Mthatha Village

Situated in the rural province of the Eastern Cape, Mthatha was built on a former farm about 3 km outside of Mthatha in 1995. It consists of 15 family houses and an SOS Kindergarten in the Village, as well as a clinic and a Hermann Gmeiner Primary School - the only SOS school in South Africa.

The Mthatha Village is home to 141 children who live in the family homes with an SOS mother. This is a secure setting, filled with the love that comes from growing up with a loving mother, brothers and sisters. This security is especially important in a province that historically has been disadvantaged and impoverished.

Because of the lack of infrastructure in the area, a decision was taken to build an SOS Hermann Gmeiner Primary School, which serves not only the Village children but also children from the surrounding community of Mthatha. A clinic was also opened to serve the greater community in 1997.

The SOS Kindergarten provides pre-school education to children from the Village and the surrounding community. Children learn basic literacy and numeracy, and the skills needed to cope with the routine and discipline of "big school".

The Family Strengthening Programme works in a wide rural community, providing essential support to families affected by HIV & AIDS. This support includes material aid (food parcels), skills development and income generating activities to build the long term self-reliance of families.