Trip to SOS Village

On 6th October 2023 our SHOM (Spouses of Head Mission) group went to SOS children village in Alabang! We were visiting the houses and learned more about this organization!

History: In 1949 Herman Gmeiner, an Austrian Child Welfare worker founded the first SOS village in Tyrol in Austria!

And already in 1967 the first SOS children village in the Philippines was established! Since beginning their work in the Philippines SOS has provided support to thousands of children, youth and families through alternative care and family strengthening programs ! In the Philippines there are already 8 SOS Villages operating!

These SOS children villages provide family like care for children who have lost parental care! They are cared for in a house / home with a house mother who lives with them like a real family! The number of children per house is limited to max 10 children where they try not to spilt siblings! An SOS mother lives with the children and takes care of every child’s needs while respecting where they come from, their culture, their family background and their story!

And we (SHOM) visited one of their villages!

SOS also provides family strengthening programs (FSP), educational assistance, livelihood programs and counseling!

More than 70 years later (after founding the first village), SOS is already operating in 106 countries with 517 children villages and was able to assist 51,813 SOS children & Youth and 332,928 families in the community!