Our Four Basic Principles


Mother

The Mother is the person with the ultimate responsibility for meeting the child's physical and emotional needs and providing essential love and care. In the final analysis, the quality of care the Mother provided determines our efforts' success. The SOS 'mothers' are selected with great care. They are usually single women, often widows without their own families, and can therefore commit themselves entirely to the responsibility of being in an SOS Village. By employing such women, SOS also contributes to their rehabilitation and provides them with a congenial and secure environment.


Brothers and Sisters

The essence of a family is an essential part of an SOS Village. This is why children of various ages grow up together as brothers and sisters to achieve a family atmosphere. Real brothers and sisters are not separated and are accommodated in the same house. On reaching adolescence, the boys are shifted to a Youth Home.


A Home

The home is the focal point of the Village. In the home, the children find security, a feeling of 'belonging,' and having their place in the world. An SOS home is a self-contained unit and is as close as possible to a normal home in all respects. Every house has a living area, kitchen, separate bedrooms for girls and boys, and a room for the Mother.


A Village

An SOS Village is the community where the child lives and finds shelter and support from other members of this extended 'family.' An SOS Village comprises 15 family homes, a community hall, administration offices, a mosque, a director's residence, a grocery shop, a workshop, a dispensary, essential staff residences, and large playgrounds. The Village presents a sense of society and a structure that integrates the mothers, children, social workers, and volunteers to provide every opportunity for the child to develop into a happy, confident, and productive person.