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| SOS Children's Village-Ondangwa Village Director Haufiku Serbaber |
June 9, 2011: As Father Day approaches, SOS honors Haufiku Serbaber, Director of the
SOS Children’s Village in Ondangwa -- one of three SOS Villages in Namibia, a country in southwest Africa that lies on the Atlantic Ocean.
Although SOS Mothers are at the heart of the SOS model of family-based care, dedicated SOS Village Directors like Serbaber are often what makes an SOS Village tick behind the scenes.
Serbaber, a family man with three sons of his own, lives in the SOS Village and is available 24/7 to respond to crises. He makes sure the village runs smoothly, guiding village staff with one goal in mind -- working in the best interests of children. His job is not easy. He is accountable for the children’s development and for effective management, including finances and human resources.
But he describes the opportunity of working with children as a blessing. “I grabbed it with both hands!” he says of the opportunity of becoming part of SOS Children's Villages.
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| Children from SOS Children's Villages Namibia |
Committed to the Well-Being of Children
A humble man, Serbaber admits that his role as Village Director, which he assumed two and a half years ago, continues to require intensive training and reliance on SOS-Namibia’s national office. He takes his responsibilities seriously and strives to live up to the expectations of everyone involved with SOS-Ondangwa—the national association, the community, and most of all, the children. One of the strengths he brings to the job is modesty.
“I am a peaceful and friendly man,” he says. “I believe that my calm nature and passion for children are my greatest assets as Village Director.”
Available to the Whole Village to Do Whatever It Takes
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| Group of SOS children at SOS-Ondangwa |
Serbaber enjoys being a father figure, a role he played within his own family. These days, he is father to all the SOS families in the village. Being a village director is not a job, he says. “It’s a very wonderful way of life where I am able to make a difference in others’ lives every day.”
Like a normal father, on some days Serbaber drives the children to school and on others he repairs the playground. He also helps out with challenging situations the SOS mothers sometimes face with children. Working with people can be difficult, he acknowledges, but he welcomes challenges because he believes they make one stronger.
Sponsor an SOS child in Namibia, where the world’s highest rate of HIV/AIDS prevalence (one in five adults) has left so many children without parents.
