The SOS Children's Village in Pondicherry is home to 142 children - Photo: Dominic Sansoni

February 16, 2010: In a fishing village in southern India whose shoreline was wiped out by the tsunami of December 26, 2004, children who lost their families and homes are now playing chess in their leisure time, sometimes with their SOS mothers. The peaceful scene, taking place at the SOS Children's Village in Nagapattinam, 180 miles south of the Indian city of Chennai, would have been unimaginable just a few years ago.

The terrible tsunami, which killed 300,000 people in Indonesia and India, left areas of southern India in complete chaos. Fortunately, SOS Children's Villages, which has been raising vulnerable children in India for forty years, was on the ground and immediately ready to help with food and shelter.

Today, fishermen in nearby Pondicherry who found themselves without boats, nets, or homes are once more trawling the bay. Working with other NGOs, SOS Children's Villages played an important role in rebuilding the livelihoods of local families.

SOS's temporary relief centers in India proved so effective in meeting local need that they became permanent SOS Children's Villages. Known as the "tsunami villages," they are SOS-Pondicherry, which opened in January 2009 and is home to 142 children; and SOS-Nagapattinam, which was dedicated in January 2010 and cares for 102 children. Both lie on India's southeast coast on the Bay of Bengal.

Finding Stability, Solace, and Love after Unspeakable Loss

Daily family life at the SOS Children's Village in Pondicherry - Photo: Dominic Sansoni

After a morning attending neighbourhood schools, the children at SOS-Nagapattinam go home to their new life: a warm and loving SOS mother, SOS siblings, and a supportive community that will nurture them for life.

Children who have been traumatized by disaster need special care. They need to be surrounded by adults with the sensitivity and training that, over time, will help them cope with the trauma they experienced at a young age. SOS mothers offer this unique understanding.

Besides chess, the children at SOS-Nagapattinam enjoy a host of activities that are helping them come to terms with their changed lives. Dance, music, and yoga all provide healthy outlets. And since 2005, SOS has been training children from vulnerable area families in handicrafts and boat repair.

Transforming Tragedy into Hope

Photo: Dominic Sansoni

Arthi and Saranya, residing in SOS-Pondicherry, lost their families to the tsunami. The special care they receive in the SOS Village has brought out their talents, which include dancing. "I love Bharatnatyam, the classical dance form," says Arthi, who wants to become a doctor. Saranya dreams of being a teacher.

You can bring hope to children like Arthi and Saranya living in a corner of southern India-or anywhere else where disaster has struck. Sponsor a disaster orphan today.