SOS Children’s Village International (Somaliland)

About the Company

SOS Children’s Villages is a non-governmental organization founded in 1949 in Austria. The world’s leading private NGO for children, with more than a million beneficiaries (children, young people, parents and adults) in 136 countries, our ambition is to do everything possible to enable each child to rebuild their lives by offering them a lasting educational and emotional relationship with adults who believe in him.

Country Profile – Somaliland

Although not recognized as a sovereign state by the international community, the autonomous region of Somaliland has been an island of relative political stability in the midst of the chaos and destruction that continues to unsettle the Horn of Africa. However, poverty and high levels of unemployment continue to make life challenging for the vast majority of Somaliland citizens. Despite improvements, the government struggles to provide basic goods and services to its people. Moreover, climate change brings many challenges. The changing weather, droughts, floods and locust swarms mean that many families have to leave their homes and rebuild their lives without social support structures in place.

SOS Children’s Villages has been supporting children and young people without parental care, or at risk of losing it in Somaliland since 2002.

Our vision

Every child belongs to a family and grows up with love, respect and security. Families come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, including foster families, extended families, and kinship care. However, what truly matters is that children and young people have a sense of belonging, of being surrounded and supported by individuals who care for them, whom they can rely on and trust, who believe in them, and who are available when they need someone the most. A nurturing and trustworthy relationship is the cornerstone of the kind of family environment we envision for every child and young person.

Our mission

We build families for children in need, we help them shape their futures, and we share in the development of their communities. We are here for children and young people no matter their background, experience, culture, heritage, religion, sexual orientation, political alignment, gender, disability or origin. They are our priority and we do whatever it takes to ensure that they grow up empowered with trust and a feeling of belonging. Our work is adapted to local contexts and customs, as it must be for us to reach those who need our support.

Our values

• Courage: We take action.
• Commitment: We keep our promises.
• Trust: We believe in each other.
• Accountability: We are reliable partners.