World Orphan Week

8-14 February 2010

Take part in World Orphan Week

Help us to give another 1000 orphaned children a new family for life...

Register now by double clicking on the logo

Watch the official WOW 2010 video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFD5-GvyP60

SOS Children began its work in Haiti in 1978 and has since provided homes and community support to hundreds of children.  An SOS Children rescue team is currently searching for children without parental care and they are being cared for by SOS mothers and other qualified personnel.  Emergency relief, food and medical supplies are being sent across the border, from the Dominican Republic.  The harrowing consequences of the earthquake has left many children scared, alone and severely injured and it has been estimated that some two million children will be affected. By joining in World Orphan Week, you can do something to help.

SOS Children provides new family homes for children who have lost their parents or whose parents are unable to care for them. They are nurtured by a full-time SOS mother and grow up as part of a family with other orphaned and abandoned children. Regardless of race, culture or religion, children are given the love and security they need for a thriving childhood. Natural siblings are never separated, but stay together within one family.

Our SOS family homes are clustered together in a purpose-built Village. From here, we offer help to the wider community. Where there is no adequate medical care, we provide it, where there is no school we build one, where there are vulnerable families nearby (such as child-headed families) we support them. Keeping families together ensures fewer children are abandoned and reduces the number in need of long-term care.

You can help us to give a child a family for life by sponsoring a child. Help us achieve our goal for World Orphan Week — to give another 1,000 orphaned children like Ayesha and Saira a new family for life. Whether you’re an individual or a group, a school, a company, you can help us to do this.  Here are some ideas. For more information see Taking Part:

• Sponsor a child or a village
• Make a donation
• Hold a fundraising event
• See our A-Z of fundraising ideas
• Cook a meal for your friends and ask them to make a donation.  See our Food for Friends website www.foodforfriends.uk.net
• Raise awareness:
• Tell your friends about World Orphan Week www.soschildren.org/wow
• Add one of our footers to your email
• Send an SOS e-card
• Buy Alternative Gifts for your friends and family
• Mention us on your Facebook page and other social networks - here is how
• If you have a webpage, add a link to our website www.soschildren.org/wow
  

How sponsorship with SOS Children works

All of your money is paid, without deductions, into a village budget from which all your child’s needs are met (education, home, food, medical care etc). In addition to a sponsorship, you can also make small gifts into a personal account for your child to receive on independence. We can guarantee that 100% of your donation goes directly to the children. We cover all our admin and fundraising costs from other sources, such as by the tax we recover from Gift Aid. We fundraise using the internet, not direct mail, to keep our costs low.

You will receive a photo of your sponsored child along with a sponsorship pack, and regular updates about their progress.

Official WOW partner - The Monsoon and Accessorize Trust

Gillian Lipton of The Monsoon Accessorize Trust tells us why the Trust has decided to partner SOS Children for the WOW Campaign for the third year running...

"The Trust was established in 1994 and funds projects to help disadvantaged women and children in Asia. Monsoon and Accessorize are brands with a distinctive handwriting and when we were approached by SOS Children to participate in 'Wear something WOW' to raise money for World Orphan Week we saw great synergies.

In the first year (2008), Accessorize sold a beautiful necklace and bracelet and exceed our expectations by raising over £40,000 for SOS Children. The company sources products from China and we specifically asked for this donation to go to projects in China. This money will be going to the SOS Children's Village in Kaifeng, China.

For this year, Monsoon will be selling World Orphan Week t-shirts for boys and girls in the children's department. The t-shirts have been especially designed for the promotion and include the SOS logo.

Working with SOS on these initiatives has been a pleasure; everyone within the charity is extremely professional and works to very high standards. I had the opportunity to visit an SOS Children's Village whilst in India. I was impressed with the facilities in the Village and also met some of the children who said how much they enjoy their new home.

SOS Children is a charity that makes a difference to a huge number of children who may otherwise have no hope and the Monsoon Accessorize Trust is proud to support SOS Children's villages for another year."

You can also buy a gorgeous Monsoon bag, available only from our office, for only £7 including postage – ideal for children and ladies alike!

For more information, contact us:

Email: wow@soschildren.org

Tel: 01223 365 589

59 St. Andrew’s Street, Cambridge, CB2 3BZ

Registered Charity No: 1069204