Helmut Kutin

Honorary President of SOS Children's Villages International

 

 

Helmut Kutin was born in Bolzano, Italy, in 1941. Following a family tragedy, he was admitted to the world's first SOS Children's Village in Imst, Austria, in 1953. Later, he moved to the SOS Youth House in Innsbruck, Austria. He studied economics at Innsbruck University.

First assignments in Vietnam

In 1967, after discussions with Hermann Gmeiner, Kutin gave up his work in tourism and tutoring and took on his first assignment for SOS Children's Villages International. He started the construction of the first Vietnamese SOS Children's Village in what is now Ho Chi Minh City. In 1968, Kutin was appointed director of the village, at the time the biggest in the world. He then supervised the set up of more facilities in Vietnam before he had to leave the country a year after the end of the war, in 1976.

More than 50 SOS Children's Villages built in Asia

In 1971, Helmut Kutin was appointed SOS Children's Villages International's representative for Asia. Since then, over fifty SOS Children's Villages and another fifty supporting facilities were built in Asia within a few years. Other achievements include the resumption of SOS Children's Villages' work in Vietnam in 1987 and the opening of the first two villages in China in the same year.

President of umbrella organisation 1985-2012

In 1985, Helmut Kutin was elected President of SOS Children's Villages International. In 2012, he was succeeded by Siddhartha Kaul. In recognition of his lifelong commitment to the work of SOS Children's Villages, he has been given the ‘Honorary President’ title.

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