Child sponsorship update from Chiclayo, Peru

Update for child sponsors from the SOS Children's Village Chiclayo, Peru from Summer 2008.

Dear sponsors:

SOS Children´s Village Peru keeps growing! Ayacucho and Puno, two cities with a high rate of population living in poverty and extreme poverty conditions, shelter already SOS pilot integrated projects of long-term family-based care and family strengthening programmes. Thanks to this intervention, the families and communities involved have encouraged their leaders to actively take part in their own development process. In Ayacucho, SOS mothers who have been trained at the Formation Centre in Lima are now sharing their knowledge with mothers from the Childminding Programmes.

Here in Chiclayo 114 children from 13 families live currently in our SOS Children´s Village, while 10 young people live in Youth Facilities, all looking forward to this year´s 25th anniversary celebration activities and events. A new family has enriched our Children´s Village, and you can see them above: mamá Anamelba together with her children Andrea (the little baby girl spoiled by everyone at home), José, Luis, Gianmarco, Cristina, and Giovanna.

February started with a family trip, as a reward for the children whose academic performance had been outstanding during the previous school year. The children enrolled in the theatre workshop showed what they had learned performing the theatre play “The Vain Fox”. In the main celebration event many of the people who were there when the Children´s Village was founded, as well as young people who left the Children´s Village some years ago and are now living in Peru or abroad, visited us and could see our achievements and share nice moments with children, mothers, and co-workers. Many of them got emotional when visiting the houses that sheltered them when they joined their SOS families years ago.

Events in Chiclayo

On Mother´s Day the children did their best to please their moms giving them self-made presents and performing for them nice dances and songs. The Major of Chiclayo visited us in May too. This time he awarded our SOS mothers a well-deserved recognition for their work within our organisation on behalf of children and youths in need. Something worth to be shared: Angélica María and María Paz concluded their three-year technical careers and graduated with a special ceremony accompanied by their proud families and friends. They will now continue with their practical training and then start the search for a good job in their way towards independent life.

Special celebrations take place this month: SOS International Day and Father´s Day on the third Sunday of June. Some of the talented artists from the families show their skills one more time with self-made gifts they give their biological fathers during their regular visits to the Children´s Village. This is also a good opportunity to inform them about their children´s progress and to share with them not only their life at the Children´s Village but also at school. As you can see, the cooperation with biological families is being enhanced.

Right now the children of the choir group as well as the dance group are preparing their performances for the V SOS Artistic Festival which this time will take place from August 29th to 31st in Huancayo. Everybody is looking forward to this big event where they will have the opportunity to meet or to see again children and youths coming from SOS Children´s Villages all around the country.

When Angelo came into the Children´s Village, he was just one year old, had beautiful and lively dark eyes, and a breathtaking smile. All the children wanted to take him home and were absolutely touched to see him sucking his little thumb. Now his ‘neighbors’ from the Children´s Village visit him to read him fairy tales, sing him songs or show him how to play. In the meantime, his SOS mom doesn´t miss a single session of his treatment, which will help him relieve his microcephaly condition. Thank you for making a difference in this child´s life! Thank you for your invaluable support!

Yours faithfully,

Hernán Contreras
Director - SOS Children´s Village Chiclayo