SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country
First relations between SOS-Kinderdorf International and the Uzbek government were started in 1996. The country had been independent from the Soviet Union since 1991 and catastrophic social and economic conditions were prevailing. The existing orphanages were falling apart. Therefore, SOS-Kinderdorf International made the decision to take Hermann Gmeiner’s idea to Uzbekistan and to build an SOS Children’s Village in the capital Tashkent.
The first mothers and children were able to move into SOS Children’s Village Tashkent in November 2000 and the attached SOS Kindergarten also went into operation at the same time. In spring 2007 SOS Children’s Villages Uzbekistan started to operate Family Strengthening Programmes, which enable children who are at risk of losing the care of their family to grow within a caring family environment. To achieve this, SOS Children’s Villages Uzbekistan works directly with families and communities to empower them to effectively protect and care for their children, in cooperation with local authorities and other service providers.
At present there are two SOS Children’s Villages, one SOS Youth Facility, one SOS Kindergarten and two SOS Social Centres in Uzbekistan.
Website of SOS Children's Villages Uzbekistan
(available in uzbekian)