Village Background from Cairo, Egypt

SOS Children's Village Cairo

The SOS Children's Village Cairo is located on a hilly site in the residential area of Heliopolis, on the north eastern edge of Cairo. It comprises 15 family houses, a house for the Village Director, accommodation for the SOS aunts (SOS aunts take care of the children when SOS mothers are on leave), a guest house, an administrative- and service block, as well as accommodation for retired SOS mothers. The offices, a hall for festivities and a library are housed in the administrative block.

Other SOS Projects in Cairo

The SOS Nursery is also open to the children of the vicinity which has a positive impact on the relations to the people from the neighbourhood. In order to help boys become independent, three SOS Youth Homes for boys were opened. Each facility offers accommodation for six boys. The girls are accommodated in two Youth Homes within the precincts of the SOS Children’s Village since in Egypt unmarried girls cannot live on their own, for traditional and social reasons. As soon as youths reach the age of about 14, they move to one of the three SOS Youth Homes, where they are taken care of by a youth leader. Being admitted to an SOS Youth Home means taking responsibility for themselves and is synonymous to making a big step towards independence. Being fully aware of this, SOS mothers, the Village Director and a psychologist prepare them carefully for that change. Usually, youths stay up to four years in an SOS Youth Home. They may stay longer, however, if they are looking for work, completing professional training or studying at a university.

The construction of the SOS Primary and Secondary School was finished in 1997. At the moment, about 3000 students attend this school.

In July 2003, the SOS Social Centre/UNHCR was opened. This Centre is a joint project of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and SOS Children which aims at assisting separated refugee children in a transit home.

In January 2005, another SOS Social Centre was inaugurated. This Centre commits itself to strengthening families, counselling, supporting communities, helping street children and assisting HIV/AIDS patients.

Background to Cairo

Cairo is the capital of Egypt, the largest city in Africa and the Arab World, and one of the most densely populated cities in the world. It has the oldest and largest film and music industries in the Arab World, as well as the world's second-oldest institution of higher learning, al-Azhar University. Many international media, businesses, and organizations have regional headquarters in the city, and the Arab League has had its headquarters in Cairo for most of its existence.

With a population of 6.8 million spread over 453 square kilometers (175 sq mi), Cairo is by far the largest city in Egypt. With an additional ten million inhabitants just outside the city, Cairo resides at the center of the largest metropolitan area in Africa and the eleventh-largest urban area in the world.