Child Sponsorship background from Juiz de Fora, Brazil

SOS Children's Village Juiz de Fora

SOS Children's Village Juiz de Fora was opened in September 1980. Built in the suburb of Grama, it is a short way out of the city. Around 100 children have found a new home in the Village, and the site also hosts the village director's house, a house for the so-called 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), and an administration and service area.

Other SOS Projects in Juiz de Fora

An SOS Youth Home in the city centre accommodates young people 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.

SOS Children's Village Juiz de Fora runs an SOS Social Centre, which offers full day-care for up to many hundreds of pre-school children. In addition, there is an SOS Primary School, where hundreds of children can be taught.

Background to Juiz de Fora

Juiz de Fora has a population of over 500,000.  It is located in the southeast of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.  It is close to the state border with Rio de Janeiro.  It is a focus for economic growth between three famous cities in the south east of Brazil; Rio de Janeiro (189 km), Belo Horizonte (260 km) and São Paulo (486 km).