SOS Children‘s Villages in South Africa is a place that orphaned and abandoned children can call home: children live as part of their own culture and religion, in a place where their needs for food, healthcare, shelter, and education are met. Through its villages, SOS Children’s Villages offers children who have been alone a place where they can be children again: to play, laugh, learn, make friends, and do all the things a child should do.

Every child is unique, and so is the way we work...

We build families for children in need.

We help them shape their own futures.

We share in the development of their communities.

With a presence in 8 provinces with 11 programme locations across South Africa, our Children’s Villages offer children:

A Mother

The SOS mother is crucial to the well-being of the children. She gives six to eight children her love, attention, and support. These locally hired and well-trained women give children more than just a home; they give them a family.

Brothers & Sisters

Children of different ages grow up together under the care of their SOS mother. Biological siblings are kept together to establish stable, reliable relationships.

A Home

Each SOS family is given the security of a house they can call home. Children live according to their own culture and religion, enabling them to recognize and express their individual interests and talents.

A Village

Leaving Care

Through the two-year project ‘Leaving Care – An Integrated Approach to Capacity Building of Professionals and Young People’, SOS Children’s Villages, in collaboration with international project partners, aims to train care professionals in how to apply a child rights-based approach in their work with young people. Leaving care and works to strengthen support networks for young care leavers.

SOS Social Centres - Helping communities help themselves

We help families, in particular women and children, living in communities neighbouring our SOS Children's Villages to gradually escape from poverty and to help young people become self-reliant.

SOS Children's Village recognises that it is best for a child to grow up in their own biological family provided that the child's mental or physical health is not at risk. Therefore, SOS Social Centres provide support to parents struggling to cope with life, so that children can continue to grow up within the protective world of their own families.

Alternative Care

WE PROVIDE CHILDREN WITH LOVING HOMES
For over 40 years, SOS Children's Villages South Africa has been providing children with loving and stable homes.

Family Strengthening

We strengthen families
Due to challenging circumstances, parents/families struggle to provide their children with a loving and stable home.

Youth Employability

Empowering young people for a better tomorrow
SOS Children’s Villages empowers young people to acquire the skills they need to transition to the workplace and independent life.

ICT4D

The Digital Village Project
Launched in 2017, the Digital Village project aims to modernise and advance the daily operations of the SOS Children’s Village houses.