SOS Children's Villages History 

SOS Children’s Villages started in 1949 in Imst, Austria, to provide orphaned and abandoned children with a loving family, a home, and a supportive community in which to grow. The organization was created after World War II, in response to the high number of children left without parental care after World War II to ensure that every child grows up with love, respect, and belonging. The initial focus was on providing alternative care to institutional care, offering children a family-like setting with a mother, siblings, and a village environment.  

In Burundi, SOS Children’s Villages was established in 1979 with the creation of the 1st Village and a KG in Gitega. Since then, SOS Children's Villages is present in 5 programme locations of the country including Gitega (1979), Bujumbura (1985), Muyinga (1994), Rutana (2001) and Cibitoke (2009).    

Today, SOS Children’s Villages works in more than 130 countries and territories, running over 550 SOS Children’s Villages and more than 1,500 programmes that support children, young people, families and communities. These include kindergartens, schools, social and medical centres, and emergency response initiatives; all designed to strengthen families and ensure children can grow up in a safe and nurturing environment.