There is enough room to play in the spacious grounds of SOS Children's Village Bambous - Photo: SOS Archives
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The first SOS Children's Village to be built in Mauritius was Beau Bassin, and it has been in operation since 1991. In 2003, the second SOS Children's Village opened in Bambous, the capital of Black River Province, which is approximately 20 kilometres away from Beau Bassin.
Even though tourism is flourishing in this island state in the Indian Ocean, the social and economic infrastructure is highly underdeveloped in many regions outside of the touristy areas. There are facilities intended for the care of abandoned or orphaned children, however, these are often overfilled, their staff is under-qualified and the standards of care are inadequate.
At the SOS Children's Village Bambous, 120 children can grow up in a family-like environment, and its kindergarten will also be attended by children of the neighbouring community.