Namibia
– October 30 2024
A childhood to be thankful for: Josefina’s story
At just two years old, Josefina’s life was irrevocably changed by a devastating act of domestic violence.
After her father fatally attacked her mother, he was incarcerated, leaving Josefina and her older sister grief-stricken and completely alone—without the love and protection of a parent.
The girls went to live with their great-grandmother, who—despite her loving intentions—couldn’t keep up with the physical demands of raising two young children.
That’s when a social worker connected with the family and brought the girls to SOS Children’s Villages in Namibia.
At first, Josefina was shy and uncertain about her new surroundings, hesitant to trust her new family. But with the patient care of her SOS Mother and comforting presence of her older sister, Josefina relaxed into her new home and confidently embraced her future. She found joy in her new life—attending school, playing outside and enjoying family dinners.
And as she grew older, Josefina thrived. She played sports, practiced art and went on weekend trips with her SOS family to swimming pools, museums, and even the beach in Swakopmund, a city on the western coast of Namibia.
“I loved my SOS family,” Josefina remembers. “I never slept hungry. I loved writing thank you letters to my sponsors and communicating with them. I enjoyed holiday trips, movie nights, talent shows, dances—everything we did strengthened our bond as brothers and sisters.”
When she finished school, Josefina went to live with her older sister, and—with the ongoing support and counseling of SOS Children’s Villages—made a smooth transition into adulthood. SOS helped her develop the skills she needed for her future, and through her sponsor’s donations to her Independence Fund, she accessed crucial resources that provided her with the training she needed to build a successful career and thriving life.
Now 38 years old, Josefina is a proud mother of three and works at an auto manufacturing company. She passes down the same values of love, patience and generosity to her children that she learned from her SOS family.
Because of the generosity of people like you, Josefina had the strong foundation of a safe, loving family to build a brighter future for herself—and her children.
“I might not have known my birth mom or felt her kisses and her love, but I got the best of everything at SOS Children’s Villages,” Josefina said. “We called our SOS Mothers ‘mom’. Their love stays forever in our hearts, and our bond will never be broken.”
As a compassionate child supporter and advocate, you help children build a future full of hope, love and success.
“Thank you to all the sponsors, donors and SOS staff for loving and caring for us,” Josefina said. “Your love, dedication and work are not going unnoticed. Thank you on behalf of all the SOS kids who have already left SOS Children’s Villages and the ones still there.”
Your love matters to the world’s most vulnerable children. With a donation, child sponsorship or life-changing gift from our Gift Shop, you can send love to the children who need it most and impact lives for generations.
Because love matters.