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.
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- 2nd largest building in the world…after the U.S. Pentagon…It houses the Romanian Parliament
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- Alin from Bucharest SOS Village
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- Racing pigeons also raised at the SOS village
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- Chickens raised at SOS village for food
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- Neighborhood for one of the SOS Youth Facilities
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- Arc de Triomphe in Romania
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- 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.
