Child Sponsorship background from Igarassu, Brazil

SOS Children's Village Igarassu

SOS Children's Village Igarassu is located in the city of the same name in the Northeast of Brazil, a short way from Recife, the capital of the state of Pernambuco.

The city of Igarassu has about 82,000 inhabitants and is part of the metropolitan area of Recife which, with altogether 1.5 million people living in it, is an important economic and cultural centre of the region. Its economy is based on the transforming industries, focusing mainly on producing alcohol and sugar cane sugar. In the rural area fruit and vegetables are grown, and lately flower growing has become an important activity. Fishing and tourism are of utmost importance for the population of the region.

The quick economic growth has led to a strong increase in the number of inhabitants, as many people from all over the region eager to improve their living conditions are attracted by Recife. A quarter of the almost 1.5 million inhabitants are under the age of 15 and a third is living on less than half of the minimum salary. About 20% of the population have less than one year's schooling and 10% are unemployed. Due to this, many parents simply cannot take care of their children, and according to a recent survey, about 300 children in the area are in need of long-term support outside their biological families.

This precarious social situation is reinforced by the fact that there are not enough state-run institutions in Recife and its surroundings that offer long-term care for children. That is why SOS Children's Villages has decided to build another SOS Children's Village in Igarassu.

The Village has given over 100 children a new home. It also contains the Village director's house, a house for SOS aunts (SOS mother trainees or family helpers who support the SOS mothers during their daily work and fill in for them when they are ill or on leave), an administration and service area, a multi-purpose hall for functions and festivities as well as a sports ground.

Other SOS Projects in Igarassu

The SOS Children's Village also includes an SOS Social Centre, which is run as a day-care centre and also offers medical and dental assistance and a small pharmacy as well as class rooms for counselling and training of adults and children. The SOS Social Centre caters to needy people from the neighbourhood.

The SOS Children's Village has good public transport links and there are many supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies, banks, enterprises, schools and health centres nearby to meet the needs of the SOS Children's Village community.