SOS Children's Villages Mauritius

WHO WE ARE

SOS Children’s Villages is a non-governmental and non-denominational organisation ensuring that children and young people without parental care or at risk of losing it grow up with the care, relationships and support they need to become their strongest selves.

SOS Children's Villages Mauritius works with children, young people and families to tackle this global issue on a local level. We work to keep families together, provide alternative care when needed, support young people on their path to independence, and advocate for the rights of children. We are here for children and young people no matter their background, experience, culture, heritage, religion, sexual orientation, political alignment, gender, disability or origin. They are our priority and we do whatever it takes to ensure that they grow up empowered with trust and a feeling of belonging. Together with donors, partners, communities and governments, we lay the foundations for a brighter future.

Family Strengthening programme
SOS Children’s Villages firmly believes that children are better cared in their own family environment. But many parents face hardships that prevent them from giving proper care to their children. Many lack essentials such as money to buy food, pay for educational fees, ensure that children survive and have a healthy development or confidence in the future. Through its Family Strengthening programme, SOS Children’s Villages works to help families stay together and offers tailored support to strengthen families in need. From counselling to skills development, parents are empowered with the resources they need to overcome their difficulties.The Family Strengthening (FS) programme operates in 20 localities around the island. Communities are identified through the Marshall Plan (aims to eradicate poverty and exclusion) where the most vulnerable regions are located. In 2023, more than 300 families and 1000 children living in underprivileged regions were supported through the programme.

Education and Learning Centre
The Education Learning Centre located in Curepipe/Forestside provides pre-primary support to vulnerable children and empowerment of their families. We offer early childhood care and education to vulnerable children, while responding to their individualized needs. Education is the key to success and has the power to reverse the cycle of poverty. Our goal  through this service, is to unlock the child’s social, mental and motor skills, through a playful learning environment. We are helping this year, around 90 vulnerable children, whose families are supported in the Family Strengthening Programme and who live in different pockets of poverty in the regions of Curepipe- Cite Anoska, Cite Malherbes, Cite Joachim, Les Casernes, Camp Le Juge, Cite Atlee and Mangalkhan. Those children are at risk of being unschooled, due to the vulnerabilities of their family (Family separation, imprisonment, domestic violence, substance abuse, maltreatment, poverty, lack of parenting skills, etc.) .These kids frequently found themselves deprived of basic need for proper growth and development and therefore become short in matching the mainstream  education level, reaching primary school.  With the support of the family empowerment service , the children are more regular to school due to transport facilities, toddlers services, hot meals and support given to parents in terms of parental skills workshop offered at the school.