Child Sponsorship background from Luque, Paraguay

SOS Children's Village Luque

The fifth SOS Children's Village in Paraguay was set up in the town of Luque, about ten kilometres from the country's capital, Asunción. The SOS Children's Village is located on an 11-acre site in a lower-middle-class residential area.

SOS Children's Village Luque consists of twelve family homes, the village director's house, a house for the so-called SOS aunts (SOS mother trainees or family helpers who support the SOS mothers in their daily work and fill in for them when they are ill or on leave) and an administration building. All in all, 108 children can find a new home at this SOS Children's Village.

Other SOS Projects in Luque

On the village site, there is an SOS Nursery, which was opened in 1999. Up to 50 children, both from the SOS Children's Village and from the neighbourhood, can be taught in its two classrooms.

There is also an SOS School, which provides primary and secondary education to up to 350 primary and 170 secondary students in its 24 classrooms. The school, which was opened in March 1999, also includes an administration area, workshops, a computer lab, a gym, a music room, a library, a kitchen and a dining hall. Secondary school also includes vocational subjects and ends with a school-leaving exam comparable to A-levels.

In early 2000, an SOS Vocational Training Centre was set up. Up to 320 trainees can attend evening classes, which range from informatics, English and accounting to massage, international cooking, and hairdresser and beautician training. For these courses, five classrooms of the SOS School, as well as its workshops and kitchen are used.

In the year 2000, an SOS Youth Home was set up in the city. It accommodates up to six youths from the SOS Children's Village. Young people usually move from the SOS Children's Village to an SOS Youth Home when they start a vocational training course or go on to higher education. With the support of qualified youth workers, the young people develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions. They are encouraged to develop team spirit and build up contacts with relatives and friends, as well as with the relevant authorities and potential employers.