SOS Children’s Villages International Director for West and Central Africa Regionhas emphasized the need for SOS Liberia to collaborate with like-minded organizations to support children and families as government struggles to address numerous challenges.
At a meeting with the SOS Children’s Villages Liberia National Office staff, Mr. Benoit Piot said collaboration was the key to sustainability and empowerment. Working together is key to development and it should be a priorities for all. “You cannot achieve more when you are working in isolation. Work as a team to impact the lives of many more children,” says Mr. Piot.
Commenting on empowerment, Mr. Piot noted that SOS Liberia should focus on the specific need of an individual and develop their capacity. “Let build the self-esteem of young people, we should not focus only on academic,” he added. He urged SOS Liberia to build the capacity of programme participants and coworkers.
He noted that sustainability and empowerment are priorities for SOS Children’s Villages, therefore all those who are involved in SOS Children’s Villages programmes should be empower. He maintained that for SOS to achieve the 2030 goals the necessary actions and steps should be taken. He added “join forces as well as partner with UNICEF and others.
SOS Children’s Villages Liberia National Director, Mr. Augustine Allieu assured Mr. Piot and Dr. Bada of SOS Liberia’s increased commitment to youth, families and staff empowerment. SOS Liberia is supporting children, youth as well as family. “I have reached out to PLAN and Save the Children as members of the joining forces together: child rights now! We will collaborate to advocate for children.”
Mr. Allieu pledged to extend partnership to other organizations, including UNICEF and European Union delegation to Liberia. He thanked the SOS International guests for the visit and assured them that SOS Liberia will exert all efforts to achieve the organization 2030 goals. He said although there are challenges, yet there are opportunities.
Mr. Piot and Dr. AmaviBada, SOS Children’s Villages International Representative for Banjul Cluster were on three-day working visit to Liberia. The visitation came as a result of a courtesy call from SOS Liberia’s National Director.
While in the country, Mr. Piot and Dr. Amavi Badameet some of SOS Liberia’s programme participants and staff. The team also visited the SOS Liberia Juah Town Programme in Grand Bassa County as part of their mission to assess the organization’s work and have first-hand experience of some of the challenges.
Speaking to some staff in SOS Children’s Village Juah Town, Mr. Piot said “it is very important that you feel comfortable doing your work. I guess you are fine, however we are here to discuss some of the challenges.” He thanked the caregivers for the level of work and support to the organisation.
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On his part, Dr. Bada extend his gratitude to caregivers. “I am glad with the level of work done so far. Your sacrifices cannot go unnoticed,” he noted. Dr. at the same time urged SOS Liberia staff to be innovative. Noting that innovation is significant to development programming. “Use community base approach to effect change,” says Dr. Bada.
The visitation sets the platform for staff and young people to interact with the visiting the guest. The young people used the occasion to appreciate SOS for the level of support and pleaded for more support.
“Through the support of SOS every one of us are in high schools and universities, however many of us lack computer skills. We would like to be empower with computer skills and other relevant skills,” said one of the youth on behalf of his colleagues.
SOS Children’s Villages Liberia is impacting lives through Innovate Alternative Child Care, Family strengthening, Advocacy. SOS Children’s Villages Liberia also provides direct educational, health and psychosocial support to target group.
SOS Children’s Villages Liberia is currently working in 43 communities to empower caregivers through income generation activities. The organization is reaching out to many more children through its Hospital on Wheels (HOW) project.
It can be recalled SOS Children’s Villages Liberia recently launched its first Community-Based Health Outreach program known as Hospital on the wheel (HOW) project. The project seeks to benefit over 11,000 disadvantaged. The goal is to make available quality healthcare services to the most vulnerable communities in Monrovia.
SOS Children’s Villages is working in 136 countries and territories. SOS Children’s Villages was founded 1949 and started operation in Liberia 1981. –Press release
