Ethiopia Children's Villages

HOA Political Scene!

2009-03-25T01:05:00.000-07:00

Ethiopian Music

2009-01-30T05:12:00.001-08:00

If you think this Ethiopian Music seems out of relevancy to this channel, think again! I love Ethiopia as I love Eritrea and I think there should be rationality to keep them friends to create that bright horizon in the Horn of Africa. Please stop defeating our dreams! My dad says.

Ethiopia Childrens Villages

2008-07-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

Awassa Village

Dear Reader,

Expressing our cordial gratitude for your ceaseless support, here we are with the new development of the SOS children’s village Awassa and its affiliated facilities in the half past year time.

Village

Our village director resigned and we had a farewell. Thus, we now are in a process to recruite a new director. Besides, our village has recently admitted an orphaned child from a near by vicinity. By now this small girl becomes familiar with the new environment and seems well adjusted and happy with the new life with the SOS family. After just a couple of week to adjust her self, she has now started to visit the Kindergarten.

The school going children in the village are also doing well at school. As usual the students with good results are awarded based on their first semester educational performance which was ended at the end of February 2008. In addition to this, they were invited to enjoy their break time in a recreational resort called Wondogenet for a day.

Technical support on study skill has also been given for all children of the village for better improvements. Alongside, counseling and special support was also given for children who have scored poor marks in the semester. The students who joined the IGCSE (International General Certificate Exam for Secondary Education) program are also doing great and they are leading their classes.

In our village kids’ corner is prepared for the lower level Kindergarten children and toddlers. The kids are practicing very well so as to adapt Kindergarten activities.

Mean while, a one day training had also been organized for all the SOS mothers’-Awassa by the village’s Child Development Team and professionals from Hawassa University on how to care and help destitute and vulnerable children’s for better development.

Youth who are living in the youth facilities for boys and girls are also doing great in school and on their interaction within the community. On the other hand, a youth hearing program was organized in the village compound and all the youths participated actively to speak what ever they feel about their life and what they wish to do.

Celebrations

We have had colorful celebrations of the SOS Mothers’ Day, and the Ethiopian millennium children’s and parents’ day which were organized by the Region Social Affair Bureau. On Mothers day, mothers renewed their oath for great commitment. The poem and Dramas presented by children were also great and touched every one’s heart. Especially the poem with a theme “born in blood is just a saying as compared to deeds of SOS mothers” presented by a 15 years old girl touched the audience.

On the later occasion also the village children have got great opportunity to meet with the community children and made speech through their representative about child rights. On top of this, they have also demonstrated the implementation of child rights through drama. .

Co curricular (Club) Activities

The co curricular activities started in the village are going in a very fascinating way. Children are also showing great interest to participate in different clubs even a child in more than one club. Clubs like Art, Scout, Sponsorship and volunteerism, Literature and HIV/AIDS are doing very well in initiating children to practice different activities by their part.

One of the strongest clubs, the village’s scout club, celebrated its seventh anniversary colorfully in the village compound. The invited guests, the regional scout members, and scout members from Switzerland attended the celebration. There were educating and entertaining dramas and demonstrations about how to help people in need and on hazardous conditions. The regular practice and trainings to each other especially for the new members every Saturday afternoon has also continued.

Special Needs Children

The education and training unit is doing great for the benefit of the children in this program. The children displayed what they have produced in the department during SOS mothers’ day to the participants and some of the products have also been sold. Some selected children who are weak in their physical posture have also attended exercises for about a month in the city. In addition to these, on month training had been hosted in the center on how to make Arts by a volunteer girl from Israel. On the other hand, a girl from the center has started vocational training in embroidery and cloth tailoring. Those who are visiting the school are also showing encouraging progress in their school performance.

Social Center

The day care center is still working very well in the village compound. The organized women groups in income generating activities are providing supplies such as: fruits, bread and other items like cleaning materials and food stuff to the day care center. In doing so the group has gained practical knowledge of business transaction that helps them build internal group capital.

The family strengthening program which is being held by the center is also doing great. Training has been conducted for thirteen women on hair dressing and on business management in different groups to empower them in income.

Still more, the Hermann Geminer Medical center is helping the surrounding community and the SOS children’s and staffs in medication. During the past six months about 2640 people were served in the center including the community and SOS staffs.

SOS Hermann Geminer School and Kindergarten

Both the school and the Kindergarten are doing pretty good. The number of student in the school has increased as it received the third batch of students for IGCSE from all SOS children’s villages in Ethiopia. During the past half year time most of the students have scored promising pints in their results.

Along with the academic activities, the school is effectively enrolling students in different co curricular activities to reshape them in different discipline in Literature club, Charity club, Anti HIV/AIDS club, Biology club, Chemistry club, and life skill club.

In our county Ethiopia, as in the rest of the world the cost of living has shown a tremendous increment. Fuel price is steadily growing; intern life in the cities especially is getting more and more complicated. The price on food items is also getting costly and has left a considerable impact in the country. Though the government is taking some measures like deducting some taxes on food items to relive the people, the cost of living is still challenging for every one to sustain.

At last we would like to thank you for all best deeds you have done to SOS facility on the behalf of all children and all facilities.

Sincerely Yours,
Rago Birru (Mr.)
A/village Director-Awassa

Support
www.sos-borneby.dk
www.sos-childrensvillages.org

Ethiopia| Ethiopia Country Profile| Ethiopia's Political Scene| Ethiopia's Political Problems| TPLF|

SOS Ethiopia Children's Villages

2007-06-23T02:16:00.000-07:00

Awassa Village

Dear Reader,

Appreciating you everlasting and ceaseless support, the SOS Children's Village Awassa would like to present you the warmest summer greetings and news of our village in the past six months.

The Village

Recently we admitted five children and continue making the village a home for the needy children. The new children easily familiarize with the village environment and started enjoying their childhood time with their age mates. Two of the admitted children have already joined the SOS kindergarten and the rest are freely mixing with the other toddlers in the village.

To equip our youth with the necessary life skills, we have arranged them a discussion to create awareness on drug and criminal concepts. Moreover, they were made to exercise regular meeting to practice shouldering responsibilities by forming committees. As an encouragement, outstanding youths in academics and behavior were awarded. On the other hand, Orientation on pre-youth home for children who are about to join the youth facility was given. Youths who are made to live out side the village with all the financial and other necessary support from the village are showing encouraging progress towards social integration.

Training was also conducted for mothers on the concepts of HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination. Our village, in creating partnership, signed an agreement with local non-governmental organization to work together on abandoned children. Examining our effort in raising a child, the local FM Radio gave a cover and broadcast the good practice our village.

In the past six months, the youth's home for boys, which was under construction, is completed and the boys started living in it. Moreover, the village staffs held the regular meetings to review activities and promote better way of carrying out tasks based on the appraisal.

Celebration and Co-curricular Activities

Co-curricular activities are strengthened and more children are participating in different clubs such as: Literature, Art, Music, Charity, Anti-Drug, HIV/AIDS, scout and Agriculture clubs. Especially the art and Scout clubs become popular. The scout club served as a media to provide moral lessons to the children where as the Art club and the Music club presented shows to the public during the ceremony organized in the village. To commemorate all the clubs in the school, social studies day was celebrated. In addition mini-media was started to allow children express and share their view.

We have colorfully celebrated the SOS Mothers day in our village on March 7, 2007 under the motto of "Empower the Mothers to Take the Lead". They renew their oaths to take the children in their care as their own. The music club had a great role on the day to entertain and organize the program. There were different guests from the child-oriented organization, local government bodies, community representatives and SOS community. Moreover, children presented a thank you and congratulations message to the mothers. On a related story, world AIDS day celebrated in our village together with the surrounding community.

Farm

The village farm has continued its great contribution for the village children and the surrounding community-providing dairy and vegetable products. Most of the products in the farm are in a great improvement and are making some money for its running cost. Under our village farm programme, we conducted training on the green house management for 60 female headed households in the surrounding community.

Special Needs Children

The education and training unit performs well in equipping the special needs children one is transferred to live independently with financial and other necessary support from the village and she is now following training on hair dressing. Another girl that was trained in tailor is employed and experiencing a self-support activity. Those who are attending the school are showing encouraging progress in their first semester exam. The silkworm production and ribbon that they have been doing is increasing.

Day Care Center

These days, the number of children from destitute families who are benefited from the center is increasing very much. By now we admitted two new children and are providing a full day care services fir 152 children. On top of this, 35 children who were transferred to the government schools are provided with school materials. The center organized 66 of beneficiaries in six groups and teaches them the culture of savings. Consequently, they started saving. Among these groups, the active group started to provide some food items to the day care center. All in all, the children in the day care center have shown great health improvements than the time of their admission.

On the other hand, mothers whose children is being taking care in day care center trained on silk worm production and have given awareness on special needs children.

Medical Center

Our Medical Center is doing pretty good. In the eve on the coming Ethiopian Millennium, our VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) center provide a mobile HIV/AIDS testing and counseling to the community in collaboration with the city Health Bureau for three consecutive months for about 800 people. On the top of this, our community reach out programme benefited 120 people in family planning, epidemic prevention and immunization.

Hermann Geminer School

Despite the challenges posed by teachers turn over, our school is doing great offering quality education.

Presently the number of students is increasing due to the commencement of IGCSE (International General Certificate Exam for Secondary Education) program which officially received accreditation from Cambridge University. SOS children from Harrar, Mekelle and Bahir Dar Villages enrolled in our school.

Tutorial classes are also providing for the students so as to improve their academic performance. Other than formal education, Children held a discussion in the area of reproductive health including personal sanitation and HIV/AIDS under the village education program.

Different short term trainings were given for the teaching staffs and SOS IGCSE students. Among these, training on the measurement and evaluation for all teaching staffs, brief training on human personality and problem solving on democracy for 40 SOS IGCSE students by experts from Canada. Moreover, Parent-Teachers Association was established aiming to increase harmony between them and provide quality education to the students. Furthermore, internet service was made accessible and available for all the staffs.

SOS Kindergarten

The number of SOS children increased in the KG due to the new admitted children which on the other hand results in decreasing the community student. We are continuing providing quality education for the children using various techniques. Some regional officials, guests of medical college student and people from different NGOs visited the KG. Currently except shortage of some equipment, the KG is running very well.

The highlighted hot News for Ethiopians, these days, is the advent of a New Millennium (2000). Ethiopia has its own unique and ancient calendar. According to our calendar, the year is divided in to 12 months of 30 days each and a 13th month of 5 days and 6 days in leap year. Our calendar regard the time before Christ as 5500 and varied in eight years from the Gregorian calendar which regard the time before Christ as 5492 years which leaves us at the 10th month of 1999. Thus, Ethiopians look forward to a new millennium latter this year on September 11, 2007. The celebration officially starts before three months. In the last summit of the African Union, the Ethiopian millennium declared to be the African Millennium.
This is a good opportunity for us to promote the image of the country more than any other time.

Finally we would like to say thank you once again for all your best deeds and thoughtfulness for our kids' life.

Sincerely,
Abel Kassahun (Mr.)
Village Director – Awassa

Salvaging a child's life helps the whole society

The chance of attending education for a child who rarely gets a meal for survival is either zero or very minimal. This scenario is a nightmare for children like Frework who very much likes education and potentially capable. Frework is from a large family – seven including his parents – who are very poor.

The whole families' survival entirely depends on the income of the father which, however, is hardly enough for one person – USD 17.6 per month.

All of his siblings are early drop outs due to impasse financial chaos. Looking at this potential and passion for education, the family by all means managed to provide education for Frework.

Unfortunately, all this effort came to an end when the source of survival for the family, the father, died in 2002 when Frework promoted to grade eight with a remarkable score. Then onwards, the primary concern of the potential and the passionate student turns into the basic means of surviving not only for him but also for the whole family.

In this no way out seems situation, Frework heard about SOS HGS community extended programme that gives a scholarship for orphan and vulnerable children (OVC). He applied for the programme and admitted right after the death of this father. It was the dawn of a new life for the passionate student who was at the verge of dropping out. He continued his best achievements even in a hastening fashion.
Involving in income generation activities, he also enables his siblings to continue their education.

Frework is now completed his secondary education and joined a prestigious state university with a distinguished result. He envisages being a sociologist and likes to support his siblings and other children who are at risk.

A little support for the children creates a window of opportunity for the community.
__________________________________

Read more here:
Ethiopia| Ethiopia Country Profile| Ethiopia's Political Scene| Ethiopia's Political Problems| TPLF| Ethio-Eritrean Wars| Ethiopian Refugees|

AdSensonia

2007-01-06T11:41:00.000-08:00

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SOS Eritrea Children's Village!

2006-10-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

SOS protected children in their children's village in Asmara during the liberation war in Eritrea and Ethiopia. I'd been the first journalist to write complete full pages reportage about this children's village in the official newspaper before the authorities closed it.

Tragic Death of Italian Sister in Mogadishu!

2006-09-18T04:34:00.000-07:00

SOS Children's Villages mourns the tragic death of Italian Sister Leonella Sgorbati and her bodyguard in the Somali capital.

Gunmen in Mogadishu shot Italian Sister Leonella Sgorbati and her bodyguard dead at noon last 17 September 2006.

The Italian Sister aged 66, was responsible for setting up operation of the nursing school at SOS Hospital in the Somali capital, which is the only hospital with a functioning maternity ward and gynecological care facility in Somalia. Following her wish, her body was brought to Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, where she will be buried later this week.

Helmut Kutin, president of SOS Children's Villages said "The worldwide family of SOS Children's Villages deeply mourns the death of Sister Leonella Sgorbati, who dedicated her life to carrying out humanitarian and development work in Africa. For the past four years and in spite of the dangerous situation in Somalia, Sister Leonella worked tirelessly in the setting up and operating the nursing school of SOS Children's Villages in Mogadishu, which offered you people the opportunity to complete a nursing course."

"The entire SOS Children's Villages family feels the pain of this tragic loss, and our deep condolences go to Sister Leonella's family, to all the Sisters in her Order and her many colleagues and friends at SOS Children's Villages in Mogadishu."

Three Italian nuns working on a voluntary basis for the international children's welfare organization in Mogadishu were immediately evacuated from Somalia on Sunday evening by Willy Huber, the regional director of SOS Children's Villages for East Africa, SOS said.

Read more at
Ethiopia| Ethiopia Country Profile| Ethiopia's Political Scene| Ethiopia's Political Problems|

SOS Children's Villages in Ethiopia

2006-09-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

Late Activities' Reoprt from Save Our Souls in Ethiopia

Dear friends,

With our truly felt soothing summer wishes, we have come to you through this letter to post you on the latest happenings in our facility; and as always it gives us another opportunity to forward our gratitude.

Every progress and step we take has always been backed by you who from all the people deserve the credit of our success. Here we have come again to share our stay during the past six months.

A Home for Many Children

It is with pleasure that we wish to tell you that the village has once again become a home for many children. We have admitted nine children and nearly filled the vacant place. Our new children have got along with the new environment and seem well adjusted and happy with their new life. They have also started in the kindergarten and primary classes.

Life has also been more lively and relaxing for other children in the village. They have been to different get-togethers, events and annual celebrations including Ethiopian Easter and other celebrations. Besides, they were engaged in various social clubs (football, circus, scout and music clubs) during their free time. Most of the clubs have increased the number of their members.

Academically, the village has also a busy time providing special tutorial classes for the children with poor academic achievements as well as awarding those children with outstanding performance.

Among the celebrations we have had, the SOS Mother’s Day was also a glamorous occasion with a special tribute this year. SOS Mothers couldn’t be more happy and proud to have been international awarded in the category of “SOCIAL COMMITTEMENT” from the International Prize Organization of Lauriat Michael Gorvachoev. It was a great delight to all of us and we had an eventful moment for them with games, poems and songs presented by the children in a very festive mood. Mothers were touched and moved seeing the entire SOS family share their joy and fruit of true commitment.

Together with the academics and co-curricular activities, the village had conducted various corresponding workshops and training for the children, mothers and aunts. All SOS mothers and aunts in the village have taken the workshop given on ‘building self-confidence on children’. Our children have also attended different workshops that would help them live happily and prudently.

Children with Special Needs

We have also continued to provide special education and training for our children at the “Special Needs Education Center”. Including plastic bag making, the children were given especial training on greeting cards making. They have also been doing in the silk and silkworm production and sold more kilograms of silk. The center has also made available different embroideries and handcrafts for sale on different events and celebrations.

Village Farm

The farm has also been contributing a lot providing different agricultural products mainly for our children. The farm has made available milk, fresh carrot, cabbage, salad as well as different vegetables both for the village community and for the local people. We have also bought nine oxen and started fattening them.

SOS Social Center

In addition to providing the usual medical care, our clinic was giving Health Education and Family Planning lessons to our children, staffs and to the community. It even expanded its service to offer HIV – Voluntary Counselling and Testing VCT. Though the center is just half year old, we have growing rate of people who are willing to have an HIV test at our center. In connection with our VCT Center, we are also planning to launch a Family Strengthening Program. When this program becomes operational within one-month time, it mainly attempts to address the problem of poor HIV positive families and restore their economic crises by engaging them in Income Generating Activities.

Day Care Center

The children at the center have shown greater physical and mental development. They can now run, jump and learn like any other kids in their age. After caring out the renovation work of additional two classless, we have now a plan to admit fifty children from extremely poor families of the local community. It was also during this past half-year that we have bought and installed different out door game materials such as swinging, balance and merry-go-round.

SOS Herman Gmeiner Schools

Our school has stayed busy preparing the students for the National Exams. We have set more than 216 students for National Examination set at grade 8, 10 and Entrance Exam for Higher Institutes. Although the results will be disclosed later in the year, we are so confident that almost all of our students will perform successfully. The school has also launched different social as well as educational clubs. The strengthening of the previous social clubs has also been done and students were enjoying every Wednesday afternoon taking part in their Social or Educational Club: Charity, Information Technology, Anti-drug, Home Economics and Agriculture. The school has also continued the Community Extended program and provided educational and uniform support for 393 needy children in the nearby community yet for this academic year.

IGCSE Program

We are also proud to inform you about the establishment of our new program called – International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) at our Secondary School. We have admitted 20 students from all over SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia just to start with. All these children have taken an international standard entrance exam and proven their competence before they joined the program. They are now getting along with the new curriculum and attending classes effectively. Among these twenty students, eight of them belong to our village.

Rain and Pain

All in all we can only say that we have stayed well and the country has remained in better condition. We amazingly had rain a little earlier this year which has helped in some areas for the harvest. It is estimated that our summer will remain rainy although too much of it throughout would also ruin the crops and lead us to a terrible condition. We believe your prayers will be with us as your support has been.

Thank you again for all your deeds, though unplayable they have always been appreciated. We wish you a luminous summer and hope to be back to you with better news and progress.

Sincerely yours

Abel Kassahun
Village Director
________________

More useful related links: Ethiopia| Ethiopia Country Profile| Ethiopia's Political Scene| Ethiopia's Political Problems|

Welcome to SOS- Ethiopia Children's Villages Blog

2006-07-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Warm welcome to SOS- Ethiopia Children's Villages Blog.

We'll bring you news about our daily lives in different SOS- Ethiopia Children's Villages.

Please come visit us always and follow our updates.

Thank you very much for doing so.