What is WOW?WOW stands for World Orphan Week – an annual fundraising event during which young people are invited to help orphaned and abandoned children by ‘wearing something WOW’ for one day and donating £1 to SOS Children, the world’s largest orphan charity. By participating in World Orphan Week, and encouraging others to do so, you can help SOS Children give orphaned and abandoned children a new mother, home and family … for life! |
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100% of donations go directly to SOS Children – a charity whose main aim is to help children whose parents are not there for them: AIDS orphans, street children, child soldiers and children orphaned by war, poverty, illness or natural disasters. Traditionally, we provide children with a home, a family and a new mother in a purpose-built local Village. We currently run 473 of these unique SOS Children’s Villages caring directly for more than 70,000 children in 123 countries worldwide. In places where there is a high rate of child abandonment, we also run programmes to help strengthen more than one million vulnerable families and keep them together. |
To get involved in WOW couldn’t be easier. Simply encourage your pupils, colleagues and friends to get children wearing something WOW for a day in exchange for a suggested donation of £1 (per child). Get them to dress up as their favourite super-hero, wear their mum’s clothes, decorate their school bag or pencil case, make their own hat – anything as long as it shouts: ‘WOW’!
A whole host of celebrity supporters have given their support for WOW including Phil Spencer and Lisa Butcher, Vivienne Westwood, Leee John, John Christophe Novelli, Louise Minchen and George Alagaih.
Who can WOW?
Everyone is invited to get involved in World Orphan Week – but we are particularly encouraging children of all ages to participate. By ‘wearing something WOW’ children are not only inspired to be creative and have fun, but are also empowered to make a difference to the lives children who are less fortunate than themselves.
WOW provides children in the UK with an opportunity to learn about other countries, cultures, religions and ways of life. For schools taking part, teachers can combine WOW with one of our lesson plans which enables a real connection with issues on the school curriculum such as the sub-Saharan AIDS pandemic, child soldiers and child labour. We can provide schools with information and resources, from country and Village specific profiles, photos and lesson plans to help make participation in WOW both fun and educational.
Why should children WOW?
- It’s fun and creative
- 100% donations go directly to vulnerable children
- It’s educational – children are encouraged to learn about the lives of children who are less fortunate than themselves
- We can provide teachers with the resources to make WOW relevant to the school curriculum
It’s easy – register online to receive your free pack!
When is WOW?
The next World Orphan Week takes place from 9-15 February 2009 but it’s not too early to put it in your diary, click here and register for your free fundraising pack.
Children wear wow photo
Who will WOW help?
Every penny raised during WOW goes directly to SOS Children, the world’s largest orphan charity. We provide a family and a home for children who have lost their parents through war, famine, disease or poverty. Every penny you raise helps us to help even more children. Find out more about what we do.
How to WOW
For more information about taking part in 'wear something WOW' have a look at our How to WOW page.
You can also register online your free fundraising pack.
WOW 2008…
World Orphan Week 2008 was a great success with thousands of people supporting the appeal in the UK and even as far a field as Australia! We are so grateful to all of our supporters old and new who took part, raised lots of money and helped to spread the word. Have you been captured on our ‘look who’s wearing WOW’ page? We hope you will all be joining in the fun again in February 2009.