Child Sponsorship Background from Maseru, Lesotho

SOS Children's Village Maseru

The SOS Children's Village Maseru is situated on the slopes of a small hill amongst the semi-urban settlement of Lithabaneng, with a good view of the surrounding region. There is plenty of space in the SOS Children's Village, where the children can play and run around. The neighbourhood is predominately composed of dwellings made of concrete blocks or mud with tin roofs, and many are in a very poor state.

The SOS Children's Village Maseru comprises ten family houses, a multi-purpose hall, houses for the SOS aunts (who support the SOS mothers and take care of the children when the mothers are on leave) and the village director, an administration and service area as well as farm land to cultivate fruits and vegetables.

Other SOS Projects in Maseru

The adjoining SOS Nursery has a capacity to take in up to 125 children and consists of five group rooms, a kitchen and a playground. Primary school education can be offered to 490 children at the SOS School. It comprises fourteen classrooms and three vocational training rooms for home economics, arts and crafts and agriculture. The SOS Medical Centre provides medical treatment to up to 1,000 patients per month. As the children from the neighbourhood can also enjoy the friendly and open atmosphere of the SOS Nursery and the SOS School, and their injuries and diseases are also treated in the SOS Medical Centre, the people are very enthusiastic about the commitment of SOS Children's Villages in this region, and it will hopefully improve the living conditions of many people.

In order to reach even more children in need an SOS Social Centre offering community-based child care and support programmes to assist child or grandparent headed families was opened. The SOS Social Centre offers material and medical support, education and counselling as well as HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaigns. An SOS Youth Home for up to 24 youngsters also belongs to the SOS Children's Village Maseru, where youths can stay during vocational training or further education and prepare themselves for an independent life.

Background to Maseru

Maseru is the capital of Lesotho.  It has a population approachin 250,000, making it Lesotho's only sizable city.  It is located on the Caledon River, on the border of South Africa. It was initially founded by the British as a police camp in 1869. After the 1998 parliamentary elections, mass rioting caused millions of pounds worth of damage, the effects of this are still visible today.