Who we are
SOS Children’s Villages is an independent, nongovernmental, social development organization that advocates for the concerns, rights and the needs of Zimbabwe’s most marginalized children. Currently, more than 9000 children (family care and family strengthening programmes) receive love, care in 3 provinces. To do anything we do, we need the support of partners and donors to give thousands of children at risk of losing, or who have lost, parental care in a loving home and a second chance just to be a child again.
We are the world’s largest organization focused on ensuring that children and young people without parental care or at risk of losing it grow up with the care, relationships and support they need to become their strongest selves.
Why we are here
As a child, you need someone who truly sees you – who stands by you no matter what. Someone who holds you close when you are small and believes in you when you are ready to grow into your own and step into the world.
But today, 1 in 10 children and young people are separated from their families, abandoned, neglected or forced to live in an abusive environment, growing up without the support they need to prepare themselves for their future. The effects often last a lifetime, creating a harmful cycle that repeats from one generation to the next.
Together, we are here to break this cycle and to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Where they have lost their voice, we help them find it again. Where they have lost the ability to trust and connect with others, we show them that they belong. And where they lack confidence, we build up their courage and skills to thrive in the future.
Background
In 1983, SOS Children’s Villages in Zimbabwe was established in Bindura, Mashonaland Central Province. Since then, we have been improving and transforming the lives of children without parental care or at the risk of losing it, young people and families who are in vulnerable circumstances in Zimbabwe, effecting change in communities where we work. We have SOS Children’s Villages in Bindura, Bulawayo and Waterfalls. We continue to work in the best interest of vulnerable children, by ensuring each child and young person grows with the bonds they need to become their strongest selves. We go beyond the basic needs, focusing on the trust and warmth of strong human connections.
In addressing issues of children in need of care and support the organization employs two approaches: providing alternative care for children who have lost parental care and supporting children at risk of losing parental care, through Family Strengthening interventions in the communities. We maintain a sustainable program which best responds to the needs of the children and families we support. We support youth development and empowerment towards self-reliance.
In support of these two programmes we ensure that the children enrolled in our programmes have equal opportunity to educational services to reach their full potential. Currently we have 1 613 children being supported in educational programmes with hundreds of hardworking young people pursuing tertiary education. We also support 118 young people in tertiary education and 176 youths at various levels of skills development and entrepreneurship training.
What we do
We believe that truly bonding with a child has the power to change the world.
At SOS Children’s Villages, we do whatever it takes to ensure that each child and young person grows up with the bonds and healthy relationships they need to become their strongest selves and thrive in the future. To that end, our locally led operations in more than 130 countries and territories work to strengthen families experiencing hardship so they can stay together. When staying with their family is not in a child or young person’s best interest, we provide them with quality care and support adapted to their unique needs, experiences and culture.
We believe that truly bonding with a child, as a parent, sibling, caregiver or mentor, has the power to change their world. Our work centres around the strength of human connection and focuses on showing children and young people that they belong no matter who they are. A positive and supportive childhood empowers children to develop the life skills, resilience and support networks they need to set personal goals and move confidently into self-reliant adulthood.
We also speak up for and defend each child’s rights, advocating for policy and practice changes that improve child and family welfare systems on global, regional and national levels. Our goal is to ensure that one day, all children grow up in a supportive and empowering environment. Therefore, in everything we do, we work to ensure that children and young people have agency over decisions affecting their lives.
Our 70 years of experience shows that when children in our target group are able to thrive in spite of the traumas they may have endured, they are more likely to contribute positively to their communities and, if they have children, to be good parents themselves. In this way, the work made possible by our many donors and partners not only impacts hundreds of thousands of children and young people today, it also helps to ensure a brighter future for generations to come.
In addressing issues of children in need of care and support the organization employs two approaches: providing alternative care for children who have lost parental care and supporting children at risk of losing parental care, through Family Strengthening interventions in the communities. We maintain a sustainable program which best responds to the needs of the children and families we support. We support youth development and empowerment towards self-reliance.
In support of these two programmes we ensure that the children enrolled in our programmes have equal opportunity to educational services to reach their full potential. Beneficiary families are empowered through capacity building and acquisition of entrepreneurial skills to enable them to respond to the needs of children in their care. Since the inception of the programme in 2005, over 21,300 children and 10,100 care givers have been supported. 6,374 children and 3,083 young people are receiving direct support including, nutrition, education, health and income generating projects.
SOS Children’s Villages in Zimbabwe provides alternative care options to over 500 children and young people who through no fault of their own have lost parental care. Children of different ages and backgrounds live together in a house with a full time SOS mother who is carefully recruited and goes through extensive training to ensure she can provide for them a home where they grow with the bonds they need to become their strongest selves. Over the years we have provided holistic quality childcare and protection to over 17,363 orphaned, neglected, abandoned and or abused children so that they have the opportunity to grow into responsible and contributing members of society.
In complementing the government’s efforts in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), our work directly impacts: 1. No Poverty, 3. Good health and well-being, 4. Quality Education, 5. Gender Equality, 8. Decent work and Economic Growth, 10. Reducing inequalities, 16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and 17. Partnership for the Goal;