Sponsor's update from Lubango, Angola

Child sponsorship update from the SOS Children's Village Lubango, Angola from October 2007.

Dear Sponsor and Dear Friends,

It’s with great and joy that once again we are here to keep you informed about the main social activities and events that our villages are taking part from the latest 6 months.

As I have mentioned previously, we have been working under the 8 strategic initiatives, so basic on it; we are going to focus in each of them.

Regarding to the first initiative, Long-term family based care; 14 new children found a permanent family in our SOS villages (6 in Lubango and 8 in Benguela). Only 2 children are now needed to fill the Lubango Village capacity while 25 new admissions in the next months are required to achieve the maximum capacity in Benguela. So the remain number in Lubango village are now 173 and Benguela 95, although the admission process takes long but at least we can provide home for those who already are within SOS.

Series of activities have been conducted by the both villages:
The implementation of educational, sport, cultural and recreation activities in both villages is being positively referred as an opportunity to promote the integration of the villages and support the development of the child. The annual programme is currently being implemented in both Villages. In Benguela, 5 children have joined to scout movement and 2 families have organised a joint picnic outside the Village. In Lubango, a 4-day camping programme was organised in the SOS School with the participation of 120 other children from the community and the SOS Lubango Volleyball team has once again won the Volleyball trophy for the school girl’s competition.

We are very proud to inform you that 3 of our youths in CV Lubango were admitted in Coca-Cola Company and right now they are travelling to South Africa and do a specialisation in the area they are going to work when they return back to Angola.

Growing up in Lubango, Angola

Prevention of child abandonment:
The number of beneficiaries in the Family Strengthening (FSP) Lubango has dropped from 126 to 119 due to an individual decision among one of the families to move 7 members of that particular family to another location outside the programme control. On the other hand, in pursuit of increasing the number of beneficiaries, interactions have already started with community members in 4 different zones in Mapunda. AJOMA, a youth Association for the Development of Mapunda, was identified as a potential community Based Organisation with whom a memorandum of understanding was signed to achieve the organisation’s objectives of rooting the FSP in the community.

SOS Nursery School:
The SOS Nursery school finished their academic year successful with a beautiful party that our SOS children and most of the children and parents from the community take part, the children there were involved in many activities as, dancing, singing and other activities takes place.

To sum up, I cannot end this report without mention the valuable assistant you have provide us all this years, without your help many of this children maybe could be not alive, so we must thank you so much on behalf of our SOS children for what you have done for us and now wish you a BIG MERRY CHRISTMAS AND ALL THE BEST FOR ALL OF YOU.

With Kind Regards

Maria dos Santos Manuel
Sponsorship Coordinator
SOS Children