In 1982, the fourth Finnish SOS Children's Village was opened at Vihanti, a small community in northern Finland. Vihanti has about 4000 inhabitants, and it is located approximately 600 kilometres north of Helsinki and 75 kilometres south of the city of Oulu.
The SOS Children's Village of Vihanti is situated on the edge of the town Vihanti and is surrounded by beautiful pine woods. The Children's Village has a playground and a sports field which offer children of various ages good possibilities for different activities. There are seven idyllic wooden houses, which are painted red, and the Community House is the centre of the SOS Children's Village. In addition to the office and a laundry, the Community House also contains leisure facilities and is often used for a cosy get-together. Each of the seven family houses has its own Sauna. The Village Director and the other co-workers live in semi-detached houses.
The secondary school and the high school are located very close to the SOS Children's Village. The nearby cities offer several options for higher education. Each youth is given a chance to acquire a profession. Growing up together and walking in the forests are an essential part of the educational work in the village. Skiing, fishing and playing in the nature combined with various other acitivities give the children belief in their own talents.