Child sponsorship letter from Assomada
14/12/2007
Update from 2007
We are enormously grateful to share with you, a year again, the main events we lived during the first semester of 2007 in our country and in the SOS Children’s Village Assomada.
Please follow some descriptive moments:
As a result of one of the best governed countries in Africa and which better uses the partners’ resources, the political stability is contributing to the economical development of the country. Therefore, for the first time in the nation’s history and according to Cape Verde Central Bank semester report, Cape Verde earns more from tourism than from emigrants’ remittances. The central bank also observed a slight slowdown in economic activity due to the evolution of private domestic investment and consumer spending, which decreased as a result of increases in prices. The social indicators has prove as well an improvement regarding the children social status, although the infantile work area still little explored due to the unemployment tax notwithstanding decreased only around 3%. The poverty remains 37% (20% are very poor and live with less than USD 1, 00 per day) and many children’s and their families are not yet benefiting too much from the growing of the economy.
In what concerns the SOS children’s Village Assomada, four more children were admitted and one girl who has departed temporarily to Portugal for health treatment has returned. We count, at moment, ninety-two children living in our ten family houses, fifty-two boys, forty girls and sixteen boys are in the Youth House “Thomas da Cruz”. It was concluded as well, the works of SOS Children’s Village Assomada renovation which began in 2006. The SOS family was really anxious to return home.
Santa Catarina’s Parish rewards SOS mothers on Mother’s Day
After years working as mothers, the SOS mothers from SOS Children’s Village Assomada were reward by the Santa Catarina Parish Priests with a bouquet of flowers and as a gesture of recognition as Mothers for their commitment on the orphaned, abandoned and destitute children cause.
It was with a remarkable joy that the Santa Catarina’s priests had the initiative to recognize the SOS mothers of SOS children’s Village Assomada for their invaluable efforts and contribution towards the cause of children on May 6th 2007.
Many mothers from the community assisted the ceremony of formal thanks for the promoting and encouraging work done by the organisation on the behalf of children in Cape Verde and a direct emission through the “Radio Nova” (local radio station) was transmitted.
Still in what concerns our activities, an AGREEMENT OF PARTNER resulted from the “SOS Family Strengthening Program” on May, between the SOS Children’s Village Cape Verde and the Capeverdean Solidarity Foundation. This agreement will focus in a social intervention in the Santiago Island and it aims fighting the vulnerability of families, particularly in the residential quarter “Brasil”, in Praia city, decurrently of some unstructured factor of its integrity.
There is, as well, an extension of our actions to São Vicente Island. In the sphere of cooperation between the Luxembourg government and the SOS Interfonds, a SOS Social Center is being built since March 2007 in the locality of “Ribeira de Julião”, which end of construction is foreseen to November 2007. The project is a complement to what has been done by the SOS Children’s Villages Cape Verde since implies the work with street children in a perspective of their recuperation, counseling, reinforce their familiar structure and their professional ability. The structural, organisational and functional Social Centre Plan is a program that works in prevention of infantile abandonment, directed in particular to children who pass most of their time in the streets without support and familiar care.
SHELL Cape Verde joined SOS Children’s Village Cape Verde through a national campaign of civil society mobilization for sponsors’ recruitment. As a result of a partnership between the two entities, the campaign, started on last November 2006, aims essentially to sensitize people to the cause and the work developed by SOS Children’s Villages Cape Verde. The Shell Cape Verde besides financing all the campaign material it involved all its sell posts in Cape Verde and the respective local responsible in the mobilization of sponsors and social partners on the behalf of SOS Children’s Cape Verde.
Hoping we could inform you a little about our actions and wishing deserve your attention for many years; we once again, thank you for your so indispensable support and care.
Yours sincerely,
Miss Jandira Monteiro
Sponsorship Coordinator
Children sponsor update from Sao Domingos
Update from 2007
We are enormously grateful to share with you, a year again, the main events we lived during the first semester of 2007 in our country and in the SOS Children’s Village São Domingos. Please follow some descriptive moments:
As a result of one of the best governed countries in Africa and which better uses the partners’ resources, the political stability is contributing to the economical development of the country. Therefore, for the first time in the nation’s history and according to Cape Verde Central Bank semester report, Cape Verde earns more from tourism than from emigrants’ remittances. The central bank also observed a slight slowdown in economic activity due to the evolution of private domestic investment and consumer spending, which decreased as a result of increases in prices. The social indicators has prove as well an improvement regarding the children social status, although the infantile work area still little explored due to the unemployment tax notwithstanding decreased only around 3%. The poverty remains 37% (20% are very poor and live with less than USD 1, 00 per day) and many children’s and their families are not yet benefiting too much from the growing of the economy.
Regarding the SOS children’s Village São Domingos, the number of children living in the facility maintains from December to now: seventy-eight children, forty-four boys and thirty-four girls and a little story happens
Little Kennedy finds hope at SOS Children’s Village São Domingos
Kennedy is only five. He is a physical disable child with neurological problem who does not work or talk, slobs, bits his own body and descending from an unstructured family. When he was taken into the SOS Kindergarten he cried a lot. Today he likes to play with other children. He is able to say “dam” (give me), “papa” (dad) and he tries to dance.
Kennedy’s life changed enormously after he met SOS Children’s Village São Domingos. His mother an unemployed single young lady could do anything until she was contemplated in the “SOS Family Strengthening Programme”. She used to walk the long whole way with him in her arms.
As soon as he has been selected as the program beneficiary, Kennedy attended thirty sessions of physiotherapy at the National Center of Disables Rehabilitation, psychological counseling and he received a splint. He attends as well the SOS Nursery School with an SOS scholarship and his family receives the “BASIC BASKET” which enclosed school bags, educational materials, SOS Kindergarten uniform, rice, nourishing oil, etc.
Today, one can see that he can follow the classes. Since his family got help, his mother found a job as she is able to work while Kennedy is cared at the SOS Nursery School and a bright hope is in her expression.
Still in what concerns our activities, an AGREEMENT OF PARTNER resulted from the “SOS Family Strengthening Program” on May, between the SOS Children’s Village Cape Verde and the Capeverdean Solidarity Foundation. This agreement will focus in a social intervention in the Santiago Island and it aims fighting the vulnerability of families, particularly in the residential quarter “Brasil”, in Praia city, decurrently of some unstructured factor of its integrity.
There is, as well, an extension of our actions to São Vicente Island. In the sphere of cooperation between the Luxembourg government and the SOS Interfonds, a SOS Social Center is being built since March 2007 in the locality of “Ribeira de Julião”, which end of construction is foreseen to November 2007. The project is a complement to what has been done by the SOS Children’s Villages Cape Verde since implies the work with street children in a perspective of their recuperation, counseling, reinforce their familiar structure and their professional ability. The structural, organisational and functional Social Center Plan is a program that works in prevention of infantile abandonment, directed in particular to children who pass most of their time in the streets without support and familiar care.
SHELL Cape Verde joined SOS Children’s Village Cape Verde through a national campaign of civil society mobilization for sponsors’ recruitment. As a result of a partnership between the two entities, the campaign, started on last November 2006, aims essentially to sensitize people to the cause and the work developed by SOS Children’s Villages Cape Verde. The Shell Cape Verde besides financing all the campaign material it involved all its sell posts in Cape Verde and the respective local responsible in the mobilisation of sponsors and social partners on the behalf of SOS Children’s Cape Verde.
Hoping we could inform you a little about our actions and wishing deserve your attention for many years; we once again, thank you for your so indispensable support and care.
Yours sincerely,
Miss Jandira Monteiro
Sponsorship Coordinator
SOS Cape Verde
Relevant Countries: Cape Verde.