While addressing the audience, the President of Latvia has pointed out that every child is crucial and necessary for Latvia. We wish children to grow up in loving families so that the child becomes a personality and a patriot of our country in the family. Investing in children is one of the most important contributions of the society. The President of Latvia thanked the supporters of SOS Children’s Villages for the time and money vested by indicating that they could choose any other charitable purpose, but they chose the children in particular.
First Lady of Latvia Iveta Vējone stressed, “It is a great honour and privilege for me to be a patroness of the SOS Children’s Villages. It has allowed me to witness so many beautiful events. Every time I visit SOS Children’s Villages, I see how SOS mothers help the children to heal their traumatic experiences and how children get a loving environment and make safe relationships. Thank you, because your support to the SOS Children’s Villages presented childhood to those children!”
During the event, President of SOS Children’s Villages International Mr Siddhartha Kaul and Chairperson of the Council of SOS Children’s Villages Latvia Mr Kārlis Danēvičs welcomed the audience as well.
The Latvian Association of SOS Children’s Villages is a non-governmental organisation that has been developing and supporting SOS families for children left without parental care for more than 20 years. At present, over 130 children and young people are growing in 26 SOS families. Most of the SOS families live in two SOS children’s villages located in Īslīce and Valmiera, while two SOS families live outside the villages in Iecava. Jelgava is home to the SOS Youth Centre, where 14 young people under the age of 24 live needing the support for starting their own life. There are also three SOS Family Support Centres in Latvia - in Riga, Bauska, and Valmiera, where experts are working with families with children under social risk.
