Child Sponsorship background from Battonya, Hungary

SOS Children's Village Battonya

Battonya was the first SOS Children's Village in a then Communist country, which was not state-owned, but was entirely subsidised by the private SOS Children's Village Association. The SOS Children's Village is only one kilometre from the town hall, and schools are also in the immediate vicinity. The children from the SOS Children's Village attend the public nursery and the local schools, and thus have also many friends outside the SOS Children's Village. The houses were built in the traditional style of this part of Hungary. The official opening ceremony took place on 28 September 1986. The SOS Children's Village Battonya celebrated its 10th anniversary in 1996 and its 15th in 2001; on both occasions, big cheerful festivities took place with many friends and supporters joining the SOS families.

The SOS Children's Village Battonya comprises ten family houses, houses for the village director and the SOS aunts (who support the SOS mothers and take care of the children when the mothers are on leave), a community building and an administration and service area. SOS Children's Village Battonya has a capacity to take in up to 65 children.

Other SOS Projects in Battonya

In order to give more children a new home, the erection of two additional family houses is planned for 2005. Youths who have already outgrown the SOS Children's Village, move to the SOS Youth Homes in Békéscaba and Szeged. They stay there during their vocational training or higher education and prepare themselves for an independent life. Two additional family houses and a child development centre are currently under construction.

Background to Battonya

Battonya is a small rural town with approximately 7,500 inhabitants, situated on the Hungarian lowland plain, about 5 kilometres from the Romanian border.