Sanothimi

Children playing outside in SOS Children Village Sanothimi (photo: SOS archives).

SOS Children’s Village Sanothimi is located just ten kilometres from the centre of Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital city. It was the first children’s village in Nepal and has been supporting vulnerable children and families for four decades now. Kathmandu is located in the Himalayas at an altitude of around 1,300 metres in Kathmandu Valley and has a population of just over one million, with 1.7 million living in Kathmandu district.

The region is the economic heart of the country. Whereas once internally displaced people came here by the thousands in search of safety, today the city continues to attract people from impoverished and underdeveloped rural areas. This rapid population growth has put incredible strain on the existing infrastructure in Kathmandu and also poses a threat to the ecosystems of the valley. Rivers are becoming polluted due to the lack of sewerage and wastewater treatment systems, which in turn endangers the health of the local population.

Informal settlements characterised by substandard housing are expanding on the outskirts of the city. Land is cheaper here and no building permits are needed, so many migrants buy a plot in these semi-rural areas. Infrastructure such as water supply and sanitation are not available here, nor is road access.

Children growing up in these circumstances are often denied their basic rights. When parents struggle to make ends meet, the care and attention they are able to devote to their children is often inadequate.

SOS Children’s Village Sanothimi is located just ten kilometres from the centre of Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital city. It was the first children’s village in Nepal and has been supporting vulnerable children and families for four decades now.
 

Our support has helped this little boy and his aunt re-build their lives after the 2015 earthquake (photo: S. Lee).

Strengthen families: We provide assistance so that families can stay together and the children grow up in a safe environment. We also assist families with food, medical treatment or with repairing their homes where needed

Care in SOS families: For children from Kathmandu Valley whose families can no longer take care of them, 16 SOS families can provide a loving home. In each family the children live with their brothers and sisters, affectionately cared for by their SOS mother.

Support for young people: Once the children reach adolescence, they usually move on to the SOS Youth Programme when they start vocational training or go on to higher education. With the support of qualified professionals, the young people develop perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions.

Education: Children attend the SOS Hermann Gmeiner School, where they are taught together with children from local families, which helps them become part of the community. The school offers primary and secondary education for 840 pupils.
Young adults also have the option of attending the SOS Vocational Training Centre, where courses in ceramics are offered. The skills acquired during the six-month course enable the students to generate an income and provide for themselves.

Emergency relief: After the strong earthquake caused widespread damage and suffering, SOS Children’s Villages co-workers from SOS Children’s Village Sanothimi offered emergency help – in the form of food, first aid, water and shelter – to local families in need. We also set up Child Friendly Spaces which provided food and day care for children.