3. Humanitarian response and emergency aid Children are the most vulnerable in crisis situations. These are times when you need
1.4 OUR EXPERTISE – AN EVOLVING ORGANISATION
your family most and when the rights of the
MISSION A strong family for every child
child must be upheld. Our humanitarian
In the seven decades that SOS Children’s
programmes specialise in care and protection
Villages International has been supporting
for children and keeping families together.
children and young people worldwide who
Due to our strong local organisation and our
have lost their parental care or risk doing so,
existing facilities, we effectively implement
we have gained extensive knowledge and
emergency aid and can subsequently help
experience in how we can prevent families
with the rebuilding process. After all, we are
from breaking up and how we can best care
already there and will remain there long-term.
for children who have to fend for themselves
Our activities largely focus on:
or who can no longer grow up safely in their own family.
• Care for children who are unaccompanied
We strengthen families and communities so children can grow up in safety, with selfrespect, love and opportunities, and we create families for children who have lost their parents or who can no longer (temporarily) live at home safely. So that children can develop and shape their own future.
or who have been separated from their
Over the years, the needs and requirements
parents;
of the people and communities in which we
• Psychosocial support to aid trauma processing; • Education, care, sport and play in our child-friendly spaces;
are active change too. It means that our organisation must continuously assess our programmes and adapt them where necessary in order to provide optimal quality,
• Care in temporary care centres;
results, efficiency and relevance for the
• Family reunification.
children, young people, families and communities we support. By evolving, we can fulfil
4. Advocacy
our promises to children and young people
Building on our 70 years of international
today, and in the future.
experience, SOS Children’s Villages speaks
VISION A strong family is the key to a bright future Family is the best foundation for a child’s development and recovery. It is the continuity, stability, unconditional care and loving attention that ensure the child’s healthy development. And with that, a bright future.
We actively share the knowledge and
protect their rights at the global, regional and
experience we possess. So that we can help
national levels. Our advocacy activities focus
more people by working together.
on changing policy and practices to improve
2. Education and Youth Employment
can look after themselves and their children.
Education provides the path to opportunities
We achieve this by:
for the future. In association with local
• Making quality education accessible to all
partners we apply our expertise in a results-oriented approach in order to fulfil the
children; • Offering young people the opportunity to
dreams for the future of children and young
gain relevant, practical knowledge and
people, using a robust and supportive family
experience and to work on their personal
base. We do so by helping them break the
skills, to increase their chance of success
vicious circle of vulnerability, and by offering
on the labour market.
them the prospect of a future in which they 8 | SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES ANNUAL REPORT 2020
out with and for children and young people to
existing national child and family care
Distinctive capability
systems. The rights, needs and interests of
We have partly acquired our insights by
the child are paramount in everything we do.
always listening to the children and young
We empower children and young people and
people, by showing a genuine interest and by
support them in speaking out, in participating:
‘simply’ being there for them. Our SOS
we give them a voice.
mothers and fathers, social workers and staff are trained to understand and effectively deal
We advocate
with the traumas these children have suffered,
• For social protection in order to keep
and to provide them with the care and
families together, so that children are not
attention they need. We examine each child’s
separated from their parents unnecessarily
specific situation and environment so that
and are not damaged;
every child and young person gets the
• For quality care, so that children receive care aligned to their individual needs and the local situation.
support he or she really needs.
