Family Matters, Issue 1, 2011

A HEALTHIER FUTUREFOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

CONTENTS3Contents

8&9

4&5 AHEALTHIERFUTURE WhyishealthcareimportanttoSOS Children?

6&7 MILLENNIUMDEVELOPMENTGOALS Howarewecontributingtotheseeight targetstoreduceglobalpoverty?

8&9 HEALTHYCOMMUNITIES India:AnSOSMedicalCentrebrings hopetothecommunity

10-13 WECANBEATAIDS! Uganda:HIV/AIDSawareness programmesareatoppriority

14&15 EMERGENCYCARE Alookathow SOSEmergencyRelief Programmeshelpsavethousandsof liveseachyear

16&17 RESTORINGCHILDHOOD Chad:Traumacareforchildrefugees

18&19 BORNHEALTHY Somalia:Babiesarebroughtintothe worldsafelyattheSOSMotherand ChildClinicinMogadishu

20&21 HEALTHYEATINGSTARTSATHOME Bolivia:Familieslearntheimportance ofahealthymeal

22&23 SPECIALCARE SierraLeone:Childrenwithspecial needsfindanewhome

24 FIGHTINGDISEASEINZIMBABWE Helpingstopthespreadofcholera

25 MEDICALTRAINING

Ethiopia:Thenextgenerationofnurses aretrainedattheSOSNursingSchool inMakalle 26&27 NEWMEDICALCENTREFORZAMBIA FindoutaboutournewMedicalCentre inChipata,Zambia

2 Contents

16&1714&15

20&21 22&23

A HEALTHIER FUTURE

WhyishealthcareimportanttoSOSChildren?Making sure that children and their families stay healthy, and have access to medical care when they need it, is a vital part of our work. Staying healthy is crucial for children when it comes to their prospects for the future and plays an important role in ensuring vulnerable families are able to stay together in the long-term.

Worldwide, millions of children and families faced with poverty, disaster and war have no access to basic healthcare. Every day, countless children die because of a lack of medical treatment. In 2008 alone, nearly nine million children died before their fifth birthday, mostly from preventable causes.

We believe it is our role to help every child to be as healthy as possible. We do this by equipping parents with the tools they need to support their child’s healthy development; and by providing basic medical facilities in our Children’s Villages which are available to the local community. Our commitment to healthcare plays an important role in the global community’s resolve to meet

the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. These eight international development targets for reducing global poverty include reducing child mortality rates and fighting disease epidemics such as AIDS. You can read more about these goals on pages 6 and 7.

Howdoweensuregreateraccesstohealthcare?If we find insufficient medical services to serve the communities where

we work, we build our own Medical Centres which specialise in providing medical treatment and preventative care. We also work through our Social Centres and community programmes to offer medical assistance, advice and counselling to some of the most disadvantaged members of society, including those affected by HIV/AIDS. In times of crises, we protect some of the world’s most vulnerable children from preventable diseases and death by

4 A healthier future

running Emergency Relief Programmes. We also ensure all children cared for in our Villages receive comprehensive medical care and operate a number of Villages which cater for children who require specialist medical attention.

In this edition of Family Matters, we explore how, with your help, we are providing critical medical care for thousands of children and families every day. We’ll look at how we are contributing to the targets of the Millennium Development Goals by working with vulnerable families in India, Somalia, Niger and Bolivia, and we’ll hear directly from some of the children whose lives have been changed for the better thanks to your support.

5A healthier future

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and families each year through:

6 Millennium Development Goals 7Millennium Development Goals

REDUCECHILDMORTALITY

Target:Reducetheunder-fivemortalityratebytwo-thirds.

Millions of children die of treatable diseases every year. This is often due to a lack of basic healthcare, and many deaths could be avoided by simple, inexpensive measures.

Ourcommitment: By establishing SOS Medical Centres, Mother and Child Clinics and Social Centres, we have been able to decrease the number of neonatal and infant deaths. We employ healthcare workers and social workers who help promote disease prevention. You can read about our cholera prevention in Zimbabwe on page 24.

COMBATHIV/AIDS,MALARIAANDOTHERDISEASES

Target:HaltandbegintoreversethespreadofHIV/AIDSandtheincidenceofmalariaandothermajordiseases.

Less than 10% of people living with HIV/AIDS have access to antiretroviral treatment, and AIDS-related deaths in Africa continue to rise. On average a child in Africa dies every 30 seconds from malaria. There were an estimated 9.4 million new cases of tuberculosis in 2009 and an estimated 1.7 million deaths, making this disease one of the world’s biggest infectious killers.

Ourcommitment: At SOS Social and SOS Medical Centres, children and adults have access to HIV testing, counselling, and antiretroviral treatments. Take a look at how we are supporting families affected by AIDS in Uganda on page 12. We also run vaccination campaigns and provide aftercare for children affected by diseases such as polio.

IMPROVEMATERNALHEALTH

Target:Reducethematernalmortalityratiobythree-quarters.

Each year an estimated 500,000 women die during childbirth and millions of others suffer serious injury or complications. Not only are the lives of mothers put at risk, but every year eight million babies die during or shortly after delivery.

Ourcommitment:Through SOS Family Strengthening Programmes and Mother and Child Clinics, we are able to operate mobile medical services which provide skilled health professionals to attend births and offer antenatal and postnatal care and support. On page 18, you can read about the SOS Mother and Child Clinic in Mogadishu, Somalia.

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALSThe Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development targets for reducing global poverty by 2015. All of the goals are important to the well-being and healthy development of children. Three in particular focus on health, and SOS Children are working hard to help meet these:

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Achieve universal primary education

Promote gender equality and empower women

Reduce child mortality

Improve maternal health

Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Ensure environmental sustainability

Establish a global partnership for development

MDGs:

Mariam first came to the SOS rehabilitation unit at six months old when her mother noticed she was not able to sit up properly. After an assessment, Mariam was diagnosed with achondroplasia, a bone disease characterised by short stature and delayed development. After just two months of physiotherapy from the Medical Centre, Mariam was able to sit up, and, after six months, was able to stand up with help from a walking frame. Aged two, she can now walk independently. “I appreciate the work done by the Medical Centre staff. I hope you will continue doing this to others” says her mother.

8 Healthy communities 9Healthy communities

We build SOS Medical Centres which specialise in providing high quality healthcare tailored to the needs of local communities. These Medical Centres offer treatment, antenatal and postnatal care, immunisation and education programmes.

We operate 68 SOS Medical Centres worldwide which improve the standards of health in both urban and rural communities, treating nearly 400,000 patients every year.

TheSOSMedicalCentre,Chennai,IndiaWith a significant slum population and inadequate public health provisions, Chennai, one of India’s most densely populated cities, is home to many families in need of medical support.

The SOS Medical Centre in Chennai, built in 1984, helps 6,000 vulnerable children and their families every year. It is well equipped and has specialist medical staff including paediatricians, surgeons, eye doctors and dentists. The Centre focuses on providing vaccinations to prevent the spread of diseases which are commonplace in slum communities such as measles

and polio. In addition, the Centre coordinates a rural health outreach programme, running medical camps for deprived communities. Operating five days a week, all year round, the camps support a population of more than 30,000 in villages close to Chennai.

The camps offer tuberculosis (TB) screening and vaccinations for all children attending the clinic. This work is crucial as India has the largest number of TB cases in the world. Nearly four million children have tuberculosis and the disease kills one person every two minutes.

HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

HelpingchildrenwithdisabilitiesinMalawiThe SOS Medical Centre Lilongwe in Malawi offers general medical facilities for 12,000 people from the local community and also runs a rehabilitation unit for children with disabilities. It is estimated that approximately 2% of people in Malawi suffer from some form of disability.Many hospitals lack the infrastructure and staff to offer adequate services for disabled children, so the services are vital. More than 400 children from the surrounding area visit the unit on a regular basis for physiotherapy and access to therapeutic aids such as walking frames.

health and education programmes for HIV and AIDS–affected children and their families who are unable to afford healthcare. SOS Social and Medical Centres provide comprehensive information and education about the risks associated with AIDS and its causes. Our medical facilities offer families free HIV testing, antiretroviral medication and counselling. Our goal is to help chronically ill patients enjoy an improved quality of life, and to make sure vulnerable families can stay together in the long-term.

10 We can beat AIDS 11We can beat AIDS

HIV/AIDS can have a profound effect on children and their families, and it is often the poorest in society that are most vulnerable. In many cases, the presence of HIV/AIDS causes households to dissolve, as parents die and children are cared for by relatives, or become heads of families themselves. Caring for someone with AIDS also has a major strain on household resources. Loss of income and additional medical expenses can push affected households deeper into poverty. We are committed to the provision of

WE CAN BEAT AIDS!

Healthsupport:We help pay for medication, vitamins and medical examinations and ensure families have access to antiretroviral treatment

Educationsupport: We provide education, or pay school fees, for families unable to afford them

Nutritionalsupport/foodparcels:We provide information and advice on healthy and balanced nutrition, an important part of antiretroviral therapy

AIDS is the fourth biggest cause of death in the world and severely affects the lives and futures of countless children around the globe – particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Currently, 15.2 million children across the world have lost one or both parents to AIDS, and an estimated 6,000 young people become infected with HIV every day.

Psychologicalsupport: Group activities and individual counselling are provided by SOS psychologists

Vocationaltraining/employmentassistance: We offer vocational training (such as cooking and computer skills) for parents who struggle to find work

Legalsupport:We develop and provide educational handout materials about the legal rights of families who are affected by HIV/AIDS.

HowdowesupportchildrenandfamiliesaffectedbyHIV/AIDS?

1312 We can beat AIDS

John’sstoryJohn, 13, not only lost both his parents to AIDS, but is also infected with HIV. He and his two brothers live with their great grandmother in Gulu. His grandmother is doing her best to support them, but with little income, it is hard to provide the boys with the care they need. Thankfully, John and his brothers are being supported by the SOS Family Strengthening Programme

and they are given daily food parcels full of nutritious items which are especially essential for John. He is also provided with medical treatment and the boys’ school fees have been paid. “I want to become a mechanic,” he says. With his positive attitude combined with the assistance he receives from SOS Children, John has every chance of succeeding.

We can beat AIDS

IncreasingHIV/AIDSawarenessinUganda6.7% of Uganda’s adult population are infected with HIV, and 1.2 million children have been orphaned as a result of AIDS. The northern city of Gulu has a HIV/AIDS infection rate of 11.9%, the highest in Uganda. Through the services provided at the SOS Medical Centre in Gulu, SOS Children are working to prevent the spread of HIV, and to provide treatment and support to those already infected.

The Centre includes a HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre, where every year over 2,000 people can be tested without charge. Specially trained SOS medical staff provide psychological support, as well as practical information about the next steps the patient can take. This includes

details about accessing antiretroviral treatment, and information about how they can adapt their diet and lifestyle in order to live ‘positively’ and reduce the effects of the virus. Furthermore, nearly 100 families at a time receive free, regular HIV/AIDS treatment in their homes from SOS social workers.

The Medical Centre also offers educational programmes relating to HIV/AIDS. Twice a week, in partnership with local schools and community groups, SOS staff run ‘medical camps’ for adults and teenagers from the community, to create awareness, promote protection and offer counselling. Classes include talks from people living with HIV/AIDS, to demonstrate the impact the infection has had on their lives.

14 Emergency care 15Emergency care

SOS Children’s Emergency Relief Programmes provide life-saving help to children in danger of dying from starvation or suffering from serious disease in crisis situations.

Thanks to local knowledge and experience, SOS Children can provide the most needed supplies and medicines very rapidly. We set up food and medical supply centres, build temporary shelters and implement vaccination and epidemic disease control programmes.

NigerfamineIn 2010, erratic rains and political turmoil had a disastrous effect on Niger’s harvest and it is estimated that more than 400,000 children are now facing starvation.

SOS Children have launched an Emergency Relief Programme to help children and communities survive the effects of the food crisis. This includes immediate measures to feed children and their families, as well as long-term measures for the prevention of future crises.

So far, 10,000 of those most affected

have received food parcels which include both basic food staples as well as special food supplements for undernourished children. In addition, the SOS Emergency Relief team have taught mothers how to prepare special meals rich in vitamins for their children and identified and trained medical helpers in eight severely affected villages. These medical helpers have been trained to carry out basic medical procedures and treat diseases caused by poor diet, such as diarrhoea and malnutrition.

We will also help these communities implement structures that will secure

EMERGENCY CARE

Food is delivered to starving communities in Niger

the food supply of villages in the future. Cereal banks will be constructed and stocked, and will be run autonomously by elected administrative committees. These measures will protect the inhabitants not only from the effects of drought, but also from food price inflation.

SOS Children are also helping to teach villagers how to implement traditional water management methods that have proven successful in other countries. They will also be given special, fast-growing seeds, which will allow the region’s farmers to recover from their crop failure.

In2010alone,10SOSEmergencyReliefProgrammesbenefitedover129,700peoplewhichincluded:

• Providing food every day for 24,000 children following the earthquake in Haiti

• Distributing 20,000 relief packages containing food, medication and tents to families affected by flooding in Pakistan

• Providing 500 people with mosquito nets and medical supplies after floods in Benin.

To find out all the latest emergency relief news go to: www.soschildren.org

Many children have witnessed traumatic events during their journey to the Oure Cassoni refugee camp

16 Restoring childhood 17Restoring childhood

Emergency Relief Programme, says that these experiences undoubtedly have a profound effect on the children’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being: “The children endure recurrent nightmares, phobias and behavioural problems.”

The programme provides group therapy sessions, where children can play, sing and paint. These activities provide children with a sense of security and an opportunity to ‘be children’ in a safe space, helping them to cope with traumatic or distressing situations. Yolanda says she has seen dramatic results: “Thanks to our help, some children who were mute have started talking again. The children have some pleasure in life now – they can feel like children once more.”

RESTORING CHILDHOOD

PlaytherapyoffershopetorefugeechildreninChadIn 2006, SOS Children launched an Emergency Relief Programme in eastern Chad to help refugees fleeing Sudan’s Darfur region. Some 4.7 million people have been affected by the conflict in Sudan, half of whom are children. The SOS Emergency Relief Programme provides psycho-social support to children and adults who currently live in the Oure Cassoni refugee camp, which is home to around 26,000 people. SOS Children is the only NGO to offer psycho-social help in this camp by counselling children who have experienced emotionally and psychologically painful events, such as the violent death of a parent or close relative, separation from family, or exposure to life-threatening situations. Yolanda van den Broek, Director of the

Hassan’sstory When he was 12, Hassan’s village in Darfur, Sudan, was raided by Janjaweed (Arab militiamen). He witnessed his father’s killing and the deaths of many family members, neighbours and friends. He was forced out of his village and together with his mother, fled for his life. They managed to escape to a refugee camp but ever since, Hassan has suffered from nightmares and phobias.

The SOS Children psycho-social relief team have been helping Hassan recover from his traumatic experiences. Through play and counselling, he has slowly begun to deal with his frightening memories and has found a safe space to feel like a child again.

Whether they have been separated from their parents and families, are fleeing war and violence, or have been victims of exploitation, children need a protective network of love which supports them and helps them recover from their traumatic past. All around

the world, we are helping children in our Villages and in the community regain their sense of confidence and hope by employing specially trained psychologists and social workers, and by providing psycho-social relief teams in crisis situations.

18 Born healthy 19

Years of civil war have all but destroyed the coastal town of Mogadishu in Somalia. Once a beautiful resort, Mogadishu is now a town of heavily armed compounds. Buildings have been destroyed, wealth plundered and foreign organisations driven out. Yet, amidst all the chaos, the SOS site, housing an SOS Children’s Village, a Nursery, Primary and Secondary School, and a Mother and Child Clinic, has managed to survive.

The SOS Mother and Child Clinic to date remains the only functioning maternity ward and gynaecological care facility in the whole country. It has played a significant role in curtailing child and maternal mortality. Housing 120 paediatric beds and 30 maternity beds, the hospital is free of charge. It offers services including antenatal care, clean and safe delivery, and specialised healthcare such as emergency obstetric interventions. It also offers young Somali women the chance to take a three-year course to become certified nurses or midwives.

AnisaandherbabysurviveTwenty-five-year-old Anisa made her way to the SOS Mother and Child Clinic after experiencing problems during labour. Anisa, who grew up in the SOS Children’s Village Mogadishu, knew it was the only place that could help her. An examination by a doctor revealed she had Cephalo-Pelvic Disproportion (CPD): “Where CPD occurs, there just isn’t room for the baby to move through the pelvis and a Caesarian section is needed. In places where the mother has no access to medical attention, this can be tragic – resulting in an obstructed labour that lasts for days and days, concluding with a dead baby and a mother with fistula or even worse,” he says. Anisa was immediately taken to the operating theatre for an emergency C-section, and she finally gave birth to a healthy baby girl called Rayan. Today she thanks SOS Children’s Villages for not only taking care of her when she was a young girl in the Children’s Village, but also for saving her life and that of her daughter.

DangerousworkSince the civil war began in 1991, staff working in the SOS medical facilities in Mogadishu have experienced difficult and dangerous times. Overwhelmed by patients, staff work up to 18 hours a day, determined to ensure everyone receives treatment despite the risk to their own lives. In September 2006, tragedy struck when SOS nurse Leonella Sgorbati was killed in a targeted attack. A few months later, after the Ethiopian invasion of Mogadishu, the area where the hospital is located became a scene of fighting and the SOS facilities were forced to close.

In March 2008 the hospital reopened, but the troubles continued. Dr Abdullahi, describes the situation: “After four days the militia came and started shooting. We lost our anaesthetist through a stray bullet. When doctors are injured there is no other medical help to turn to.” Since 2009, the SOS medical facilities in Mogadishu have been fully operational. However, due to ongoing insecurity, additional security staff are on call 24 hours a day. Despite the majority of other NGOs leaving the country in a climate of fear, SOS staff remain dedicated to providing nearly 30,000 children and families with valuable and life-saving treatments every year.

BORNHEALTHY

Born healthy

Security is needed at the SOS Mother and Child Clinic, Mogadishu

20 21Healthy eating

Since 2004, the SOS Social Centre, situated in the suburbs of Oruro, has successfully implemented a nutritional education programme for the local community. The programme provides information and guidance for families on the importance of nutrition. In addition, it offers teaching to parents about preparing inexpensive nutritious meals using locally available, affordable products. The Centre even runs lessons in how to construct greenhouses so that families can become more self-sufficient. The Centre staff monitor children throughout the programme to ensure that they are benefiting from the nutritional guidance.

The benefits of a nutritious diet are immediately clear amongst children and extend far beyond a healthier

body: “Children who receive better nourishment are children with better opportunities in life,” says one of the SOS pediatricians, “their concentration, interest in educational activities and interaction with their classmates, parents and teachers are clearly enhanced by a balanced diet.” So far, the programme has supported over 450 families and 1,000 children in the local community to improve their diets and long-term health.

HowdowekeepchildrenhealthyinourChildren’sVillages?All SOS mothers receive classes in nutritional science as part of their two-year training programme to become mothers. This is particularly important in countries which have experienced rising food prices and food shortages, as it

ensures that they are able to provide their children with the best possible diet in any circumstances. Many families have their own vegetable patches so that they can grow cheap, healthy and nutritious food. It is also important that children can cook food for themselves after they have left our care. For this reason, teenagers living in our SOS Youth Homes are taught about the importance of a good diet and how to cook healthy meals.

GoinggreenatSOSChildren’sVillageNairobi!As in many of our Villages, SOS Children’s Village Nairobi, Kenya, has a small area where vegetables are grown. However this project was recently expanded after an agricultural day in the Village. At the event, young people were

taught about different seed varieties, soil content and seed suitability. The project was so successful that there are now enough healthy vegetables to feed the whole Village. Looked after by the children, the vegetable garden is not only a source of food and income, it is helping the children and young people learn how to grow their own nutritious food.

TheSOSSocialCentre,Oruro,BoliviaIn Bolivia, 27% of children under the age of one suffer from severe malnutrition. The city of Oruro has one of the highest levels of deprivation and malnutrition in the country.

Hundreds of children under the age of five who live here are severely malnourished, mainly due to poverty and a lack of education amongst parents about nutrition and the value of eating a balanced diet.

Healthy eating

HEALTHY EATING STARTSATHOME

TheSOSHomeforthePhysicallyChallengedinFreetown,SierraLeoneIn the 1980s and early 1990s, the civil war and evacuation of aid workers in Sierra Leone severely disrupted the provision of polio vaccinations. As a result, many children developed polio, a viral disease which damages the nervous system and can cause paralysis and life-long disabilities. Although mass vaccinations have now taken place, in many areas, polio is considered to be a curse and children are outcast and forced to fend for themselves on the streets.

Realising the need to provide care for children with disabilities, SOS Children founded the SOS Home for the Physically Challenged in Freetown in 1988.

More than 30 handicapped children and young adults, some of whom have been affected by polio, are provided with an SOS mother, a family and an education, as well as specialist medical, rehabilitation and therapy care in order to help them reach their full potential.

Danielle’sstorySeven-year-old Danielle suffers from congenital deformities of both upper limbs. She was found when she was aged two, severely malnourished and begging with her grandmother on the streets in Freetown. Her parents had refused to take care of her because of her deformity. Her grandmother had taken on the responsibility, despite suffering discrimination from her community, but it was a struggle.

Danielle now lives at the SOS Home for the Physically Challenged in Freetown and is one of the happiest and most lively children in the home. She is

SPECIAL CARE

Special care22 23Special care

Worldwide, we provide direct care for 400 children who have a range of disabilities in SOS Villages in Sierra Leone; Morocco; Honduras; Paraguay; India; Nepal and Mexico. We ensure children with disabilities have access to a full range of care, health, education and recreational activities so they have what they need to become as independent as possible.

currently attending the SOS Nursery in Freetown where staff have helped her learn how to write, despite her impaired hands. Danielle visits her grandmother every weekend and says: “I have found a happy home.”

Didyouknow?

SOS Children currently

provides loving homes

for 400 children

worldwide who have

a range of disabilities.

25Medical training

TheSOSNursingSchoolinMakalle,EthiopiaThe SOS Nursing School in Makalle was established in order to contribute to the development of the healthcare service in Ethiopia. It is now regarded as one of the best nursing schools in the region, giving opportunities to poor but talented students who have no way of financing themselves. Since it opened in October 2001, 28 students have graduated as clinical nurses. Students come from all over Ethiopia, including many from our SOS Children’s Villages.

Sister Martha Mamo, head nursing instructor, explains: “Here in Ethiopia, there is a great need for medical training courses. Nurses are needed not only in hospitals and small clinics, but also in rural areas, where access to any type of modern healthcare is

very limited. The students are keen to become nurses and we have an agreement with the Ministry of Health that our graduates will be enrolled in government hospitals and health centres.”

Former SOS child Girum graduated from the Makalle Nursing School in 2005. He found a job recently as a nurse in the Ayder Referral Hospital in Makalle: “I have been working here for almost two years now, and I love it. I was five years old and had lost both my parents when SOS Children gave me a family. SOS Children helped me develop as an individual, and taught me the value of helping others. To help the weak and the sick gives me a great feeling of fulfilment.”

SOS Children also run Nurse Training Centres in Somalia and Paraguay.

MEDICALTRAINING

Fighting disease

FIGHTINGDISEASE INZIMBABWE

distribution of supplies such as water containers, purification tablets and soap to thousands of families. The SOS Family Strengthening Programme in Bindura also ran workshops about the correct use of the purification tablets, and demonstrations about proper hand washing procedures. For those already suffering from the disease, SOS Children established a cholera treatment centre which provided care for hundreds of patients.

SOS Children recently ran a cholera prevention programme in Haiti. More than a year since the devastating earthquake, hundreds of thousands of people are still living in tent cities where sanitation is poor. Health support from organisations like SOS Children is vital.

In 2009, Zimbabwe experienced its worst cholera outbreak in 15 years. Nearly 100,000 people were affected by the life-threatening infection, a water-borne diarrhoeal disease that spreads quickly through contaminated food and water. It is easily preventable but can cause severe dehydration and death if left untreated.

During the outbreak, SOS Children initiated community outreach programmes to prevent the spread of cholera. The programme included the

24

TheSOSMedicalCentrewithintheVillagewillprovide:

• Essential first-line treatment for infections

• HIV/AIDS counselling and testing services

• ARVs (antiretroviral drugs that suppress the HIV virus)

• Tuberculosis drugs

• Maternal health and nutritional services.

HowcanIhelp?If you would like to help us provide healthcare for 2,000 children and families in the Chipata region, you might like to consider sponsoring the Children’s Village for £20 a month, or making a one-off donation.Formoreinformation,visit:www.soschildren.org/chipata

HIV/AIDS has also had a devastating effect on local families – more than 50% of orphans have lost their parents as a result.

Clearly there is a real need for medical provision in Chipata. Our Family Strengthening Programme is up and running and the new Village, which will have SOS family homes and a nursery school, will also have a Medical Centre. In addition to this we will provide a mobile medical unit – a specially converted vehicle which will serve people in the surrounding community.

We are currently building a new SOS Children’s Village in Chipata, the capital of the Eastern Province of Zambia. Grinding poverty in the Chipata area, exacerbated by the devastating effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, has meant that many young children with treatable illnesses are dying.

The nearest health facility for those living in Chipata is three miles away. Most families do not have any form of transport – they have to walk everywhere – and it’s simply too far to walk for patients who have fallen ill.

NEWMEDICALCENTREFOR CHIPATA, ZAMBIA

26 New medical centre

We want to keep our donors informed of how their money is being used around the world, so in case you’re not doing so already, here are two easy ways you can keep in touch

with us!

Terrington House, 13-15 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1NL.T: 01223 365589, F: 01223 222960, E: info@soschildren.org

www.soschildren.org, Registered Charity No:1069204

KEEPUP-TO-DATEWITH SOSCHILDRENSOSeNEWSThis monthly email newsletter provides updates on our work around the world. Each issue contains stories featuring the children and families we support. Visit our website and sign up to receive our eNEWS in your inbox!

Family MattersmagazineEach edition provides more in-depth coverage of our work in 124 countries and focuses on a specific area of our work. Missed the last issue? You will find downloadable copies of all previous issues on our website.