Child sponsorship update from Gabú, Guinea Bissau

Update for child sponsors from the SOS Children's Village Gabú, Guinea Bissau from Summer 2008.

Dear sponsor,

As usual we would like to share with you some information on our SOS Children's Village in Gabú (Guinea Bissau), which carries on its work thanks to your generous contribution, providing shelter to poor and orphaned children needing support, affection and protection.

Each year Village management organises a visit to a tourist site a few kilometres away from Gabu to the benefit of children who had a strong school performance in the first term and gives them presents to motivate and encourage them in their studies. Then a collective birthday party is thrown for all children. Biological relatives are also invited.

In February this year SOS children, mothers and other staff members organised during carnival festivities a parade at the multi-user ground in which children wore traditional attire. Only children from the playgroup took part in the regional parade held every year and won the second spot.

Children celebrating events

8 March was celebrated in a different way. SOS mothers welcomed a NGO (AMIC) that deals with abandoned children and a discussion was organised about the theme “rights of the child”. The meeting ended with a picnic involving SOS mothers, children, and Village staff members. A sports meeting was organised for SOS mothers and women from the neighbouring community. They also organised a fairy take and riddle contest followed by a social lunch.

1 June, International Children’s Day, was celebrated in Gabu with a drawing and a handwriting contest, discussions on child rights, games and an exchange of presents between children as well as a party on the occasion.

SOS week’s celebrations were marked with a cleaning of the Village surroundings involving SOS mothers, children, teachers and other staffers. A soccer match between SOS workers and those of a local company took place. Chess games were also organised between SOS children and kids from the same company, followed by a fashion parade, dancing and distribution of awards to the winners.

Children's lives in Gabú,Guinea Bissau

There were many visitors to the village this year including SOS mothers from Basse, the Gambia who visited our Village. Also, the managing director of a telecommunication company visited and delivered impregnated mosquito nets, t-shirts, caps, soap, pens, small radio sets and milk for our children. The traditional chief of Gabu gave a ox to our children. The President of the Republic of the Gambia, paid a short courtesy visit whilst passing through Gabu and gave our children a money gift.

Guinea-Bissau faces currently a deep shortage of electricity, water and foodstuffs. Nonetheless, SOS Guinea-Bissau has been able, thanks to your generous donations, to build water points in each Village. Neighbouring populations have been able to accede to this precious liquid, which has been scarce for months if not years.

SOS Guinea-Bissau has taken hygiene measures and forbade trips during school vacation for SOS children in the wake of the government’s official announcement of a cholera outbreak in the south of the country. We are now in the rainy season and this extend or worsen the impact of this epidemic.

We thank you very much for your generous contribution to the benefit of our children and wish you good health and plenty of happiness in the company of your beloved ones.