June 23rd has always been an opportunity for SOS Children’s Villages in Benin to officially celebrate the memory of the funder of our organization, Dr Hermann Gmeiner. In fact, Dr Hermann Gmeiner who created the concept of SOS Children’s Village in 1949 was born in Vorarlberg (Austria) on 23rd June 1919.

As part of this celebration, SOS Children’s Villages in Benin launched a fundraising campaign called “2 Houses for 2008” throughout the country to raise funds for the construction of two additional SOS family houses in SOS Children’s Villages Natitingou on June 23rd 2008.

The population of the department of Atakora, where the town of Natitingou is situated, is 549, 417 including 270,504 men and 278,913 women. Atakora is one of the poorest regions of Benin. Children are affected by this situation. Today, 99 children, including 66 boys and 33 girls, live in SOS Children’s Village Natitingou. Every year, there are at least 80 requests for admission of children in need. Unfortunately, in the SOS Children’s Village Natitingou that has only ten SOS family houses, it is not possible to cater for all these needy children. There are at most four to six places available in the SOS village of Natitingou every year. With this project, our organization intends to increase the number of children in the SOS village of Natitingou. Each new family house will give home to ten children in need. For the construction of each family house, 35,000,000 CFA F are needed.

The campaign will be led throughout the country from June 23rd to September 23rd 2008. Letters, leaflets and the detailed project will be submitted to potential donors.

Ladies and gentlemen,

You are kindly requested to contribute to the construction of the two additional SOS family houses! Your contribution will enable our organization to create families for more children in need and to help these children shape their own future. Your donation, whatever may its amount be, is welcome. You can call us to come to collect your donation, you can make a bank transfer (Account n° 10001740003105 Association des Villages d’Enfants SOS Bénin – Recettes Locales in ECO BANK COTONOU) or you can put the money in our collection boxes that are placed in the following supermarkets or organizations in COTONOU:
- Supermarché la Championne,
- Fondation ZINSOU,
- Banque Internationale du Bénin (JERICHO),
- Hôtel du PORT,
- Hôtel Résidences Céline,
- Pharmacie Haie Vive,
- Librairie Notre Dame,
- African Investment Bank,
- Pharmacie Dantokpa,
- Librairie SONAEC.

For additional information, please feel free to contact us:
Villages d’Enfants SOS au Bénin
E-mail : info@sosvillagesenfantsbenin.org
Tel : +229 21 36 07 12
         +229 21 36 00 68
         +229 23 82 23 61
         +229 22 53 07 50