Child Sponsorship background from Da Nang, Vietnam

SOS Children's Village Da Nang

The first children moved into SOS Children's Village Da Nang in November 1993. The SOS Children's Village is located about 6 km from the town centre, on the road to Hoi An. Da Nang is the capital of Quang Nam province and is situated mid-way between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The provincial authorities donated a piece of land in an area with good infrastructure: there are schools and markets close by.

The SOS Children's Village consists of 16 family houses, staff accommodation and the necessary administration area. There is an SOS Nursery, where up to 170 children can be taught in six group rooms. The SOS School with its 25 classrooms, laboratories, a library and a canteen offers classes up to secondary level. It has a capacity of 1,000 students. Both nursery and school are open to children from the neighbourhood as well.

Young people from the SOS Children's Village usually move into the SOS Youth Home when they start a vocational training course or go on to higher education. With the support of qualified youth workers, they develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions. At Da Nang, the SOS Youth Home also includes workshops for basic technical training.

SOS Children's Villages also takes care of its retired SOS mothers: a special home for them has been built next to SOS Children's Village Da Nang.

Other SOS Projects in Da Nang

In 2005, SOS Children's Villages launched its Family Strengthening Programmes. These programmes are intended to support families that are at risk of abandoning their children and encourage families to stay together. SOS Children's Villages therefore works with local authorities and other service providers to support families and enable them to take good care of their children.

In Da Nang, the Family Strengthening Programme focuses on orphaned and abandoned children from the neighbourhood of the SOS Children's Village. Their legal guardians receive monthly financial support to enable them to take care of the children. Up to 100 children can benefit from this programme.