Child Sponsorship background from Marina Gorka, Belarus

SOS Children's Village Marina Gorka

Marina Gorka is a small town with about 28,000 inhabitants, situated approximately 65 kilometres south-east of Minsk, the capital of the country. The site is close to the city centre and is well integrated into the local infrastructure. The neighbouring residential area offers a park, a school, a nursery, a hospital and shops.

The mayor of Marina Gorka strongly supports the work of SOS Children's Villages in his town. The official opening ceremony took place on 21 May 2005 in presence of the president of SOS Children, and numerous guests of honour.

The SOS Children's Village Marina Gorka comprises twelve family houses (with a capacity for up to 84 children), an administrative building, a staff house, a garage, a workshop and houses for the village director and the SOS aunts (who support the SOS mothers and take care of the children when the mothers are on leave).

Other SOS Projects in Marina Gorka

The Family Strengthening Programme offers access to essential services for children’s development (eg. educational, nutritional and health support, social skills) and supports families to protect and care for their children. The programme also aims at linking families with income generating activities and offers help to improve the parents’ parenting skills. The extension of the SOS Children's Village Marina Gorka by two family houses is currently planned