Sponsor's update from Kecskemét, Hungary

Child sponsorship update from the SOS Children's Village Kecskemét, Hungary from Winter 2008.

Dear Friends,

One year has passed again and Christmas is approaching. This year our SOS Children’s Village has become 18 years old so we have become ‘adult’. In the last few years we received a lot of children but nowadays we’re trying to lay emphasis on stabilization. That’s why only 4 children came and 7 children have left the children’s village in this year. From these 7 young people already live 5 in the youth house because they are older than 18. Three siblings are going back to their own biological families and three new siblings are going to come. 11 families live together with 67 children in the children’s village and two families educate four children outside of the children’s village. An empty house is going to be filled with children in 2009. We want to help children whose families are in trouble in a way that we give them a temporary shelter. They are going to stay there until the situation changes for the better.

This year was full with interesting programmes like country wide sports competitions, football matches, challenge days, fight games, archery, sailing on Lake Balaton, meeting of veteran cars and theatre performances. The traditional events at Springs and Autumn were successful too. We invited famous people to the SOS day and they also played with the children.

Growing up at Kecskemét, Hungary

Children spent a nice time in different summer camps again. Elder children enjoyed some weeks in the international SOS summer camp in Caldonazzo, younger children were in Orfű, South of Hungary and the oldest ones went on an excursion through the whole country.

In August we spent again two wonderful weeks in Zselyk, in the small village with Hungarian people in Erdély (Transylvania) in Romania. There was a film shot about the every day live of our children and it was on TV broadcast too. In autumn some children took part in the 4th Hungarian sailing regatta on the Adria and our children won the 4th place.

At the beginning of the school year we started a programme led by the psychologist of the SOS Children’s Village. Every child receives personal help in their studies and professional treatment for behaviour problems. A house was built for this purpose and it was equipped from donations. We care for talented children, too, and for that reason we set up a studio. Children can make there craftsman work, or they can dance, play music or act in different dramas. Our target is to make known these children’s productions. They are going to set up performances, and sell their own products. We have started new courses for raising colleagues’ professional level and to educate new colleges.

We would like to employ four new mother candidates and a couple instead of those who left the children’s village and we are planning to start foster families outside the children’s village. For SOS-mothers who would like to retire soon, we have started a new construction called ‘running out family’. They are going to educate children or in their own flat or in a rented flat but they remain in the frame of the SOS children’s village.

This is the summary of this year and also of our plans for the future. With your contribution the realization of all this have become much easier and much more encouraging.

Thank you for your assistance and I wish you on behalf of all inhabitants of the children’s village in Kecskemét Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Csaba Tóth
Village Director