What Are The Key Issues When The Children's Village Changed The Service Model In 2004

SOS Children's Hamlet Banda Aceh

SOS Children's Village Banda Aceh was set upwardly in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in gild to support families in rebuilding their livelihoods, so that they could stay together and to provide a loving home for children without parental care. Years subsequently, we continue to support vulnerable families and children in the area.

A terrible natural disaster and its consequences

Brothers and sisters in the care of SOS Children's Villages (photo: E. Wray).

Banda Aceh is the upper-case letter of Aceh Province in n-western Sumatra. Later on a xxx-year ceremonious war had turned the formerly prosperous province into i of the poorest areas of Indonesia, information technology received another blow in 2004, when it was struck by a tsunami. More than 130,000 Indonesians died, many more lost their homes and thousands of children were separated from their parents. The 200-km coastline between the cities of Banda Aceh and Meulaboh was the surface area affected worst. Nevertheless, the massive outpouring of aid and solidarity, both from inside the country and from abroad, not only provided crucial relief, merely also helped transform the political environment, which led to the signing of a peace understanding.

One of the side effects was that the region gained a reputation as an easy identify to live where one could become assistance from international organisations, which has caused an influx of people from all over the land. The number of children without parental care has increased, with many of them living in the streets of the cities and trying to earn money by doing petty jobs. They have no time to attend school because they have to concentrate on surviving, and they easily autumn prey to criminals.

Providing relief to areas hit past the tsunami

After the seismic sea wave, SOS Children's Villages provided immediate emergency relief measures to traumatized children and homeless families under near difficult circumstances. Nosotros tried to accept care of every bit many children as possible and discover their relatives in guild to reunite the families. This was followed by the construction of more than than 500 private homes and community centres near Banda Aceh and Meulaboh. Generous donations and close cooperation with the local regime finally fabricated it possible for our organisation to set up three new SOS Children'south Villages in Banda Aceh, Medan and Meulaboh.

What we do in Banda Aceh

Children playing in the SOS kindergarten in Banda Aceh (photo: Eastward. Wray)

Strengthen families: In 2005, SOS Children'due south Villages Indonesia launched its first family strengthening programmes. We aim to support families at risk of abandoning their children and to encourage families to stay together. SOS Children's Villages works with local authorities and other service providers to back up families and enable them to take expert intendance of their children.

In Banda Aceh, we offer counselling, and community and psychological support. We ensure that children have access to essential services, such as education, health services and psycho-social back up. Families are assisted with their income-generating activities. They also receive help when dealing with the government. People'south parental skills and awareness of children'due south rights are improved.

Intendance for children who accept lost parental care: For children whose families can no longer take care of them SOS Children's Villages provides a loving dwelling in 1 of the SOS families at Banda Aceh. The children can nourish the SOS Kindergarten, where they mingle with children from local families and make friends. Afterward they attend schools in the area, which helps them become part of the local customs.

Education: The SOS kindergarten provides twenty-four hour period-care for up to xc children. To parents who have to earn a living it is very important to have loftier-quality day-care for their children, so that they are not forced to leave them alone while they are at work.

Support for young people: With the support of qualified youth workers, young people can develop perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibleness and increasingly make their own decisions. They are encouraged to build upwardly contacts with relatives and friends, too as with the relevant regime and potential employers.