Gambia's second SOS Children's Village declared officially open!

More than 300 friends and supporters of SOS Children gathered together at the end of October in Basse to witness the official opening of The Gambia’s second SOS Children’s Village.

SOS Children has had a presence in this African country since the 1981 when the first Children's Village was opened in Bakoteh, in the country’s western region. However, SOS Children decided to extend its work and began building its second Village in Basse in 2006. Children and SOS mothers have been settled in since August 2007 so were undoubtedly very ready to show off their new home!

The Village was officially inaugurated by Dr Malik Njie, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Welfare, together with Mr Richard Pichler, Secretary-General of SOS-Kinderdorf International. Other guests included Government ministers, military officers, regional governors, heads of business, local chiefs, the President of the Gambia Football Association and supporters and SOS Children staff from the UK. All had come to share the joy of the children and mothers on the inauguration of their new home which has been fully funded by SOS Children UK.

The official ceremony started at midday with the Gambian national anthem and concluded with a cultural performance by the "SOS Children Basse Drama Group". During the inauguration ceremony, Mr Richard Pichler highlighted the importance of supporting children who would one day become future leaders. He compared SOS Children's Village Basse to a small, young fragile tree by saying: "Please treat this little tree well: shelter it, protect it, nurture it, provide it with water, give it all the necessary things it needs to grow and in ten or fifteen years, these children sitting here will be walking out of this Village with all the respect for you elders, for society, and they will want to contribute to this society.”

After the official opening, guests were invited for a tour of the Village which includes 12 family homes together with a colourful nursery and secondary school. Both the nursery and secondary school will not only benefit children from the Village, but also children from the local community. An SOS Family Strengthening Programme will begin later this year and will support hundreds of vulnerable children and their families in the community.

SOS Children UK Trustee David Stranack who travelled from the UK to attend the ceremony summed up the experience: “For my wife and I the Village opening was a fantastic and unforgettable experience. When leaving, I sat next to one of the SOS mothers who was cradling a baby in her arms - a little girl just two months old whose natural mother had died a week after giving birth, and whose father was not able to look after her. ‘Mum’ called over the rest of her family to say goodbye to me - eight charming and happy children, all under the age of ten. That just summed up for me what SOS Children’s Villages is all about.”

If you would like to help SOS Children's Village in Basse, why not make a regular commitment and sponsor the Village? For more information visit the country page listed below.