Child sponsorship background from Siliana, Tunisia

SOS Children's Village Siliana

Construction work was finished in 1983 and shortly afterwards the first children and SOS mothers were able to move into the SOS family houses.  The village officially opened in March 1984.  The SOS Children's Village was built in a typically Arabian style and provides for the care of 90 children who live in eleven family houses.  The family houses are connected to the centre of the Village by paths which are bordered by beautiful flower beds.  The whole site was planted with cypress and pine trees; each house has a vegetable garden.  A sports ground and a public garden were also added to the area.  The village director, aunts and guests all have a house that is available for their use and it also has an administration and service area, a multi-purpose hall, a sick ward, the above-mentioned children's club and a library.  The children and young people can also gain experience in an IT room and a workshop.

Other SOS Projects in Siliana

SOS Children's Village Siliana also has an SOS Nursery School which was opened at the same time and has also been used by children from the neighbouring areas since it opened.  Its 90 children are divided into three group rooms according to age and are cared for by trained nursery school teachers.

The facility has a rest room, a dining room, an office and a playground where the children can play on climbing frames or slides or simply run around.

In 2002 another SOS Youth Home was opened, which is composed of rented flats and offers a semi-independent housing programme.  Life in the SOS Youth Communities requires teenagers to take increasing responsibility, as they are only supervised by a caregiver there.  For the young people admission to an SOS Youth Home is an important phase in their path to independence, for which the SOS mothers, the village director and psychologists carefully prepare them.  They stay in a SOS Youth Home for about four years, but young people who are still in education or who are looking for work can stay for longer.

Background to Siliana

Siliana is a modern farming town in north west Tunisia. It is130 km south-west of the capital city of Tunis.