Child Sponsorship Background from Tianjin, China

SOS Children's Village Tianjin

Tianjin is a big city situated about 100 km south-east of the capital, Beijing.

The SOS Children's Village was established in the eastern outskirts of the city, in the district of Hedong, and consists of 20 family houses, the village director's house, a house for the SOS aunts (family helpers who support the SOS mothers) and an administration and service area.

Other SOS Projects in Tianjin

There is also an SOS Nursery, which is attended by children from the neighbourhood as well, and an SOS Youth Home. The youth facility comprises several flats. Young people often move out of the village and into a youth facility when they start a vocational training course or go on to higher education.

With the support of qualified youth workers, the young people develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions. They are encouraged to develop team spirit and build up contacts with relatives and friends, as well as with the relevant authorities and potential employers.

Background to Tianjin

Tianjin is a metropolis in Northeastern China and one of the five national central cities. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is thus under direct administration of the central government, and borders Hebei Province and Beijing Municipality, bounded to the east by the Bohai Gulf portion of the Yellow Sea.

In terms of urban population, it is the sixth largest city of the People's Republic of China, and its urban land area ranks 5th in the nation, only after Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.