SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country
Hermann Gmeiner's idea of giving orphaned and abandoned children a new home in an SOS Children's Village found its way to the Lebanon in 1964. An agreement with the government was signed that same year, paving the way for establishing the Lebanese SOS Children's Villages association in 1966.
The first SOS Children's Village in the country was built in Bhersaf, in the Mount Lebanon region, with the first children moving in with their SOS mothers in 1969.
Civil war broke out in 1975, plunging a flourishing country into decades of disruption. Nevertheless, or precisely for that reason, SOS Children's Villages continued its work and established more facilities to help relieve the suffering of children. In order to assist youths in taking their first steps towards an independent life, the first SOS Youth Facility was opened in Beirut in 1975. More youth facilities followed from 1978 onwards.
In 1981, a second SOS Children's Village opened its doors in Sferai in southern Lebanon; the mothers and children in this village were forced to live almost in isolation for many years because the roads to the neighbouring towns were closed due to unrest.
In view of the destitution and distress of many orphans, whose situation became increasingly critical as a result of the war and the following economic crisis, SOS Children's Villages Lebanon established the SOS Social Centre Mkallès close to the capital Beirut in 1986. It helps disadvantaged women and families from the neighbourhood by offering them work as well as social and economic support. It aims at preventing child abandonment through strengthening the families at risk especially those headed by single mothers with children less than 18 years old.
The civil war officially came to an end in May 1991 but the political situation improved only very gradually. The third SOS Children's Village was opened in Kfarhay, in the north of the country, in 1995. The attached SOS Kindergarten is also attended by children from the neighbourhood and plays a major role in ensuring that the SOS Children's Village is well-integrated in its surroundings.
The fourth SOS Children’s Village has been officially inaugurated in the Ksarnaba area on 29 April 2006. A community based SOS Social Centre has started to operate in the same area with the objective of preventing child abandonment through offering a comprehensive service that aims at strengthening families at risk.
Following the 33 day-long war between Israel and Lebanon, which took place during summer 2006, the decision was taken under the motto “Emergency help”, to extend the long existing and successful family strengthening program, adding a psychosocial component. The aim is to support children and families who have been traumatised by the war.
At present there are in the Lebanon four SOS Children’s Villages, three SOS Youth facilities, two SOS Kindergartens and three SOS Social Centres.
Website of SOS Children's Villages Lebanon
(available in English)