Child sponsorship update from Sao Domingos, Cape Verde

Update for child sponsors from the SOS Children's Village Sao Domingos, Cape Verde from Summer 2008.

The first semester passed and with pleasure we invite you to read along and share with us the recent developments that took place at your sponsored SOS Children’s Village São Domingos. In the last 5 years, the village has been a home for 78 children, 44 boys and 34 girls, which are presently under our care. All of our efforts are becoming a reality only because of your continued support.

Basic information on the Children’s Village, Facilities and Programme

Representatives of “Matutano”, “RedBull” and “Chipicao” Company supported SOS work
In order to affirm on one hand the reliability on the work carried out by SOS Children’s Village Cape Verde and on the other hand the company social responsibility role to national social institutions, the representatives of “Matutano”, “Red Bull”, “Chipicao” Company donated us around 4000 chocolate milk boxes. We, by our turn, donated to ICASE (Capeverdean Institute of Health School Support) a good part of the product. This action will benefited around 21,000 children since it will be included in the sphere of school cafeteria program in the children nourishing diet of Praia Basic Integrated Education.

Praia Rotary Club signed partnership with SOS Children’s Village São Domingos
Taking the opportunity of the International Rotary 9100 District Governor visit, SOS Children’s Village São Domingos signed an agreement of partnership with Praia Rotary Club. The agreement resulted from the interest showed by the Praia Rotary Club in lending medical assistance to the village users.

Discovering the internet world and enjoying the Carnival and Easter holidays
The children who attend the final class of Basic Education and those who are at secondary school had their first contact with Internet. The cybernetic action took place at the professional training centre of Variante. During the latest holidays, the children commemorated the carnival under lemma “The Village Countries” in order to honor these countries friends of Cape Verde. They wore countries’ flags with name their familiar houses, for instance, Luxembourg, USA, Austria, Germany, Portugal, China, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, France and Brazil. A program of activity was elaborated as well regarding the Easter holiday such as games group, manual arts, films, walk to São Francisco beach, visits of some children to their respective biological families and to a replica of the slaves’ ship named “Amistad” which was in Cape Verde during a week.

Damaged cable partially stopped work of SOS Children’s Village São Domingos
Due to an alternative road construction, a medium tension of electrical energy cable was damaged and the village operation experienced some delays and losses. Efforts have not been saved in order to guarantee the administrative, familiar houses and nursery school operation.

Supporting children and communities at Sao Domingos

Visits
Around 20 children belonging to Mini-Basket school visited the village and showed a basket demonstration. We also received the village director of SOS Children’s Village Dakar and the international photographer visits. The first one won the visit due to his good professional performance and the second one had a goal to visit and collect photos of the villages, children and community supported by SI2 images. The mother and adults training center from our Regional Office was in the village in order to evaluate our SOS mothers’ performance. A psychologist from Trindade Hospital who has been giving periodical visits to our children visited our village to better know our developed work.

SOS Nursery School
After the beginning of the school year the Kindergarten children who at present are a total of seventy-eight visited the Amílcar Cabral memorial (a national hero who fought for the Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau independence), Praia ethnographic museum, airport and some shopping and entertainment centers. They also participated in the Carnival parade dressed with Cape Verde colors flag. They really enjoyed the event under the afro-brazilian music and rhythm.

Children's activities at Sao Domingos

To close our writing exposition, we would like to leave you a human touch story…

The child who did not know how to hug
“When I asked him to give me a hug, he just reclined his body on me.”, described the mother counselor of SOS Children’s Village São Domingos, Claúdia Santos, when she first noticed Roberto* emotional disability.

In only five years opened, the SOS Children’s Village São Domingos has been slowly becoming a light in a tight tunnel for the Capeverdean children in need. When Claúdia first noticed that the seven year old Roberto was unable to show any physical affection, she immediately thought how to win the challenge.

How could he do it?
Roberto lived with his mother and siblings in a high promiscuous environment. Her mother, a drug addict person, used to prostitute in her own house. By the time he was admitted to the village, Claúdia remembers well the first impression she got of him. “He was a reserved child and often he showed signs of emotional abuse, psychological disturbs”. One day “when I asked Roberto for a hug he just reclined his body on me”.

Roberto finally hugs
Claúdia started a project teaching Roberto how to hug. “I asked him to round his arms on my body” continued Mama Claúdia “and for the first time he did it very tightly and clumsily”. He never was hugged before. He could not touch people. Whenever adults talked to him he covered his head defending himself. Claúdia invited Roberto to her own house during some weekends. Finally today after some time Roberto does not stay apart when he greets Mama Claúdia after school. “I really taught him how to show love and affection” added Mama Claúdia and “he changed slowly by slowly”.
____________________________
Roberto* name has been changed to protect her privacy.

Hoping you had a good reading moment and wishing you a relaxing summer holidays, we would like to end our report.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs. Jandira Freire
Sponsorship Coordinator & SI4 National Navigator
SOS Cape Verde