Sponsor's update from Santa Rosa Copán, Honduras

Child sponsorship update from the SOS Children's Village Santa Rosa Copán, Honduras from December 2008

Dear Friends

Receive a warm greeting in name of all the families in SOS Village Santa Rosa de Copán, and the same time our sincere gratefulness by your contributions through all these years.

The population in this Village has increased during this year and now we have 14 familiar houses with a total of 112 children (boy and girls), whose ages are from the 9 months to the 15 years. The present year 9 boys and 5 girls were welcomed, each one of them has adapted very positively in their new homes. Thanks to the support of kind people as you they can grow very happy and safe with their SOS mothers, brothers and sisters and receiving all the necessary attentions.

Most of the children attend the level of preparatory and the rest to the Primary Education and between the successes achieved to finish this year is that 11 children have concluded their level of preparatory and are ready to initiate primary the next year. Also 4 children culminated the Elementary Education and they will be the first group who will initiate the secondary next year, and 21 children obtained academic excellence of the first third and fourth grades. While as 9 children who have language difficulties were getting therapies of language in the Rehabilitation Center (Teletón) and attended the special school.

Working in partnership

The children who attended the primary education were integrated to the schools located in the town while the smaller children of the level of preparatory were in the nursery schools located in the same community near the village. Now all the children are enjoying vacations and they will return to their classes in February 2009.

In all the houses they have contributed to decorate the Christmas tree, to put the lights and to the cleaning of their homes and the gardens. The mothers are thinking about the preparation of the typical and traditional meals for this time. Also 9 children who are interested in learning to play guitar are receiving classes on Saturdays in the evening. Those guitars were obtained in quality of donation from a Foundation of the United States of America.

In relation to the health of our population, generally they are in good health with the exception of some cases that present common diseases such as flues and cough, also the mothers are enable to offer them to a good nutrition every day. The SOS mothers and aunts have received training as “Team Work; Handling of the Adolescent; Mental Health and Decisions Making” to each mother and aunt and other collaborators are gave following and motivation to keep high quality and attention to the children.

As our contribution to fundraising area this village has made different activities like: putting moneyboxes in the banks and the different stores and supermarkets from the city, some enterprise sponsorships, and donations provisions. As the maintenance of the homes some homes were painted and seeds and well-taken care of the small gardens around the houses.

Thanks to the commitment of each one of the collaborators in this village, the mothers and aunts, but mainly thanks to the support that we received of kind people as you we can continue with the protection of many children and under our responsibility.

Sincerely,

Regina Cruz
Sponsorship Office