Child Sponsorship background from Asunción, Paraguay

SOS Children's Village Asunción

SOS Children's Village Asunción was constructed near the river Paraguay on a slightly sloping piece of land. It opened its gates in 1982. The family homes have been built on terraces in the hillside. A road lined with old mango trees runs across the village. On one side of this road, there are sixteen family houses, where up to 144 children can find a new home. In addition, there is the village director's house, a house for the SOS aunts (SOS mother trainees or family helpers who support the SOS mothers in their daily work and fill in for them when they are ill or when they are on leave) and an administration building.

Other SOS Projects in Asunción

On the other side of the tree-lined road, there is an SOS Nursery, an SOS School, an SOS Vocational Training Centre and a small SOS Social Centre.

The SOS Nursery was opened in 1983 and consists of three classrooms, where up to 110 children can be taught in two shifts (morning and afternoon classes). The SOS Nursery is attended by both children from the SOS Children's Village and from the local community.

The SOS School, which was also opened in 1983, is run as a primary and secondary school. The primary school consists of nine classrooms and an administration area. The secondary school also has nine classrooms. In addition, there is a computer room, a room for typing lessons, a laboratory, a theatre, a library, a kitchen, a dining hall and an administration area. All in all, 540 primary and 270 secondary pupils can be taught in two shifts (morning and afternoon classes).

The SOS Vocational Training Centre opened its doors in 1988 and offers training courses in agriculture. Furthermore, up to 32 students can be taught to become hairdressers.

The SOS Social Centre was opened in 1998. Its main aim is to support the local community by means of various outreach programmes. Soy milk can, for example, be distributed to as many as 1,200 people a day, which helps destitute people from the neighbourhood to have a well-balanced diet.

For youngsters from the SOS Children's Village, two SOS Youth Homes have been opened in the city. The youngsters share a flat or a house, where they can live while they are doing vocational training or higher education. Step by step, they get ready for their lives as independent members of society.

In town, there is also another SOS Vocational Training Centre, where SOS mothers and other co-workers are trained. The SOS Vocational Training Centre was opened in 1996 and consists of classrooms, accommodation for the participants, a kitchen and a dining hall. At the training centre, up to 40 people can be trained for their jobs as SOS mothers or for other jobs within the SOS Children's Village organisation.

Background to Asunción

Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay. The Spanish word asunción means assumption in English. It refers to the Assumption of Mary; the full name means The Very Noble and Loyal City of Our Lady Saint Mary of the Assumption.