Our Mission Diary
July 14, 2006
This morning, Shamin and Betty headed to the SOS Children’s Village in Thornton (about 10km from Cape Town). The children were at camp so it was not possible to host a workshop. They did learn a lot about this organization though.
The SOS Children’s Village is a long-term, home-based care centre for children under the age of 18. There are 15 houses in the village. Each house has a mother who gives the children the nurturing and support they need. There is a maximum of eight children per house. The homes are for children who have been abandoned, orphaned and/or abused. There are 8 SOS villages in South Africa and many more around the world. There are SOS villages in over 140 countries. It is one of the largest programs of its kind!
In the afternoon, a coordinator for the Family Strengthening Outreach Program of SOS brought Shamin and Betty to the poorest part of the Western Cape – a place called “Langa”. Many people there do not have proper housing at all. They live in shacks that they build themselves out of anything they can find (wood, plastic, zinc, etc.). Betty and Shamin toured the facilities of a place called “Lovelife”, located in Langa and decided that the program was in need of herbal supplements. These supplements will be shipped on Monday.
