Strengthen families

 Families come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. What truly matters is that children and young people have a sense of belonging, of being surrounded and supported by individuals who care for them, whom they can rely on and trust, who believe in them, and who are available when they need someone the most. A nurturing and trustworthy relationship is the cornerstone of the kind of family environment we envision for every child and young person. 

We work directly with families who are at risk of breaking down to ensure that they have the support they need to provide their children with these stong bonds. We work with communities, local municipalities and national governments to implement measures that prevent children and young people from losing parental care and that strengthen and stabilize families, including during emergencies. We develop trainings and resources that are available to the wider public beyond those we reach directly, and we conduct research to further inform our own work as well as policymaking and practice.

 

 

How we help families stay together

In our direct work with families and extended families, we offer a range of services, such as:

  • Livelihood support
  • Parenting workshops
  • Psychological counselling
  • Family counselling to resolve issues
  • Support in accessing social & health care services
  • Providing parents with entrepreneurship and vocational training to help them become financially independent and create a stable home
  • Access to education, including covering for school fees, uniforms, learning materials, tutoring and after-school help
Working with communities

We work with communities to strengthen existing social networks and structures. Our response is always locally led and also aims to tackle gender norms and stigmas surrounding struggling or single-parent families wherever necessary. Our overarching goal is to raise awareness about the need for family support services in every country, and we partner with local and national governments to achieve this – for example, by advocating for the legal recognition of prevention services.

News and stories 

“The support that I received was an avenue towards independence and self-reliance. I could sense a glimmer of light to provide a better life for my daughter and pay the loan that I took for my husband’s treatment,” says Samjhana.

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SOS Children’s Village Dhangadhi launched a programme to help families during COVID-19 pandemic. It aimed to improve the lives of those affected by the pandemic and lockdown, ensuring basic needs for children and families. With the support, Ram opened a stationery shop and changed his plans from going abroad to wanting to work in his own country.

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