Other community work in Mthatha
Since SOS Children's Village Mthatha opened its gates in 1997, the work has continued to expand. Today, SOS Children's Villages is not only caring for children in need, but is also providing invaluable support and offering hope to local families and communities through a number of facilities and programmes.
The SOS Kindergarten consists of five group rooms and a playground and offers pre-school education to up to 125 children. An SOS Hermann Gmeiner Primary School was established in 1999. It consists of fourteen classrooms, three laboratories, a library and a computer room and has a capacity of up to 490 pupils.
In order to meet the needs of the growing number of youths who had outgrown the SOS Children's Village, an SOS Youth Facility was established in 2001; there up to 20 youths can stay during higher education or vocational training and prepare for their independent lives.
Since 2002, an SOS Social Centre has been co-ordinating an HIV/AIDS community-based child care and support programme. Families affected by HIV/AIDS receive material and medical support, education and counselling, and they are supported with income-generating activities. Moreover, HIV/AIDS awareness is raised and prevention campaigns are organised.