Sponsor's update from Ipiales, Colombia

Child sponsorship update from the SOS Children's Village Ipiales, Colombia from Winter 2007/ 2008

Dear friends:

It is a new year and a new opportunity to share with you different stories and experiences around our families; stories reflected in current reality of our girls, boys and young people… framed in happy heart of each one of them; in this way we have done actions addressed to fill our mission creating families for needy girls and boys and helping them to build their own future and to participate in their communities.

The SOS Children’s Village Ipiales continues growing up; we have welcome 11 new girls, boys and young people in abandonment or orphanhood situation during this year. It means that the number of children remains at the Village however some children returned to their natural families and others began to be independent. There are 42 girls and 70 boys at the Village; among them 9 youngsters are living the youth community process and one girl is living independent with assistance to pay a rented apartment.

Young people live in Pasto and Ipiales…they are permanently guided and helped in different fields by the youth home leader “Lorena”. Six girls are studying technical careers; two boys are studying and working although they don’t earn enough money to be completely independent the SOS Children’s Village is helping them. Pablo is the only boy who has began her career in Tulcán Equator, one hour from Ipiales; there he is studying degree in Nursery. Other girl is Diana who finished his technical career in surgery instrumentation and she is working to get money in order to finish her professional career. Fortunately, emphasis is done over development of autonomy and security in children and youngsters and the results are seen when young people gets their goals easier and successfully.

Events at Ipiales, Colombia

Like every year, the school holiday is time to celebrate sport activities. So, teams were defined according with departments like Cauca, Nariño and Putumayo because these are the regions where most of children come from; it was very nice to make a cultural demonstration like an open day where girl, boys and youngsters, mothers, aunts and pedagogical team wore the typical dress of each department, and presented their dancing and we learnt about history of all of them.

Everybody enjoyed a week of happiness and amusement participating in basketball, mini football, baseball, high and long jump in every category; also we had a contest of song and a “miniteca” ; it was a nice moment to award prizes.

Talking about children protection in our SOS Children’s Village Ipiales, it is also very important to tell you that our organisation is doing activities for strengthening families what help to prevent abandonment in communities. That’s the reason the region where the Village is built, also there are two SOS Social Centres: The first one is the Social Centre Ipiales which has got linked to the programme 275 poor families who are in vulnerability situation with 355 girl and boys and the second one is the SOS Social Centre Tumaco that has attended 204 families in need and 300 children; parents received assistance for caring and protecting their children. The Social Centre developed activities about school training, appropriate stimulation, school reinforcement, games, recreation, assistance and guidance for the role of parents; moreover, the Social Centers offers balanced diet which consists in breakfast, lunch and snacks with fruits, vegetables, cereals, proteins, etc…

This year the SOS Social Centres have worked with mothers of family organised in groups called self-help teams to solve necessities of the population. This community is characterised by problems of interfamily violence, maltreatment, unemployment and other hard situations…which they share each other and are help by the psychologist.

From the community the mothers are trained in the “SENA” about business starting in order they to set up their own business meanwhile they are at home caring their children and also getting money to solve basic necessities of children and so to prevent abandonment.

The SOS Children’s Village Ipiales continues committed with integral attention for improving boys, girls and youngsters environment and quality of life; thanks to your constant and valuable support looking happy hearts through expressive eyes is possible.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2008!

Kind regards,

Daniel Gamarra Polo, SOS Children’s Village Ipiales; Lilia Orbez, SOS Social Center Ipiales & Piedad Quiñónez, SOS Social Center Tumaco