Sponsor's update from Oberá, Argentina

Child sponsorship update from the SOS Children's Village Oberá, Argentina from Winter 2008.

Dear sponsors,

Since we are getting closer to the end of the year with its traditional celebrations, it is a great pleasure to contact you to share some activities and reached achievements along the year 2008. We are aware of the fact that your generous support allows and makes possible the daily tasks at our SOS Children’s Village of Oberá, thus making possible that many boys and girls live a worthy life - thank you again from the bottom of our heart!

At the village nowadays live 11 families, totaling 82 boys, girls and youngsters; 3 youngsters live at the Ladies Youth Facility located in Posadas and 10 youngsters live at the SOS Semi-independent Housing Programme, building their process towards independence with the assistance of their youth leader as their SOS mothers.

The family of SOS mom Rosani and her children Amalia, Franco, Hernanda, Normelia, Lorena, Maximiliano, Rosendo and Sandra moved outside the Village to a new home. This process matured slowly, with good will and they began choosing a neighborhood close to the Village, the home and the furniture, until they moved over by October. They are all still getting used to the change, they like the surroundings, the new house and their new lifestyle; although they miss the village and their friends there. Sure, they don’t have their friends just next door any more and go to a new school as well.

Other processes developed along the year where those of reestablishing relations to the original families; boys and girls establish deeper relations towards their biological families and visit them along different locations at the province, where they live. To four of our children, the result was very positive and they could go back to live with their original families.

On the same time, this year was of hard work to improve the conditions to more boys and girls to be welcomed at the village and be able to live at a familiar environment according to their needs. There were 7 new boys and girls welcomed at 3 SOS families and, by December, there are two groups of siblings more expected, one of 8 and one of 4 boys and girls. The SOS moms are striving to welcome those incoming children warmly and to ease the integration process at the village as towards the other children and adults there.

Children growing up at Oberá, Argentina

Most of the children go to school, a total of 64 boys and girls go to primary school, and 5 to secondary school. Some are taking tertiary careers, and others already work. They all go on taking workshops on sports, arts, culture and courses as: ceramics, handicrafts, dances, guitar, soccer, athletics, swimming, plastic arts, English and Informatics, as also professional apprenticeships. Most of the children go to the SOS School, although some of them assist to other schools according to their educational needs.

Tino, our shot put-champion, keeps on training professionally and together with two other youngsters, Ramón and Elías they are taking part at competitions nationwide, representing the city and the province, with many chances to win. They also traveled to Mar del Plata to assist to national tournaments.

At the national level as inside the village, we worked hard by positioning our model of Family Care inside and outside the village. Outside, with provincial and national authorities, this resulted in important networks of collaboration regarding Childhood Protection policies and Human Rights. We also work jointly with civil and governmental organisations of the county of Oberá, at the creation of the First Municipal Council of Rights and Guarantees for Boys, Girls and Adolescents. Inside the village we worked on the unification of criteria, tracing and deepening roles as training the working team, resulting in a deeply involved pedagogical work which is being done.

By May, the village got the visit of the Continental Director, Ing. Müller; the head of the Executive Board, Mr. Schwald and Mr. Salazar, director of a Village in Chile; meaning support to these processes in change at the Village.

Along the year, our boy’s and girl’s birthdays are occasion to nice parties, which elder and younger ones enjoy both. One remarkable party took place by July, where 5 children, Rafa, Franco, Tami, Leandro and Mercedes decided to celebrate their birthdays all together, and all the SOS families took part at the party jointly.

A very special and celebrated day every August is the Children’s Day. This year again it was occasion to a festivity, with puppet theatre show, tasty cakes and cookies, family games and joint sharing; all families were there and the party was conducted by two youngsters from town – it was so emotive to see happiness on all the children’s faces, to watch them playing and having such a good time!

Events at Oberá, Argentina

Another especially celebrated day was the Mother’s Day in October. Boys, girls and the collaborators prepared a surprise breakfast to honor the SOS mothers and aunts, and everybody shared tea and cakes all together. Highly emotive moment was when one boy, Maxi, read a poem to the mom’s and they all put together a round and sang a song, giving the moms little presents. Everybody looked so happy!

An unforgettable day for the SOS mothers Isabel, Ana and Norma was November, 4th. On this day, we celebrated the opening of our new SOS Children's Village in Luján in presence of the President of SOS Children and other invited national and international authorities. After the addressing speeches, dances and songs of our children, these mothers where distinguished for their noble work with the children; they received the SOS Children ring, a traditional distinction for SOS mothers with over 10 years of service.

The SOS School keeps on working open to the children from the village as the surrounding neighborhood. 105 boys and girls assist to the nursery school, 587 to elementary and 234 to high school; as there still are training workshops offered: informatics, bakery, carpentry, cooking, electricity and carpentry.

Events to remember for their success and joy were: the integration meeting for nursery school at the Hunting Club, where all children parents and teachers assisted. On November 10th, the whole school celebrated the Tradition´s Day at all the levels, a very typical and colorful event, with songs, folkloric dances and representation of national traditions. Along the year different activities were prepared at nursery school, primary and secondary school and presented at the yearly Physical Education Fest. The pupils from the last school year started the games with torches, thus saying good-bye to school; and during the event those participating at local and national soccer and athletics championships where handed over a diploma.

We would like to thank you once more for your noble support! Thanks to, it is possible to enroot the idea of SOS Children´s Villages, and to help many boys and girls to carry lives in dignity, with a chance to get a better future - thank you so much!

With our best wishes for Christmas to you and your family and blessings of peace and love to the New Year 2009!

Kind regards,

Claudia Kurz
Sponsor Adviser