Child Sponsorship background from Bouar, Central African Republic

SOS Children's Village Bouar

SOS Children's Village Bouar was built on a site of slightly more than five hectares of land, which had been made available by the authorities.

The village can accommodate up to 120 children. It has twelve family houses, a village director's house, administration buildings and a house for the SOS aunts (SOS mothers in training, who actively support the SOS mothers).

Other SOS Projects in Bouar

An SOS Nursery and an SOS Primary School have been built on the same site. The nursery consists of three large classrooms and an administrative area. It is attended by up to 125 children both from the SOS Children's Village and the neighbourhood. The primary school has six classes for up to 210 children. In addition to the classrooms, the school also has administration offices and a canteen.

An SOS Social Centre and an SOS Medical Centre have been opened with the aim of providing medical care to the people in the neighbourhood, informing them about local preventative measures, providing troubled families with social and material assistance and offering counselling regarding child education and career guidance for parents. Conceived with the aim of strengthening the families against poverty, this programme is run in cooperation with the local authorities. The Medical centre has a consultation room, a treatment room, a dispensing chemist and rooms for the director and the co-workers.

Background to Bouar

Bouar is situated 450 km northwest of Bangui. It is a rural town adjacent to the provinces plagued by conflict. Its population is about 45,000. Bouar is a rich archaeological site with megaliths dating from the 6th century BC; it is also one of the poorest towns of the country; the proportion of poor people in the urban area of Bouar amounts to 70%.