March 26, 2010 – Vilnius, Lithuania

March 26, 2010 – 5:00pm

I arrived at 11:30pm last night after a 3 hour Eurovan ride from Siedlce, Poland back to Warsaw and a brief 1 hour flight on a twin turbo prop plane. I wasn’t really sure what I would see in Lithuania (population: ~3 million)…At the time, it was pitch black, cold with snow on the ground and I was fairly tired from the day, despite the very fond memories in Poland. Getting to my hotel was really the only thing that mattered at the moment.

Now that it’s daylight and I have spent a brief amount of time here, I must say it appears to be a very pleasant place, easy to walk around and rich in history… narrow cobblestone roads and beautiful old buildings make up much of Vilnius, yet there is a modern. Yes, they suffer from high unemployment (14% and growing), but tourism appears to be returning slowly.

The Vilnius SOS Village is located only 15 minutes from downtown and recently celebrated its 15 year anniversary…Seems to be a common theme in the eastern part of Europe…at least 3 villages in 3 separate countries are about to or just celebrated their 15th year.

Jurgita (translator and employee at the national Lithuania SOS office) and Dainius (Village Director) were my hosts today. Despite being limited on time, my visit was very worthwhile. I was able to present 2 girls with netbooks donated by WildTangent today. The third netbook was donated to one of the exemplary homes for use by several children in doing homework, and yes, play games.

The girls are 16 & 18 yrs old, and were selected by the village to receive the award based upon academic excellence. The older one, (taller one in the picture), is about to start studying nursing at the university. The younger one is leaning toward a career in art and architecture. Both were extremely happy to be awarded the netbooks. They can now continue to pursue their education without the need to borrow a computer or wait in line at libraries to use the computer for studying.

In addition, the village director and entire staff are very keen on teaching the value of hard work, responsibility, and dedication to one’s studies. They all share the concern that if the orphaned children they care for receive donations without earning them, the value would be lost. The netbooks were seen as a great reinforcement of their mission.

From SOS: The SOS Children’s Village Vilnius is located in green surroundings in Virsuliskes, a suburb of Vilnius about three kilometres north of the city centre of the Lithuanian capital. The Village was built according to the typical Baltic architectural style, and the colourfully painted wooden façades radiate an aura of serenity and warmth.

SOS Children’s Village Vilnius consists of twelve family houses, houses for the SOS aunts (who support the SOS mothers and take care of the children when the mothers are on leave), and the village director, and an administration and service area. Additionally, a playground has been laid out. The family houses have a capacity for up to 84 children who have lost their parents or can not live with them for different reasons.

The SOS Kindergarten comprises four group rooms, a multipurpose room, a kitchen, a canteen, a room for medical treatment and a playground, and up to 100 children from the SOS Children’s Village and from the neighbourhood, can be admitted. To meet the needs of the increasing numbers of youngsters an SOS Youth Facility was set up in Vilnius. Up to sixteen youngsters between the ages of sixteen and twenty stay there during their vocational training or further education and their youth leaders help them prepare for an independent life. The family strengthening programme offers access to essential services for children’s development (eg. educational, nutritional, health support, social skills) and supports families to protect and care for their children. The programme also aims at linking families with income generating activities and offers help to improve the parents’ parenting skills.

March 25, 2010 – Warsaw, Poland (Siedlce)

March 26, 2010 – 1:07am

A very late flight last night had 10:00am arrive a bit sooner than I was prepared for today…In fact, I don’t really recall the airport hotel and I was there just a few hours ago…Fortunately, I was able to ease into the day with a two (2) hour drive to Sieldce – outside of Warsaw, Poland.

My host / translator today Anna Marczuk…She works as a part-time assistant at SOS. Despite being incredibly nervous to meet me (mainly due to her shyness and lack of English practice), she was very gracious and informative.

Located just off the main highway, the Sieldce SOS Village has 70 children and 40 workers across 12 homes and administration buildings. One of the unique aspects here was that there are 3 ‘uncles’. Although a fairly new program, the uncles are male role models for the boys. Given that several of the boys come from households that can include domestic violence, it is important to show how to problem solve in more constructive ways as well as how to treat others with respect.

I must admit, I was very glad I had the time to recharge on our drive…The surprise that awaited me as a representative for WildTangent’s netbook donation program was incredible…and I mean truly incredible!

The pictures tell the story. I was the ‘Special Guest’ and treated to
the ‘Spring is Coming’ recital by the children of the village. Every one of them had a part – telling stories, reciting poetry, tossing paper flowers into the air, and yes, handing me a bouquet of tulips…Funny side story – given my last name, they thought I was from Holland, and so, the tulips were presented to me as a sincere gesture toward ‘my country’. In addition, the children made dozens of paper tulips to decorate the hall…Despite the Dutch ancestry, the theory of where I am from was quickly dashed upon saying ‘thank you’…turned out to not be a big deal …The U.S. was more ‘exotic’ to the children.

I asked Anna what flower I would have received had they known I was from the U.S…she said someone from WildTangent would need to return again someday to find out…with or without netbooks…pretty good answer for someone who was nervous earlier and still practicing her English.

From SOS: The town of Siedlce is situated in the Masovian Voivodship in the east of Poland near the Belarusian border and about 90 kilometres from Warsaw, the country’s capital. Siedlce has more than 70,000 inhabitants and can easily be reached by train from Warsaw. SOS Children’s Village Siedlce was built on a four hectares site on the town’s outskirts and is surrounded by forests. The children attend the local schools and kindergartens, which greatly supports their integration into the local community. The official opening ceremony was held on 10 June 2000 in the presence of numerous friends, donors and other honorary guests.

SOS Children’s Village Siedlce consists of twelve family houses, a house for the village director, flats for the SOS aunts (who support the SOS mothers and take care of the children when the mothers are on leave), a community building, an administration and service area, a workshop and a room for medical treatment. Additionally, a sports field and a playground were created. Up to 78 children find a new home in the cosy and welcoming family houses.

An SOS Youth Facility for up to 16 youngsters was established in 2006. An extension of the existing SOS Children’s Village by two additional family houses is scheduled to start in 2007.

March 24, 2010 – Munich, Germany (Ammersee)

March 25, 2010 – 1:10am

Located 90 minutes by taxi (a very fast taxi – 180 kph) outside Munich, Germany, I found myself in the beautiful tourist area of Lake Ammer. Christoph is my guide today. He is one of 80+ employees at the Ammersee SOS Village, the oldest SOS village in all of Germany (founded over 50 years ago). Christoph is an incredibly enthusiastic gentleman who has been at this location for 13 years. Prior to that, he worked at orphanages in the area, but the conditions were too challenging to make a real difference…Not so the case at SOS.

The unique aspects of this village are they focus on the very young, and often the most emotionally challenged children that still have a parent/parents. Why? From what Christoph described, young, healthy, orphaned children are adopted quite quickly. The government subsidizes adopting parents via a monthly stipend, but it may be a cultural thing too…I suspect it is likely a bit of both.

There are 60 children living in 11 homes here. There are 4 more buildings – Kindergarden, 2 administration, and an apartment building for the employees. The kindergarden is open to the town and there is a daycare available for single moms or those that cannot care for their children during the day due to work, etc…pretty cool.

During my visit they were in the middle of a mandatory sewer system overhaul…a 500,000 Euro (~$650k USD) untimely expense…remember, this place is over 50 yrs old and was donated…and this isn’t a public works project funded by the local government. Ouch.

WildTangent donated six netbooks to this village. They will be used as school performance rewards for the older children in the village (14 yrs and up), and to help them advance their lives and become better suited for life after SOS (typically children leave at 18-19, or as soon as they find employment). With the help of SOS, most children currently now find trade work in hotels, tourism, making crafts, auto repair, etc.

Given that there are no youth homes here (unlike several SOS villages I’ve visited in other countries) that help children phase into adulthood and attend a university, NONE of the children here have gone on to college. Who knows, maybe a netbook will be just the thing to help expand their options and one or more will find their way to attend university studies in Munich…I hold out hope for that.

From SOS: The SOS Children’s Village Ammersee was erected in the city of Diessen, in a beautiful spot near lake Ammer. The nearest large city is Munich. The SOS Children’s Village Ammersee comprises 11 family houses, where 60 children are living.

In addition, an educational community offering social therapy is available for up to six children and youth who suffered grave conflicts within their natural family and need external accommodation. The children can stay in this community for a maximum of two years and the goal is to re-integrate them into their natural families. At the ancillary counselling centre psychotherapy, supervision, perception and psycho-motor training and an educational support program are offered to children, youth, co-workers of the SOS Children’s Village and the children’s birth parents. A day care centre was also erected on the site of the SOS Children’s Village Ammersee, offering a kindergarten, all-day care and a facility for schoolchildren.

March 23, 2010 – Zagreb, Croatia (Lekenik)

March 23, 2010 – 11:45pm

At 1pm today I was greeted by Martina Murgic, my guide for visiting the Lekenik SOS Village located about 30 minutes southeast of Zagreb, Croatia.

Needless to say, this is a village run on commitment to helping children rather than money. Croatia is a relatively small country (about 4 million population) and the global economic meltdown brought everything to a halt here, especially donations…everyone – individuals and companies went into hoarding what they have mode…well, in Zagreb anyhow…the coastline tourism appears to be recovering. High unemployment and the cease of foreign investment has created a new wave of crime as well…violent crime – burglary, robbery, etc…about one incident per day in Zagreb…With a population of 800,000 that may not seem like much, but it is alarming to the people here. After so much war suffered here, peace and harmony are a heavy focus, especially for the children…The people here want the newest generation to be well-balanced and on the path to recovery rather than feel helpless and victims of the past.

Visit the link above to visit the village website. The homes are noticeably larger than what I have seen elsewhere, and the location is immense, but this is Croatia…The summers are hot and the winters brutally cold…don’t let the wide open and picturesque location fool you.

For perspective, imagine this: You share a room with your ‘brother’ or ‘sister’ that you’ve known for maybe 1-4 years. You learn about computers by studying screenshots in a booklet about Windows 98…The only things on your bedroom walls are pictures torn from used magazines and newspapers of celebrities you idolize. You are part of a family, but live everyday with the weight that you could be removed / adopted the following day with little warning…You get to see your real parent/parents based upon the court system rather than when you want…and you live at SOS likely because your parents couldn’t care for you and wanted to give you the possibility for a better life.

This is some heavy stuff…

On the positive front – everyone at the village truly cares about you…you are expected to participate, but within your capabilities…you are safe, have healthy food, safe shelter and clean clothing…you are part of a relatively stable environment…you get to do scheduled activities like art, theatre, pottery, singing with other kids…and you get together with tons of other children regularly to socialize.

At around 14, you leave the village (if you are ready) for a youth facility to begin high school and your career. You are taught to be self-sufficient, but are not abandoned…you are becoming an adult…and there is a 20% chance you will go on to college…you need to decide which profession by 16 so you can prepare for the university entrance exams for your specific profession. Life is less structured, but you are a teen now…you are learning independence and rebellion…it’s too much for some of your siblings, but others thrive…the choice is yours and there is a support system if you need it.

I hope I am adequately conveying the situation here and for all children at SOS villages around the world. The challenges are great, the focus on raising well suited young adults is incredible, and the ability to do an amazing amount of stuff with so little is, well, I’m not sure what word adequately could describe it.

From SOS: Halfway between Zagreb and Sisak, between the Sava River in the east and the rolling hills of Vukomericke Gorice in the west lays the picturesque village of Lekenik, a rural community with about 2,000 inhabitants. SOS Children’s Village Lekenik is located on the outskirts of the town, next to a primary and a secondary school. The official opening ceremony took place on 8 October 1993 in the presence of Helmut Kutin, president of SOS-Kinderdorf International, the prime minister of Croatia, and numerous guests of honour.

SOS Children’s Village Lekenik altogether comprises fifteen family houses, an administrative area, a workshop, a community building and houses for the village director and the SOS aunts (who support the SOS mothers and take care of the children when the mothers are on leave). Up to 98 children can find a new home there. A playground has also been created. The daily care of the children rests in the capable hands of fifteen SOS mothers, who can count on the help of SOS aunts, the village director, pedagogical assistants, a psychologist and a village caretaker. A leisure centre offers different activities for the children from the SOS Children’s Village Lekenik as well as for children from the neighborhood.

The children from the vicinity have also the possibility to attend the SOS Kindergarten, which consists of two group rooms, a kitchen and a playground; it has a capacity to take in up to sixty children. The SOS Youth Facilities in Zagreb and Velika Gorica can take in up to 38 youngsters. The large and close-knit SOS family at the SOS Children’s Village Lekenik shares the same responsibilities and joys as any other family.

March 22, 2010 – Vienna, Austria

WildTangent donated 6 netbooks to this facility today! I’ll fill in more details shortly, but below is a quick summary:

The first urban SOS Children’s Village in Austria, SOS Children’s Village Vienna, which opened in 2006, is an interesting pioneering project: the SOS families live in rented flats in a new residential development that has been designed to meet family needs. (The first SOS mother and her four children have moved into their rented flat. There are plans for five families in total.) Each SOS family lives independently and integrates into the respective surrounding environment, but can at any time fall back on a team of education specialists, psychologists and therapists.

There are also plans to rent two flats for SOS semi-independent living groups that each have eight places for short- and medium-term care. They are aimed at children and young people who need support due to family problems. In parallel, their parents also receive support and advice to enable the children to return to their families quickly.

The “FamilienRAThaus” (German for “family advice house”), a public advice and meeting centre, is open to SOS families and SOS semi-independent living groups as well as families from the area. The opening of a family café on the ground floor of the building has created a space where people can exchange advice and suggestions in an informal setting.

March 21, 2010 – Bucharest, Romania

March 22, 2010 – 7:00am

I met Alin, SOS Director of Bucharest Romania at 10am. What a great guy. He’s been working in social services for the past 12 years, the last 5 years at SOS. He was relaxed, honest, open and an incredible host, providing me a great tour of not only the village, but also the two youth facilities located in downtown Bucharest (where I was surprised to find many of the young men playing online games, and the teen women preparing for university studies, one preparing to become an orthodontist.)

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, every village I visit is unique in some very very different way. Bucharest is no exception…however, the most unique challenge they face is political corruption. The land here was ‘donated’ by the governement, with one stipulation…they can seize it at any time and sell it to someone else. Despite this land being an old landfill, it is (or was, before the global economic meltdown) incredibly valuable…to the tune of 4,000 Euros (about $5,200 USD) per square meter…yeah, I coughed too when I heard that, especially since there is only about 5-6″ of topsoil…everything beneath that is old concrete and steel rubble.

To make matters even more interesting, the public works blueprints had slated a main 4 lane road to run right through the SOS village property, including some of the buildings…I suppose one could say that something good came from bad…the poor economy has ceased those plans…for now.

The village has 36 children presently, with 3 more slated to arrive a little later this year. There are up to 30 more youths who live at the two Youth Facilities in town. The children were all very friendly, and the 3 netbooks donated here will be prizes for those who do well in school, awarded at the end of the school year, around June 15.

The children did not know much about me or WildTangent, but as I continue to experience every place I visit, ‘computer games’ translates around the world without fail.

2nd largest building in the world…after the U.S. Pentagon…It houses the Romanian Parliament

Alin from Bucharest SOS Village

Racing pigeons also raised at the SOS village

Chickens raised at SOS village for food

Neighborhood for one of the SOS Youth Facilities

Arc de Triomphe in Romania

Classic 2 stroke motor cars…body is made of pressed wood…and they run on anything that burns.

From SOS: Bucharest, the Romanian capital, is situated in the southeast of the country. The SOS Children’s Village Bucharest is situated about ten minutes from the city centre. The site of the SOS Children’s Village is relatively large and covers 4.8 hectares. A popular recreation area, with a park and the Floreasca Lake is nearby and within easy reach. The family houses were built in the typical local style as bungalows with attic extensions. The official opening ceremony of SOS Children’s Village Bucharest took place on 22 October 1993.

SOS Children’s Village Bucharest comprises fifteen family houses for up to 90 children, a community building, and a house for the village director, workshops, an administration and service area and a sports field.

The adjoining SOS Kindergarten was opened in October 1998. It has a capacity to take in up to 60 children and consists of three group rooms, a room for medical treatment, a multi-purpose hall, and a library. To meet the needs of the growing number of youths who have already outgrown the SOS Children’s Village, an SOS Youth Facility was established in 1999. The youths can stay there during further training or higher education and prepare themselves for an independent life. UPDATE: There are now 2 Youth Facilities with up to 15 youths in each location.

The family strengthening programme offers access to essential services for children’s development (eg. educational, nutritional and health support, social skills) and supports families to protect and care for their children. The programme also aims at linking families with income generating activities and offers help to improve the parents’ parenting skills. The SOS Playbus is a mobile centre for children offering imaginative play material and educational games, stopping off at public parks and hospitals, at orphanages and grey concrete tower blocks. Activities such as playing theatre, dancing and various craft activities aim at helping children to achieve confidence in themselves and in others.

March 20, 2010 – Dren, Bulgaria

March 21, 2010 – 12:09am

I came in on high alert to the ex-communist country of Bulgaria late at night…Not because I had heard anything in particular that was worriesome, but because there are signs (MANY signs) inside the airport to only take ‘approved’ taxis. This fact was highlighted by the woman at the information desk… she warned me three times with great stress – only, Only, ONLY! take the certified taxi to the right as I exit the airport. Apparently the mafia, as in other eastern european countries run the ‘unofficial’ taxis…Many of those drivers hover inside the airport awaiting unsuspecting guests. Sure, they might be cheaper, but you are just as likely to not get to your final destination, or at least not get there with your money…I took the safer route…’certified’…special note: ‘certified’ doesn’t mean the driver is a good driver.

After 5 hours of sleep, I was met at my hotel by Ivana and Alexander at my hotel. Ivana recently returned to Bulgaria (Sofia) after spending six years in China for her college education and would be my translator today. Ivana’s English was incredibly good. So good, in fact, that I was able to easily explain WildTangent’s “WildCoins for Kids” program and how the sponsored WildCoins for Kids Game of the Day helped earn netbooks for children in need merely by having consumers play the designated game with WildCoins or could donate
WildCoins directly to the cause and as little as 1 WildCoin (approximately $0.25).

Alexander is an incredibly generous and happy fellow with a wicked-impressive beard and was my transporter. Understanding a bit of English, we could communicate a bit. He also shared information about Sofia – 2 million residents and growing fast, the buildings (including two nuclear power plants in town), mountains and history – pre / post communism. He is very proud of this area and the improvements…he should be.

My visit today was to the SOS Village in Dren, Bulgaria. Located about 1.5 hours from Sofia, Dren sits at the base of a 9,000 ft mountain where skiing and mountain lakes attract locals and tourists. With a total population of 3,500 residents in Dren, SOS is really a village within a village, with the SOS village perched above the town.

This SOS village has 13 homes with 65 children presently and a capacity of 78. Due to the remoteness of this village, they have had to be very self-sufficient. They have their own water recycling facilty, their own water well, individual fuel tanks for each house, and more. Despite being located in such a scenic location, they face challenges and some unique aspects of their facility. One that stood out is that the children leave the Dren village at the age of 14. At that age, they must decide what vocation they wish to pursue and then leave for Sofia to pursue it, whether it is for a University education, vocational training or other…it is then that the begin living in the youth homes. There are two youth homes located in Sofia for a total of 120 children (including the 65 in Dren) in the SOS program in this region.

While in Dren, the SOS children attend the local school. There are 150 children that attend the Dren school, 50 are SOS children…The joke is whether the SOS children are integrating into the town or vice versa.

The SOS village in Dren was very well kept and appeared quite new…remarkable given the harsh climate and that the village will celebrate its 15 year anniversay in May. A week long celebration is scheduled for May 17 and the President of Bulgaria might attend including other dignitaries.

A few other unique programs: This is the first village that has a couple (husband/wife) run one of the homes. Typically the homes are run by a single house mother. It is a trial program, but early indications are good. The next exciting program is ‘home ownership’. The SOS facility just helped it’s first child, now in her early 20′s, purchase her first apartment in Sofia. She had to acquire the loan on her own, but SOS helped finance the down payment, and with no requirement to repay SOS. Pretty cool. Hard to say how scalable such a program could become, but it is the first time I have heard of such an SOS program anywhere in the world…I wish them luck with that.

I must admit, my first impressions of Bulgaria and how I felt leaving are incredibly different. Yes, this country faces challenges, but you can see the changes taking place. This will be an interesting country to watch in the years ahead.

On the road out of Sofia to Dren

Winding thru the town of Dren to SOS village

Entrance to Dren SOS Village

When you see a bird you hang one. White helps ward off evil and invite Spring, Red for good health

Mariyan – Director of Dren SOS Village

Children’s art room

Mask is to ward off evil spirits and is used during an annual celebration along with pagan goat skins.

standing chess board made by the children

Town of Dren from the SOS Village

Water recycling facility underground

Typical bedroom at Dren SOS Village

mug shot at SOS Dren above town

March 19, 2010 – Athens, Greece (Vari)

March 19, 2010 – 10:20pm

Athens, Greece

After enduring another 2hr customs fiasco that started at 8am, I was off to visit the Athens SOS Village to meet Petros and see the village.

This facility was very unique in that it does not actually receive ANY financial assistance from the Greece government nor SOS headquarters…they are 100% funded by donations given directly to them…If you thought you lived paycheck to paycheck…This village never knows when the next check might arrive, let alone who it will be from or for what amount. That’s a tremendous amount of pressure, but WOW, do they handle it well and manage effectively.

What was also very noticeable about this facility is how well they are integrated with the community. The local high school is located down the hill and across the highway. In fact, Petros’ children attend that school along with several SOS children.

This village has 11 homes for 75 children presently. Maximum capacity is 90. The children range in age from 4 months to 23 yrs old (and attending the university). There are three main “areas” for this village: 1) The infant center (for babies to 5yr olds), 2) The primary village with 8 houses, and 3) 2 young adult facilities (for those over 18 and integrating into the community).

The netbooks donated here were divided among the three locations…A very fair distribution in my mind.

It is easy to be swayed that life must be pretty good after looking at the pictures. Ocean in the distance with great views from all the homes. Relatively speaking, wonderful art, music and theatre facilities and a pretty nice playground…quite a stark contrast to Rome. And yet, most of the things here were donated by the community. That really stuck out for me in Athens. The community has been very generous to them…and more than just food, shelter, and clothing. The community has donated activities access, time and instruction. While I was there, two carpenters were donating their time re-tiling a roof…Incredible!

Makes one wonder why people elsewhere don’t do the same…and what a great example Athens is for all.

Art room

donated playground by Lion’s Club

main hall

From SOS website: The SOS Children’s Village Vari covers an area of about 23 ha. It is situated on the coastal road in the province of Attica on the foot of the Hymetus mountain, offering a wonderful view of the sea. The SOS Children’s Village comprises 13 family houses, the house of the Village Director, a Community Centre, a playground and an amphitheatre, and as in almost every Greek village, there is also a small chapel. One of the rooms serves as SOS Kindergarten for the smaller children, while the other children attend local public schools in Vari.

March 18 – Rome, Italy

March 18, 2010…the middle of the night.

Rome, Italy SOS Village

This visit is very different than most. This visit is more about what I learned than the photographs I took. In addition, given the special backgrounds and needs of the children here, pictures were not really recommended.

Located about 20 minutes from the Airport, the Rome SOS Village is situated on 3 acres located in a relative safe suburban neighborhood. It was founded in 1985, although it took 5 years before the first children arrived…Yeah, seemed like a long time to me too. The reason is complicated, but I believe the rationale based upon SOS principles is sound.

Not one to name names or how I came to this information (for concern about ramifications for the village), but the reason for the 5 long year delay comes down two things: politics and religious rights. SOS has neither any political position, nor do they advocate or are affiliated with any specific religion. We’re in Rome, remember…the Vatican has significant ‘influence’…90% influence to be specific…that’s the percentage of funding SOS is ‘granted’ by the Vatican. The other 10% comes from one-off donations and corporate donations…The pressure to become affiliated with the Vatican is persistent.

To make matters worse, “ROME” in the village name has seemed to work against them in both utilization and funding (a fact not ignored by this SOS village). Rome is fairly affluent by most measures, so most potential contributors operate under the misconception that this SOS is therefore highly funded..Sadly, not true.

In addition, despite being located in a high need area this SOS is ranked fairly low on the list by Social Services due to lack of religious affiliation. As a result, they get children that typcially have other siblings also in need. Why? SOS is adamant about keeping siblings and cousins together, whereas Social Services focuses more on adoption / placing children wherever they can, even at the expense of separating brothers, sisters, cousins. The result for the village is to make due with very little but constantly remain prepared to add a large number of children at any moment…It’s tough, but they do amazingly well on so little.

My visit included 5 primary SOS personnel:
Silvia – SOS Director from Milan
Paolo – Rome SOS Village Director
Maria – Administrator that has worked at the village since it opened in 1985.
Maddy – Administrator at the village from Peru, who due to her mother, a nun in Rome, became interested in social work. She worked for 3 years as a house mother at the Rome SOS Village prior to her current role…she was also my transportation expert for the visit…we got lost a couple times…
Robyn – Volunteer from Great Britain who was my English/Italian translator and joined the village a short 6 weeks ago. She did an amazing job translating the barrage of games and computer questions I received from the children I met. Have I played this game? What about that game? What is my favorite game? Can I help them complete Rainbow 6 or know any cheats that would help…What games have I created? And am I on Facebook?…Their English became incredibly good once the topic of computer games came up.

Currently, there are 26 children in all right now…the facility can handle 48 children with 6 per house. There are a few administration buildings and an ‘off duty’ auntie / house mother building upstairs from the main building.

The homes I visited were large, functional yet a bit sparse due to the lack of funding. That said, the children were very friendly and lit up when they heard I worked at a ‘computer games’ company. ‘Computer games’ is a global term yet again validated…I am still surprised when I see the kids eyes open wide when hearing this term…It never gets boring to see though.

This was the second 10 netbook donation by WildTangent…It could not have gone to a more deserving SOS village. Despite the relatively low number of children at this village compared to others I have visited, the need is probably one of the greatest.

The REAL thing…had to try it…wasn’t disappointed

Outside the SOS facility

neighborhood around village

neighborhood around village

Administration building

view of the homes

Path through homes. Middle is a village gathering area at night

Good area – large homes surround the facility

Greenhouse to grow vegetables, and a pool in the fenced area

playground

From SOS website:
The SOS Children’s Village Rome is located in the region of Lazio in the central part of Italy. The Italian capital city Rome has approx. 2.6 million inhabitants, is situated on the banks of the river Tiber and was built on seven hills. The region of Lazio is formed by the provinces of Rome, Frosinone, Latina, Rieti and Viterbo. The area called Campagna Romana and the Pontinian Marshes are important centres of agricultural production where fruit and vegetable, cereals and cotton are cultivated and cattle as well as sheep are breeded.

The SOS Children’s Village Rome was constructed between 1984 and 1986 in the northwest of Rome on a site of approx. 20,000 m². In March 1987, the first SOS mothers and children moved to their new homes. The SOS Children’s Village consists of eight family houses, the house of the Village Director, offices and rooms for social activities. The spacious park of the SOS Children’s Village is used as an enormous playground by the about 60 SOS children.

March 17, 2010 – Marseille, France

March 18, 12:22am

Situated within a wonderfully fortunate park-like environment just minutes from the ocean, Marseille’s SOS Village is an amazingly tranquil place for the children.  It needs to be, this is the largest SOS Children’s Village in all of France. 

There are 10-11 homes located here with 5-6 children per home.  Each house mother also has an automobile to drive to the market and transport the children to school, activities, or to just spend a few hours at the beach.

I got lucky…the weather was amazing – clear blue sky, a perfect cool breeze and plenty of sun.  Inside the village, the environment seemed about as relaxed and friendly as one could ever imagine.  With all the fir trees and mountain behind the village, the touristy nature of Marseille was never present.

This was WildTangent’s largest donation – 10 netbooks to one village.  As is expected, the SOS village personnel were a bit leary of the donation until they got to meet me and hear about what WildTangent does, how it’s 60 million users are participating in this cause just by playing games, and the nature of the project.  The belief that gaming is global and that kids of all ages can actually help children in need all over the world is pretty powerful when you see it in action. 

From SOS: The first family houses of the SOS Children’s Village Marseille were built in 1972 and today there are altogether eleven houses and a community centre with rooms for festivities and other social activities on the vast terrain. With a capacity of about 60 children, Marseille is the largest SOS Children’s Village in France. In addition to the houses, SOS Children’s Villages France has rented four apartments in a suburb of Marseille where adolescents from the SOS Children’s Village stay during their higher educational or vocational training in order to get used step by step to live an independent life.

For a bit of contrast…

How most people think and see Marseille:

The Marseille SOS Village: