Sponsor's update from Monrovia, Liberia

Child sponsorship update from the SOS Children's Village Monrovia, Liberia from Winter 2008

We greet you again and thank you as we once more approach the Christmas Season. On behalf of the SOS Children Liberia, we extend a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous and Happy New Year.

During the year the Village as part of the greater community of Liberia experienced peace under the present Government along with a struggling economy. We are pleased to inform you that we had very rewarding experiences, and that your contributions went a long way to enhance successes we achieved. The SOS Children’s Village Monrovia successfully resettled five (5) of our youths, 4 girls and one boy. The Village now accommodates 119 Children 60 males and 59 females. We also have a total of 29 youth boys at the Youth home. Three resettled Youths successfully completed their vocational training and undergraduate studies - two obtained certificates/diplomas in Vocational training and the third BBA in Accounting. Here are some milestones SOS Children’s Village Monrovia participated in the year under review.

Celebration of the African Child Day
On June 16, 2008 the SOSCV celebrated The Day of The African Child in two parts. Part one was an indoor program organized and executed by the children, Aunties and Mothers exclusively, with the guest speaker being our own Village Psychologist. He spoke about the importance of the day. An SOS child, Naton Koiwood read a poem about the many suffering of the African Child. The day was marked with pomp and pageantry, children, mothers and Aunts were all dress in their best African attires. Part Two of the program ended the celebration with a film shows (Cry Freedom and Sarafina) in the early evening hours.

Founder’s Day Celebration
In commemoration of June 23rd this year, the Assistant Village Director along with few mothers designed an African cloth in two colors (blue & white). A cloth was printed and designed as part of the fund raising exercise, the Village children, employees and well wishers bought the cloth and wore it for the occasion. It was a colorful sight as almost 90% of the attendants at the occasion were attired in the cloth. Ms. Musuleng Kiazolu a Resettled Youth from the SOS Children’s village Monrovia read out a very brief history on the vision and dream that have shaped the SOS organisation today.

SOS Nursery School Monrovia
The SOS Nursery School Monrovia caters to children physically, morally and academically. The Nursery School renders quality and standard education to children, which is the main focus of our goals. Presently the school runs six (6) classes, from Toddlers A & B to Group 1, 2A, 2B and 3 with a total of 116 students. Twenty one ( 21) SOS Children and 95 community children. On February 13, 2008, the kids from the Nursery School were taken on a field trip outside of Monrovia. They visited Urey’s Farm in Careysburg where they had the opportunity to see different kinds of animals for the very first time.

SOS International School Monrovia
The SOS International School in her effort to provide relevant as well as qualitative education for the pupils/students, embarked on a drive to recruit highly qualified teachers to join the team already on the ground. This was done in August 2008.

Two different training and capacity building workshops were organized and facilitated by the Assistant Regional Educational Advisor. The first was for the heads and staff of the SOS International School and SOS Nursery School while the second was for only the heads (administrators) and their assistants. School re-opened for the 2008/2009 session on Wednesday 10th September 2008 with an enrolment of five hundred and twenty six (526) students.

Supporting the community at Monrovia

SOS Clinic
The SOS Clinic continues to rendered medical services to out-patients and in-patients including children and adults. Government ministers, members of the house of parliament, presidential aids, international and local NGOs, private entities, insurance companies and public corporations also seek medical attention at the clinic due to the quality services provided in a clean environment.

Services provided are medical consultation, investigation, laboratory, X-ray examinations, ECG and Ultrasound carried out by qualified physicians. At the pharmacy, there is a pharmacist who dispensed quality and affordable drugs. Our ambulance is on the standby 24 hours to helps refer in a timely manner patients who cases can not be handle by our staff. The laboratory performs routine laboratory examinations such as: Parasitology, biochemistry, Hematology and serology.

The SOS SOCIAL CENTRE:
The SOS Family Strengthening Program (FSP)
The SOS Family Strengthening Program started in March, 2005 at the SOS Social Centre, Congo Town, Monrovia. The Program caters to Orphans, vulnerable children, People living with AIDS (PLWA), and the mal-nourished over a limited period of time. This Programme has been used to save destitute Families, and usher them to recognition for Family strengthening.

The Family strengthening Program provides:
- food (rice, beans, oil, and seasoning)
- Health Care through the SOS Clinic
- Cash benefits for Education (Tuition, Books,, etc.)
- Counseling Services by SOS Social Workers/Counselors

Re-discovery through the Family Strenthening Programme

Zugbo Quaqua: Recovery led to her re-discovery
“a case recruited into the “Family Strengthening Programme”

Being born in such an unfriendly world amongst the least, left-over in society is a pity and an unfortunate condition. Rose, Rosaline, and Rosetta are a set of triplet born by a young girl and a school dropped out. Zugbo Quaqua walked up to life with such an awesome responsibility of caring for her children whose father where about is unknown. Such a condition of lack of tender care directly from the cradle placed Rose, Rosaline and Rosetta in a vulnerable condition with only their little mother to care for them single handedly.
One day while on the field recruiting OVC caregivers at the mother Pattern HIV/AIDS support group center in 2006, the SOS social workers encountered a man who told them about the plight of Zugbo. The social workers being concerned about what was told, went in search of Zugbo as per the address given them.

Zugbo was met in her pathetic condition; dilapidated house, old clothes with torn clothes on her children. There her story was verified and found to be true and very saddened. Zugbo was immediately placed on the emergency assistance program in 2006 and her babies were given food supplements and infants’ milk for a one year period.

At the end of the one-year emergency support, it was prudent to place Zugbo on the Family Strengthening Programme (FSP). On the road to recovery, Zugbo rediscovered herself as being a normal being with potential. She has made a decision to acquire some knowledge and skills for the up-keep of her children. With the provision of monthly food supplies of beans, rice, oil, season and medical assistance for the children, she had a quest to rid herself of dependency by rediscovering her place in the society.

As a way of empowerment, Zugbo decided to study cosmetology in 2007. Her words are “I will learn something so that no man will bluff me and my children again”. During one of the social workers’ monitoring routine visits, it was realised that Zugbo was back in school as she was in the 11th grade. Zugbo is now a High School graduate doing business in cosmetology, braiding hair for income, Little Rose, Rosaline and Rosetta are in the nursery class in a community school. In order to improve her business, Zugbo is kindly requesting for assistance to help her build a booth where she will continue to do her business in hair weaving, braiding, pedicure and manicure for income generating activity (IGA). That request will subsequently be granted as she has the desire for independent.

Once again, we say Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Sincerely yours,

Ruth Helen Swen
Sponsorship Coordinator
SOS Children Liberia