Strengthening families and empowering young people through livelihoods training and skills development protects children from growing up alone and helps to halt the harmful cycle of poverty.
All children deserve a loving family, but one in ten face abuse, neglect or abandonment. Through programmes that strengthen families, we increase resilience in tough times; support parents to care for and nurture their children; prevent family breakdown; and minimise the need for alternative care for children.
Supporting Families in Times of Crisis
When families lack resources or face economic hardship, the death of a parent, unstable relationships, or gaps in knowledge, they may struggle to care for their children. But with targeted support, these issues can be resolved. Our assistance is customized to meet each family’s unique needs.
Our Family Strengthening programme empowers families to become self-reliant. This includes providing education, helping them to choose new livelihoods, and supporting them to gain the skills they need and become financially stable. A key component of this support includes training for parents to start their own small businesses.
Youth Training and Skills Development
In addition to providing entrepreneurial training to parents, SOS Children’s Villages provides this service to young people, intervening earlier to prevent harmful cycles from repeating themselves.
Young people, all over the world, face challenges in finding work and transitioning to independence, as many are ill prepared and lack the technical skills needed to get a job. This is particularly true of young people without parental care, or those who grow up in neglectful or unstable homes, as they are often more politically, socially and economically marginalised from the labour market than their peers.
Practical Support for Parents and Young People
SOS Children’s Villages want children and young people to go on to live successful lives and break the cycle of poverty for when they have their own families.
SOS Children’s Villages run programmes that train young people to establish their business, including lessons on economics, accounting, and developing business plans. SOS Children’s Villages continue to support these new business owners through the initial stages, offering guidance and connecting participants with more established business owners.
In some countries, SOS Children’s Villages partner with community-based organisations to provide micro-loans to help with start-up costs, where that support is needed.
