SOS relies on the kindness and generosity of Canadians to be able to provide a home for the most vulnerable children around the world.
By becoming a child sponsor you are helping an individual child in need.
(You will receive a Canadian charitable tax receipt)
Please help us ensure a loving home for every child in the Central African Republic. Sponsor a child in the Central African Republic now.
SOS Children's Villages in Bangui
SOS Children's Villages has been working in the Central African Republic since the early 1990s, when it started supporting families and children in the capital city of Bangui.
The country remains one of the poorest in Africa, and the lives of children have been blighted by years of political unrest and violence.
An increasing number of children lose parental care Children from the SOS Children's Village in Bangui (photo: SOS archives) Bangui is the country's only large town and home to over 700,000 inhabitants. The town is located on the banks of the Oubangui River. The SOS Children's Village is based about six kilometres away from the centre of Bangui, in the Gbangouma district.
Bangui is the administrative and commercial centre of the Central African Republic. The country continues to exist off agriculture, and the majority of the population around the capital city lives off farming.
The high incidence of HIV/AIDS, the unstable political climate which has displaced many people and the high unemployment rate put a lot of strain on families. An estimated 3,000 children can be found on the streets of Bangui - some of these are found begging or trying to make some money by doing menial jobs. Others live on the streets because they have nowhere else to go. The majority do not go to school, and it is difficult for them to get medical treatment when they need it.
A pressing need to provide children with loving homes SOS Children's Villages became active in the Central African Republic after the country's authorities approached us: the government wanted us to work with children who had lost parental care. A feasibility study confirmed the urgent need to provide families and children with material support, access to education and to give them medical care, both preventative and curative.
Our programmes have since adapted and developed according to the needs of the local population. The work of our organisation has also been affected by the political unrest; we have worked very hard to support the local community and ensure that the children in our care are safe.
Our Impact
Image
The SOS Kindergarten in Centr. Afr. Rep. are a fundamental building block for the early development needs including, intellectual and social skills for children. |
1 KINDERGARTENS | 126 Kindergarten students |
Image
SOS Medical Centres in Centr. Afr. Rep. provide quality health care to the children in our care, our staff, our staffís family as well as people in the surrounding community. |
1 MEDICAL CENTRES | 4646 Patients |
Image
SOS Social Centres in Centr. Afr. Rep. aim is to help families, in particular women and children, living in communities neighbouring the SOS Children's Villages to gradually escape from poverty, and to help young people become self-reliant. |
2 SOCIAL CENTRES | 845 Beneficiaries |
Image
The SOS Children's Village in Centr. Afr. Rep. provides loving homes to orphaned and abandoned children |
1 VILLAGES | 130 Orphaned and Abandoned Children |
Image
The SOS Youth Facilities in Centr. Afr. Rep. provides youth with a loving environment where they learn to transition into independent living and to expand their education |
2 YOUTH FACILITIES | 75 Youths in our Care |