SOS Chatnath >> About >> General Information  
   
 

~About the Village

The SOS Children’s Village, Chatnath Homes complex spreads over 5 acres and provides the best of natural and modern amenities. A family home has adequate sleeping accommodations for the children and mother, as well as a living room, kitchen, and garden. SOS children grow up in a typical family environment of daily routines, birthdays, marriages, and festivals.
  The mother nurtures the family according to her lifestyle, ethics, and religion, so that each home develops a family identity of its own. The Village Director serves as the administrative head as well as the father figure and guardian to the children. While boys are moved out to the youth house at the age of 14, girls stay at the village until at least the age of 18, when they will seek higher education, employment opportunities, or marriage outside of the village.   Read About:  
Children
Mothers
Facilities
Youth House
Special Features
 

 
          Although most children pursue independent lives                            integrated into society after they leave Chatnath homes, their ties and bonds with their mother, brother, and sisters remains for a lifetime.

The Children:

     The children are brought home to the village from the Chennai and its suburbs after loosing parents to disease, catastrophic accidents, or abandonment. Here, girls and boys of differing ages grow up together like brothers and sisters in a natural family. Village children are usually only accepted up to the age of five unless there are natural brothers and sisters involved, in which case they could be older. Siblings are not separated, and grow up withinthe same household. Once they have joined this community, children cannot be adopted from the village.    << Back to Top>>

 

  
 

Sisters form a special bond.

 

  

Children enjoy the use of two playgrounds.

  

Christian children celebrate first communion.

  
The Mothers:  

SOS Mothers make an effort of exposing their children to areas beyond the village.

 

Upon entry to the Village, each child is given to a ‘mother’ who will become the child’s main caretaker and substitute for natural parents. The mother is usually an unmarried or widowed woman between the age of 25- 30 who is given training, facilities, and means to nurture the SOS family. The training process takes an average of 3-4 years to assure that the mother is suited to raising a family of her own. From within each household, the mother organizes the family's daily life, and creates strong and dependable relationships that give the children a safe and loving home. Each mother is supported in her highly responsible task by educational co-workers and women who are still training to be SOS Children's Village mothers. The Director of the Village serves as the father figure and administrative head in assisting the mother with the children. To read mothers' bios, click here.                          << Back to Top>>

 

The Montessori-style primary school welcomes children from outside communities to learn with SOS children.

 

Village Facilities:

Along with the 15 houses arranged in units of 5, the village facilities account for all needs in a child’s life. An on-site medical center, primary school, community center, and temple provide for the health, education, social, and religious well being of all community members. The village structure stresses on an environmentally friendly and traditional lifestyle to provide children with a feeling of social responsibility, cultural integrity, and belonging. It promotes the integration of the children into neighboring Tambaram communities through outside activities and open use of the temple, medical center, and school. To visit the village map, click here. << Back to Top >>

 

Youth House:

Boys remain in their village families until the age of 14 when they relocate to a youth house a few kilometers away to pursue their studies. The youth house in charge serves as a role model for the 10-12 boys living together in the house, and encourages the boys to stay in close contact with their families through weekly visits and festival celebrations. << Back to Top>>

Special Features:

While all SOS Children’s Villages follow a similar model, each one presents unique features to the SOS community.
 

Four committee members meet with the mothers every Tuesday.

 

Administrative Support

The board of trustees and general committee takes special care to communicate and interact regularly with village mothers, students, and staff. From helping young determine their course of study, to finding a suitable marriage partner, to addressing dietary needs, professional aspirations, and the general wellbeing of all community members, their involvement in village life is essential. Every Tuesday, a nutritionist, psychologist, and both founding trustees spend the morning at the village.

Supporting Mothers Program:

Because SOS believes that orphaned children are not the only ones in need, they have started a program to support single mothers raising children in destitute situations in the villages surrounding Chatnath Homes. Each of the women on the program receives Rs. 500/ month per child for academic expenses. Regular meetings with the mother on behalf of an SOS counselor ensures that each mother is using the funds responsibly and learning how to better care for her child.

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