Child Sponsorship background from Arusha, Tanzania

SOS Children's Village Arusha

SOS Children's Villages Arusha had its cornerstone laying ceremony on 24 October 1998, in the presence of numerous guests of honour such as the local clan leaders, the village elders, the mayor of Arusha, and representatives of the SOS Children's Villages Regional Office for East Africa. In May 2000, the first children were able to move into their new family homes.

The SOS Children's Village Arusha is located on the outskirts of Arusha, some 13 km away from the city centre, on the highway to Nairobi, Kenya. The village comprises 10 family houses, the village director's house, an aunts' house (SOS aunts care for the children in the absence of the SOS mothers), a guest house, a multi-purpose hall, a workshop, and an administration and services area.

Other SOS Projects in Arusha

An SOS Nursery has been added to SOS Children's Village Arusha. It consists of four group rooms, a kitchen, additional rooms and a playground. About 100 children from the SOS Children's Village and its neighbouring community are cared for there.

Since May 2004, an SOS Primary and Secondary School have been in operation. Before the school had been completed, the SOS children were being taught in adapted rooms in the SOS Children's Village. The SOS School Arusha is about half a kilometre away from the SOS Children's Village Arusha. The students in the school are taught in seven primary and six secondary school classes. The school also includes two buildings for the teachers, three labs for chemistry, physics and biology lessons, three workshops, a library, a computer room and an administration area. If working to capacity, up to 500 students can be taught in the school. The establishment of the SOS School Arusha was made possible by the generous contributions of the Norwegian SOS Children's Villages Association.

Background to Arusha

Arusha is the capital of the Arusha Region and has a population of 1,288,088 (2002 census). It is surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks. Beautifully situated below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, it has a pleasant climate and is close to Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Olduvai Gorge, Tarangire National Park, and Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as having its own Arusha National Park on Mount Meru.