SOS Children's Villages International (Benin)

SOS Children's Villages is a social development organization that primarily targets children without parental care or children at risk of losing parental care. We operate as a non-governmental organization with a social mission. Independent and respectful of different religions and cultures, we work in communities where our mission can contribute to development. We work in the spirit of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The first SOS Children's Village in Benin was established in Abomey-Calavi in 1987. In 1999, a second SOS Children's Village was opened in Natitingou; then the third SOS Children's Village was established in Dassa-Zoumé in 2005. The Community Support Programme for Child Protection (PACOPE), which aims to support communities at the grassroots level and the national child protection system, will start in Abomey-Calavi and Parakou from 1 January  2022.

SOS Children's Villages in Benin is a member of the SOS Children's Villages International federation, which coordinates the work of SOS Children's Villages in 137 countries and territories worldwide.

It is important to remember that the first SOS Children's Village was founded in 1949 in Imst, Austria, by Hermann Gmeiner. He was committed to helping destitute children who had lost their homes, their security, and their families in the aftermath of the Second World War.

At SOS Children's Villages, the core competencies based on the values below are: Kindness, Lifelong Learning, Initiative and Result Orientation.

For our executives, there are leadership skills that are essential. These are collaboration, empowerment, role modeling, and strategic thinking.