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Middle Elementary
South Africa
SOS Children’s Villages
Day 21

Today was a very meaningful day. Today, we learned a new meaning of ‘family’ and that ‘family’ can mean many things for different people.

The ProjectExplorer team was invited to visit SOS Children’s Village. The village is an orphanage that cares for school-age children. SOS also helps people living in the townships that may need help raising children.

Before we went there, we visited the township of Langa. The families we met each have suffered a family loss due to HIV/AIDS. We visited a kind and joyful woman named Oma who lost her daughter to AIDS. Oma welcomed us into her home and told us that she now has the responsibility of raising her grandchildren. Many grandparents, aunts and uncles, and even older brothers and sisters often are left to take care of orphaned children due to the death of parents from AIDS.

Oma was very generous and shared her hopes for the future of South Africa. SOS helps Oma by matching the money she makes at her job. This provides her with enough money to care for her grandchildren.

We left Langa to go to the SOS Children’s Village. Our host for the day, Paul, introduced us to two homes in the community. Each home in the SOS Village has space for up to eight children, one house mother, and one assistant mother. In the first house we visited, we were taken around by Moses, a young boy who showed us his room and the rooms of his house brothers and sisters. Thanks to him we had a very good tour.

The best part about the village is that each house has worked very hard to create a family for everyone living in it. They even do family events like playing sports, or volunteering to help people. It is clear that these are strong families that support each member, even though they are not technically related. With support like that, I am sure that the people living at SOS can grow up to do great things for the future of South Africa and the world.

I am very concerned about HIV/AIDS. In some parts of South Africa, 1 in every 5 people is living with HIV/AIDS. To better help me understand the worldwide issue, we have some expert advice from Dr. Johnston in New York City. Please watch the video below to learn more about HIV/AIDS because it effects the entire world.

Facts you should know about HIV & AIDS