The construction of the new SOS Children’s Village in Gulu that started in September 2007 has finally ended and the Village was officially opened on 17th May 2009.
Since 2002, SOS Children has been supporting children in Uganda who had escaped or been rescued from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) by establishing an Emergency Relief Programme for children either orphaned or unable to find their families. From that initial programme in a small three bedroom house, SOS Children went on to establish a temporary Children's Village on land donated by the municipality. SOS Children were also able to open a social and medical centre for the high number of HIV/AIDS affected families in the area, and a day care centre for children under five to allow their parents to go out to work.
As the number of children in the temporary village grew, a decision was made to build a permanent Children's Village in Gulu. There were many children who were victims of the war who could benefit as well as children who were orphaned due to the endemic poverty and the high incidence of HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases. So the recent commissioning of the new Children's Village on land not far from the temporary village was cause for real celebration, especially for the mothers and over 100 children who have been living in the temporary facility. It also allows the SOS Social and Medical Centre and the SOS Day Care Centre space to expand if necessary.
The guest of honour was the Ugandan Minister of Gender, Culture and Social Development, Gabriel Opiyo, representing the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni. Also present were Betty Achan, the local Member of Parliament, and the Resident District Commissioner, Walter Ocholla, as well as SOS Children's Villages Uganda board members, and regional and national co-workers. Warrior dances as practised by the local Acholi people provided great entertainment especially when local staff could not resist joining in; and at one stage all the children were invited to dance as a Ugandan singer sang about the situation of children in Africa, especially those still in captivity or living in war torn regions. In his speech, the President of SOS Children, Helmut Kutin, acknowledged the generosity of the donors who financed the new Village especially those from the Netherlands. He also mentioned the young Canadian volunteers from Concordia University who have been assisting with the SOS Family Strengthening Programme in Gulu for the last two years, especially in building houses for the community.