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| There is one SOS Children's Village in Fukuoka, Japan |
June 10, 2010: Up to 25 at-risk children will find new, loving homes in SOS Children's Villages-Fukuoka, the first SOS Children's Village in Japan. The village was dedicated in late April by Fukuoka's mayor. Inside the village, five family houses will be run by professionally trained SOS mothers eager to give vulnerable children a new start in life. Three SOS mothers are already in the new homes caring for children.
The new SOS Children's Village sits on the northern shore of Kyushu, an island northeast of Okinawa. The Village is in Fukuoka, the capital of Fukuoka Prefecture and Japan's largest city west of Osaka.
Japan is perceived as a well-off country with a tradition of strong family ties. But modern-day economic and social pressures have taken a toll on some households. About 40,000 Japanese children are in protective custody due to abuse and other factors. Of these children, 90 percent live in infant homes and orphanages. SOS family-based care will provide an alternative for Japanese children in need of loving, stable homes.
Japanese Princess Visiting SOS-South Africa Village During World Cup
Now that Japan has joined the SOS family, it seems natural that Princess Takamado, a member of the Imperial Household, will be visiting SOS Children's Villages at Rustenburg, South Africa, during the 2010 World Cup. The visit will take place on June 24 in the run-up to the Japan-Denmark match. With the princess will be high-level political representatives from Japan and South Africa.
Princess Takamado will be honoring SOS-Rustenburg, known as a 2006 World Cup Village. The SOS Children's Village at Rustenburg is one of six Children's Villages -- the others are in Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, Vietnam, and Ukraine -- that were built with funds raised by FIFA and SOS during their joint "6 Villages for 2006" campaign, the official charity project of the 2006 World Cup Germany.
SOS Has a Longtime Presence in Asia
Although SOS Children's Villages is new to Japan, the organization opened its first Village in the region, in South Korea, in 1965. SOS now raises needy children in 16 countries throughout South, Southeast, and East Asia.
Asia is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and landslides wipe out families and destroy homes and livelihoods, producing numerous disaster orphans every year.
SOS is on the ground to help children who have lost everything dear to them. Help us give a young girl or boy a warm home and hope for a better life. Make a donation to support SOS Children's Villages.
