SOS Children's Villages

SOS Children's Villages founded by Hermann Gmeiner is an international child welfare organisation providing long term care for orphans and children in need. SOS Children's Villages revolve around the effort to give children who have lost their parents or who are no longer able to live with them a permanent home and a stable environment. The SOS Children's Village family-like structure is formed by four basic principles: mother, brothers and sisters, house and village. Special emphasis is placed on giving the children a thorough preparation for life on their own afterwards. This is in order that the children can be integrated into their local community and opens job opportunities for them. Those facilities which follow the SOS Children's Village in the chain of care and support are therefore of utmost importance. Youth facilities, vocational training centres and schools belong to this group of secondary facilities.