50 years for the Children Without Adequate Parental care in Bangladesh

SOS Children's Village International was born to serve the children of post-World War II in 1949 by child welfare worker, Hermann Gmeiner. With that similar initiative, SOS Children's Villages Bangladesh was formed to espouse the children long drawn. Eminent organisations of those times responded to issues to transfigure and transform in mired Bangladesh. With an objective to provide vulnerable children a mirth-inspiring childhood, quality parental care and a sense of belongingness SOS Children's Villages Bangladesh was established in 1972.

The father of the Nation and the then Prime Minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman found the initiative gratifying and accepted it sharply. With his seal of approval, the organization made its first move and is standing in its 50!

Let's catch sight of its journey following the impacts it showered upon uprooted children and vulnerable families of our society.

SOS focuses on four principles; Child, Parent, Family and Community. Thematic areas of SOS are ordained in strata with Family Like Care, Youth Care, Kinship Care, Family Strengthening, Early Childhood Care and Development, Primary and Secondary Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship Training and Emergency Response.

Thriving children without parental care is the ultimate object point of SOS Children's Village. The kind of comprehensive nature a child generates growing with the quality care of a stable caregiver ensuring the sustainability to meet the best interest. Even we ensure biological siblings growing in a same roof to keep their childhood attached. Instead of institutional placement SOS provides a family atmosphere and this is where SOS Children's Village is idiosyncratic.

Even vulnerable communities are supported to avoid unnecessary separation if we look into our Family Strengthening Programmes. Family counselling on elementary issues is provided to strengthen the care environment of the biological family. When livelihood supports are made economic growth deliberately results in success.

SOS Children's Village makes sure children receive equal educational opportunities and extra-curricular activities. Every child independently work-on their interests and can contemplate. They are also receiving need-based mental, psychological and health programmes so that they never lag behind.

From bringing up children to turning them into skilled and technical manpower SOS stands by the individual. In SOS Vocational Training Centers youths along with underprivileged ones are trained in skill development which turns them into resources.

As a part of the emergency response, SOS was pragmatic to deal with Rohingya refugees. Around 350 Rohingya children were supported through SOS Child Care Space and 295 communities were provided with nutritional aid, health measures and awareness sessions. During the Covid19 pandemic, 11,619 families were subsidized to rebuild their lives with essential food, unconditional cash support and psychosocial counselling.

Child safeguarding is a shared responsibility. SOS is submissive and compliant with child protection policy, international standards and best practices in its every intervention. It is zero tolerance when it comes to violence, harassment or abuse against any children. We have developed Child Safeguarding and ensure the full-fledged use of reporting mechanisms through complaint boxes, anonymity complaints and other means.

SOS Children's Villages Bangladesh working collateral with child development and national development. With its 6 branch offices around the country, SOS Bangladesh currently enhancing the lives of 1,042 children/youths and 1,704 Care Leavers integrated into society from Alternative Care till August 2022. 11,398 are our current Family Strengthening Beneficiaries. In the last 50 years, SOS successfully intervened in 70,116 individuals. They are the living existence of SOS Children's Villages Bangladesh.

Through our efforts, we aim to contribute to having an impact on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Through strengthening the economic condition of marginalised communities, ensuring quality education from primary to higher studies, capacity building of youth, minimizing inequality through social inclusion and integration, children protection measures resulting in ultimate social peace SOS Bangladesh is addressing SDG 1, SDG4, SDG8, SDG10 and SDG16.

The National Director of SOS Children's Village Bangladesh, Dr Md. Enamul Haque expressed his sincerest gratitude to the Government, partners and donors for their continued invaluable support throughout the years in complying with 'no child should grow up alone'.

Based on the strong foundation of growth in the last 50 years, we envision that SOS Children's Villages Bangladesh will continue to make a positive and meaningful impact on the lives of millions of children in the years to come.