playground


     We went to the house no. 7 and 8. None of the children were there as they had gone to school. It was about 12:30 PM in the afternoon. They were near to come back for lunch. There was only Aunty working for their children. Her name was Sangita Banjara. The house is governed by one mother and she is called “Aama”. Her name was Parbati Gurung. But she was on her holiday. She has 20 years long working experience there. She has her relative but she has to serve there for her life time till her retirement.
Houses managed in Village













PRINCIPLE OF SOS:
SOS has main slogan of “A loving home for every child”
SOS has 4 major principles:
·         Mother
·         Brother and Sisterhood (Siblings)
·         Family
·         Community
SOS maintains this environment to all. SOS strictly follows these principles.
FAMILY:
SOS is a big family. There is one leader per SOS village. He is considered director and father of SOS Village. There is also sub director called Uncle. The gate keeper and guards are considered maternal uncle (Mama). There are mother in every houses who take care of them and gives a loving family environment to all children.
In this way, the family of SOS village is maintained and they are spending good quality life.


HOW THE CHILDRENS ARE SELECTED?
There is a strict and sequential process to select the children.
1.       Reported by someone through application: If any one sees the devastating situation of any children, he can give application in the office of any SOS to adopt that child.
2.       Investigation: There is a strict investigation about the condition of that child. Whether he has lost their parents or in verse of losing. If the terms, conditions are met to be adopted than SOS adopt that child.
3.       Documentation: After the child is selected, his/her documentation is done like date of birth, parents information, poverty information etc.
Then, finally he/she is also made the member of SOS Village.
WHICH AGE GROUP OF CHILDREN IS ADOPTED?
Assistant director of Spenser department Palpasa Prajapati
Matured children are not taken or selected, if and only if condition is favorable. What SOS thinks is they can’t easily adopt the environment can’t be maintained. In case of age limit not more than 5-7 years of children are taken.
DO THEY SELECT ONLY HEALTHY OR DISABLED OR BOTH?
They select both healthy and disabled children. But, there is one separate SOS children village for disable kids/ children in Jorpati, Kathmandu where they are grown in familial environment.
WHAT IF NUMBER OF CAPABLE APPLICANT EXCEEDS THE CAPACITY OF SOS VILLAGE?
The village work under the principle of “Family Based Care”. So, if applicant exceeds the capacity, then there is another project called Family Strengthening Program. Under this program, SOS worker goes to the community and help the family economically. They chose women in a family like widowed, divorced or single women. SOS follows the quotation “If mother in family is educated then whole family will be educated”. They select the women and give them the life skill training. There was National Training Center for such kind of training and let them start their own business so that she can be self-employed and run the family.
SOS Village has included more than 250 families and more than 600 children under this program and is helping them.
WHAT IF THEY WANT TO LEAVE SOS?
There is no such provision in SOS till date. The mother are so trained and motivated that they will be devoted towards the children and work towards best interest of their children.
IS THERE ANY RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION?
No, there is no such religious discrimination. Does any mother discriminate their child in real? Children of every religion, caste or ethnicity are selected and adopted and they are equally treated.

Play ground and resting place at SOS 
  WHAT IS THE QUALIFICATION FOR MOTHER?
       Selecting mother is so challenging and lengthy process. Any women can’t be mother directly. First they have to serve as Aunties, and the they are promoted to mother. Aunties provision is for two years.
Conditions;
·         Whose family responsibility is i.e. Unmarried, Widows, Divorced etc.
·         > SLC/SEE or Tenth standard clear
·         < 35 years of age.
They can take training at National Training Center too and CTEVT(Council for technical education and vocational training ). Women having the certificate of the training can apply for it.
Visitors taking pic at SOS


WHAT ARE THE OBSTRACTLE?
     The one and only great problem is that the children are not getting opportunity to be socialized into the society and external world. They are residing into the boundary of Village only. If they could be brought in contact of external world It would be better

WHAT ARE THE CHANGING PLANS?
   As maintained above obstacle SOS internationally planning to make houses in different location. It has already been practiced in some countries. So, that the children could get exposure with external world.
By 2020 AD SOS is planning to reduce the no of children from 10 to 8.





TILL HOEW MUCH TIME THEY RESIDE THERE?
Visitor are so crazy to take pic At SOS

   Once adopted, they might be of one day, they might be of one year, they are adopted forever till they marry and became independent. Ultimate goal in life is to become independent. They will be in relation forever.
After their schooling they are transferred to SOS youth facility. Where they are taught about the life skill. There are some youth entrepreneurs who are given their total allocated expense. They manage it to give them (children) individually.
She told us her story. “Once during her schooling life she was appearing exam inside exam hall. That three hours’ time is so precious for every student. But she was called to account section and she had to lose her some time. She was called because her parents hadn't paid the tuition fees at school. But these sort of   situation is not faced by the SOS village children.
HOW MUCH MONEY SOS SPENT ON CHILDREN TO READ?
Much more expensive and costly i.e. Doctor can't be taught by SOS. But the cheap, technical, ie, Engineering nursing, even expensive subject if they got scholarship; is supported by SOS.
WHAT IF THEY CAN'T READ?
They are first encouraged and motivated to read. Still if they can't read then they are given special vocational training. The vocational training center for Nepal is located in Pokhara. They are made independent anyhow and departed from SOS Village. Still they will be the family member of SOS.

HOW ARE THEY MARRIED?
Beautiful Kid friendly Environment at SOS 
    There is a trend of arranged marriage. The boy parties come to ask for hand of girls and village director and mother combine do engage them and send them.
But they never marry between themselves who are grown inside any of the SOS village. It is strictly banned. If they do so then they are departed forever from SOS Village.

HOW ARE THE HEALTH CARE FACILITIES?
    There are some doctors who regularly visit SOS Village. Still the children of village are too taken to hospital for regular health checkup. They are given good health care.

HOW THE ORGANIZATION IS RUNNING?
Visitors  giving posse for pic  
As it has history of 45 years in Nepal and internationally from Second World War. It is not running with any donation. Its major source of money and economy is sponsors. They have to donate 25 euros per month from European countries and 30dolor per month from other countries.
In case of Nepal we can be local sponsor also. The people of society are being encouraged for this.
·         300 NRs/month - Village sponsor
·         100  NRs/month - Friends of SOS
·         600  NRs/month - High value
·         1000  NRs/month -
CAN I BE THE SPONSER?
Yes, you anyone can be the sponsor at international level. You have to pay 30doller per month.

Crazy pic
On the way to SOS at Sangha 
Summary;
Children with an education hold the power to change the world, you parent and elder have that power to give them. Children are to be preserved and SOS is doing this.
Thank you SOS and DR. Hermann Geminer for your precious and Novel work.
  
Helping hand :
  • Sanjay Sah
  • BIshal Yadav
  • Group-B (KMC 20th batch)-
  • 15-09-2017