SOS Children's Village Jakarta is situated at Cibubur, on the outskirts of Jakarta. Jakarta is not only Indonesia's capital, but also its largest city. Like many urban areas in developing countries, Jakarta has to cope with strong social problems, such as poverty, unemployment or homelessness. When their families live under bad conditions, children often suffer most. SOS Children's Village Jakarta was built on a three-hectare site and officially inaugurated by SOS-Children's Villages' founder Herrmann Gmeiner on 14 March 1984. It consists of 15 family houses, the village director's house, an aunts' house (aunts are family helpers who support the SOS mothers), a community house, a garage with a workshop and an administrative and service area. Up to 150 orphaned or abandoned children can find a new home there.
The SOS Children's Village also has a library with a computer laboratory, a playground and a sports field where children can have fun. At the entrance to the SOS Children's Village, a traditional assembly hall was erected in 1993. This open hall, called a 'pendopo' in Indonesian, is used for all kinds of assemblies, parties, dancing and even sports events.
There is also an SOS Kindergarten, which is attended both by SOS children and by children from the neighbourhood. It offers day-care for up to 90 children. The older children attend private or state elementary and secondary schools.
Adolescent boys usually move from the village to the youth facility 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.
The SOS Social Centre offers family strengthening, health counselling, community support, counselling and psychological support. The programmes are designed to ensure that children have access to essential services, such as education, health services and psycho-social support. Families are assisted with income generation. They also receive help when dealing with the authorities. People's parental skills and awareness of children's rights are improved.