Figure 1.--Here we see Sweden's Princess Lillian visiiting a SOS Children's village in Lithuania. The little boy is a little shy, but is veing nudged forward with his little boquet. The photograph is undated but was probanly taken sometime in the 2010s. Lithuania voted to leave the Soviet Union (1991) and as a result the country's economy grew very strongly for about two decades. It was, however, hard hit by the 2008 economic crisis and a range of social issues, including children whose parents could not care for them. The country is slowly recovering, but still has serious problems.

SOS literature stresses that one person can make a difference. Working together we make lasting changes. Hermann Gmeiner, a child welfare worker, in the aftermath of World War II, founded SOS Children's Villages on a shoestring. The first SOS Children’s Village was founded by Hermann Gmeiner in Tyrol, Austria, (1949). As a child welfare worker, Gmeiner saw how children orphaned as a result of World War II suffered. He was committed to helping them by building loving families and supportive communities. With the generous support of donors, child sponsors, partners and friends, Gmeiner's vision of providing loving care in a family environment for children without parental care, and of helping families stay together so they can care for their children, has grown steadily over six decades. Today, SOS Children's Villages is active in 135 countries and territories around the world, helping hundreds of thousands of children each year through alternative care, family strengthening, schools, health centres, and other community-based work.

Created: 10:40 PM 2/19/2018
Last updated: 10:41 PM 2/19/2018