Group care | Small Group Homes

SOS Family Care

Under this programme we provide a home for children who have lost parental care within our Children villages. We have 70 years of experience in offering long term alternative care based on a family-like care model, which we call SOS family care. We also provide other alternative forms of care such as foster care.

To find the best possible alternative care option for each individual child, we constantly innovate and improve our work with SOS families and use our experience and competence to explore relevant care solutions, together with partners. If it is in the best interests of a child to return to the family of origin, we actively support and carefully accompany this process.

Our children homes are located in Meru , Mombasa, Kisumu, Nairobi and Eldoret. These are places where children who have lost parental care can find a parent, a family, and a community. Children grow within their SOS families until they are mature enough to lead independent lives. Children are admitted into SOS family care based on alternative care standards and reintegrated back to community based on case by case basis. All the children and young people in SOS families have access to quality education from kindergarten through university or vocational training. Together with our partners, we also provide children and young people with access to non-formal education through child group activities, play, tutoring and stimulating informal education environments that support a child’s development. Quality health care is also ensured for all children in the care of SOS families.

JOHN GARANG HUMANITARIAN GROUP FOUNDATION is, at its core, a community of loving, stable families. Each Village consists of 10 to 15 family houses, and often houses a kindergarten, social center, and play space that is open to children from surrounding communities. We place a strong emphasis on integrating SOS families into the communities at large, enabling them to form lasting friendships and connections with people outside of their immediate SOS families.We ensure access to community services and encourage participation in community activities of SOS families and vulnerable families .We enable easy interaction with neighbors.We support physical integration according to local context and experience. JOHN GARANG HUMANITARIAN GROUP FOUNDATION opens its services and facilities to the wider community, e.g. parenting skills training, psychosocial counselling and schools.

Our Family Care model is founded on four basic principles:

Child:

Every child is
unique and respected.

Parent:

Every child needs
a caring and stable
parent.

Family:

Every child grows
up in a supportive
family.

Community:

Every child is part of
a safe and supportive
community.

Our Villages in Numbers

Activities Around
Our Villages

Jielewe

(self-understanding)

In 2016, 169 children participated in the Jielewe program which aimed at enabling children to have a clear understanding of who they are as an individual, to take responsibility of their own actions and behaviours without blaming other children or other stakeholders for their failures. It was clear that children may not be in control of everything happening to them but they have the responsibility to respond appropriately since actions have consequences either negative or positive.

Most of the youths acquired self-identity, self - awareness, improved communication amongst the youths, caregivers and of much importance the youths acquired creative skills such as card, mat making and recycling of wastes which is a skill which can be useful in the community.

Mentorship programme to Safaricom Ltd

– SOS CV Nairobi

Children and Youth from the SOS CV Nairobi had an opportunity to get mentorship in the prestigious, successful telecommunication company, Safaricom Ltd. The 95 children, 45 boys and 50 girls benefitedfrom the programme aimed at empowering children to aspire to excel and work in organizations with a positive image. The children were exposed to different careers options by different professionals with an aim of helping them to start aligning their perceptions and interest to right choices in life.

Soap Recycling

(‘Soap for Hope’)– SOS CV Nairobi

Radisson Blu Hotel Nairobi (Corporate House sponsor, House 15 – SOS CV Nairobi) also partners in our children and youth programs; their main focus is life skills and improving employability. In 2016, 21 children benefited from the training on soap recycling and they branded their soap (Soap for Hope).

The children and youth are currently Trainer of Trainers (ToTs) on soap making and they have gotten hands on skills. Radisson Blu Nairobi supplied the soap making reagents, machine to compress the Soap. Recycling of soap has been away of teaching children to utilise resources in a more meaningful manner.

Health Awareness

– SOS CV Mombasa

Heath Awareness is an important aspect of caring for our children and youth. With support of technical practitioners, health awareness has continued to be championed to equip children and youths of different ages to reinforce the need to be aware of their changes in their bodies and to respond appropriately and make informed decisions in regard to their health and sexual reproduction. A total of 146 children and 45 youths were reminded and equipped with appropriate skills. This has led to in appropriate behaviours reduce.

Life Skills Training

– SOS CV Kisumu

In SOS CV Kisumu, 50 youths participated in life skills program which was aimed at impacting skills of assertiveness, negotiation skills, creative thinking, self -esteem, career guidance, self-awareness and decision making. Youths were able to develop confidence, became more focused to reality of life and were more resilient when faced with difficulty situation in their lives; they are now able to solve problems amongst themselves amicably as well as with the caregivers.

Life skills training

– SOS CV Eldoret

Life skills’ training enables children and youth to interact appropriately and be able to fit in the society which has set norms and standards. 40 children were trained on survival and life skills which were delivered in modules to have a wider coverage and more comprehensive. This had tremendous impact on children whose behaviour has since improved amongst them and with care givers, a number of children developed a positive attitude towards learning hence academic excellence.

The youths were also trained on life skills through exposure to different activities which included Community service at Family Health Options; the youth were equipped to become peer counsellors and were able to conduct trainings within high schools while attached at Family Health Options Kenya.

Youth Centre exchange program with Moi University Peer counselling Movement facilitate the provision of training materials by NACADA to enable youths be in a position to identify harmful drug habits and report as well as making informed decisions in relation to appropriate use of cyber space.

Child safeguarding: Problematic and Abusive Sexual behaviour sensitization workshop – SOS CV Meru

The workshop was held to equip youths with reproductive health information to enable them make choices regarding their sexuality. Majority of the young persons had variety of questions in regard to the topic, clarifications was made which distinguished between fiction and facts on sexuality.

Youths are now more careful when faced with sexuality challenges as they have cultivated a culture of consultation and they are well knowledgeable on sexuality issues, majority of them are able to take charge of their decisions.

Child. Parent.
Family. Community