Our Vision: Every child belongs to a family and grows with love, respect and security.

Our Mission: We build families for children in need, we help them shape their own future and we share in the development of their communities.

SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental social development organisation which has been working to meet the needs and protect the interests and rights of children since 1949. Children without parental care and children at the risk of loosing the care of their parents are the focus of our work. SOS Children's Villages and youth facilities are now home to over 60,000 children and adolescents all over the continents. Hundreds of thousands of people benefit from our educational, social, medical and emergency relief programmes.

We live in a world where many children have been deprived of their right to a caring family environment. Millions of children have already lost parental care - due to political, environmental, economis, psychosocial or health reasons - and many more are at risk of falling into this situation.

Children who have lost parental care are nevertheless entitled to family-based care, protection and fair chance in life. every child should be loved, protected and respected. Every child should have the opportunity for an education and access to medical care. These are the guiding principles behind the work of SOS Children's Villages in 132 countries and territories. Within our SOS Children's Villages, we provide family-based care for children who have lost the care of their biological families.

We work on a preventive basis so that families learn to cope with crises which might otherwise lead to separation from their children. Through our family strengthening programmes, we address children who are at risk of losing the care of their biological families in order to enable these children to grow up in a caring family environment.

In addition to the SOS Children's Villages, the organisation operates a range of programmes and facilities in support os socially disadvantaged and empoverished families to help them secure their livelihoods not only at present, but in the long term. By the end of 2007, SOS Children's Villages counted 1,799 facilities and programmes worldwide (SOS Children's Villages, youths facilities, kindergartens, schools, vocational training centres, social centres, medical centres and emergency relief programmes).

SOS-Kinderdorf International, headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria, is the umbrella organisation for all SOS Children's Village associations.

Hermann Gmeiner the late founder of SOS Children’s Villages was born in Austria in 1919. He was the son of a farmer and his own mother died when he was young. After World War II he studied medicine at Innsbruck University. Hermann Gmeiner built the first SOS Children’s Village in Imst – Tyrol, Austria in 1949 after he was moved by the plight of thousands of homeless, destitute and orphaned children after the war. He continued to help orphaned and destitute children world-wide and expand the SOS philosophy until his death in 1986.  read more...

The SOS Children's Village work is based on four principles:

The SOS Mother: The SOS Mother is the head of the family and lives in the home. She is a constant source of reference for the children in her care. she provides security, develops trust and shows love towards the children. This ensures their healthy development and progress towards independence. Her responsibilities, care and rewards are the same as those of any mother. After completing the household chores together, the SOS Mother and Children can spend quality time talking, reading, studying, playing games or going on family outings.

Brothers and Sisters: Boys and girls of various ages grow up together as brothers and sisters. Siblings are not separated and grow up in the same family house. In the North West Africa region, there are between 8 to 10 children per family house.

The House: Each SOS family has a house of its own with bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen, as well as living and dining rooms which is the centre of family life. The SOS mother also has her own room and in the North West Africa region, between three and four children share a bedroom.


The Village: The house is an integral part of the village community. This gives the children cultural roots and a feeling of belonging. The SOS Children’s Village is the overall responsibility of the Village father. He is responsible for guiding and directing both the SOS mothers and children. He provides security, builds trust and shows love to the children as any other father would.