SOS Children’s Villages has been building a world where every child grows up with the loving care of a family since 1949. They strengthen families so that children are never alone. And if that does happen, they welcome them into a warm and family-oriented environment.
DHL Express chooses a charity every year. This year SOS Children’s Villages received a huge amount of votes. Together with all our colleagues we hope to donate €20k to this fantastic cause.
“Children, a lot of children need help”, Tom is very straightforward during our interview, “Besides the basic needs such as a roof over their heads and water supply, there are also basic emotional supports such as: love, respect, safety and getting chances in life. 1 child in 10 worldwide and 1 child in 25 here in Belgium does not know this.”
SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES HELP STRENGTHEN AND REBUILD FAMILIES
“Sometimes the family is aware of their problems. They want to raise and educate their children properly, but face so many challenges themselves that they are temporarily unable to guarantee their children’s safety.”, says Tom, “These families need a boost.” SOS Kinderderdorpen strengthens families in difficult situations. They work with the parents to ensure that they can continue to care for their children. Problems such as addiction and poverty are tackled. “This is a short but intensive process, looking for positive change so that the children can return to their biological environment,” says Tom.
BUILDING NEW FAMILIES
There are also situations where rebuilding the family is not an option. SOS Children’s Villages also plays an important role in this respect. “We take care of children who are on their own, in a family environment and with tons of love. We always try to maintain the biological link with the family and see what else is possible. The care is taken over by us.
This care does not stop when the children reach the age of 18. When a child enters the children’s village, according to the legal provision, he/she should leave the village at the age of 18. Many of these young adults are not ready for that. They have no network or framework to fall back on”, Tom says. That is why there are new projects for young adults. In Wallonia, for example, there are four flats where they can grow at their own pace towards independence
“Even when they are on their own, the young people stay in touch with us,” says Tom, “It is actually a lifelong connection.”
SIMBA HOUSES
This project is specifically aimed at young children, a crucial age. Think of the development of the brain or emotional stability. When parents are under pressure and temporarily unable to care for their children, SOS Kinderdorpen takes over for a while. In addition, they work intensively with the family with the ultimate goal of reuniting everyone.
“By taking the children out of the family for a while, we give peace to the parents. We give them time to work on their situation and on their challenge,” says Tom.
The children are cared for on a small scale and in a warm nest, where they continue to experience the small moments of everyday life. Holding hands during a visit to the doctor is an example of this.
THE SIMBA PARENTS
People who take care of these children are called Simba parents. When assigning them, care is always taken to ensure that siblings stay together. “We definitely want to avoid further fractures in the family relationships,” Tom points out.
At the moment there are 5 families temporarily taking care of a total of 11 children. When the children return to their biological environment, they will still be monitored and SOS Children’s Villages will continue to look after their welfare.
hejmo
But not only Belgian children receive the attention of SOS Kinderdorpen. Hejmo is a family shelter in Leuven for minor refugees. At the moment, 10 children who had to flee their homeland for reasons beyond their control are staying there. “They are also turning 18. You can’t just let them go” says Tom.
That is why the organisation now wants to set up Hejmo+. This is for the next steps. They provide small houses to facilitate the step to independence. There is even a group that has started cubing, competing against other teams on a national level.
DHL EXPRESS 20K CHALLENGE
Our employees are working very hard to collect the 20k together AS ONE. Every month they organise internal actions: the sale of soap, wine and socks are just a few examples.
When I ask Tom what they can do with all the money we have collected, he answers enthusiastically, “Really a lot”. SOS Children’s Villages receives subsidies from the government, but that is not enough for the care they want to offer children. With our donation, they can offer extra care, psychological support, take care of siblings together… But they can also be very close to the children during the special moments in their lives. Going on holiday or to a camp also becomes easier. “Every cent that is picked up by a DHL employee makes a difference there,” says Tom. These children did not choose the situation they are in.
That extra care, it doesn’t sound very concrete, but it is. We are talking about 10-20 special moments that really make a difference in the life of a child. It is making sure that a child does not feel alone at moments when someone really needs to be there. It is that dose of self-confidence on the first day of school, the trusted hand during a visit to the doctor, the listening ear when things just don’t work out…
Tom
Would you like to know more about SOS Children’s Villages or make a donation yourself? Then be sure to check out their website.
