October 7 2004
Prime Minister opens second Children's Village in Cape Verde
07/10/2004 - On 5 October, Prime Minister José Maria Neves opened the second SOS Children's Village in the Cape Verde, an island state on the west coast of Africa, together with numerous guests. The new village is located in São Domingos, near the capital city Praia, and it will be home to some 80 children.
The minister for co-operation and development aid in Luxembourg, Jean-Louis Schiltz, and the Vice President of SOS-Kinderdorf International, Barbara François, joined Prime Minister José Maria Neves in the celebration.
In his speech, Prime Minister Neves thanked the state of Luxembourg and the Luxembourg SOS Children's Village Association SOS-Interfonds in the name of Cape Verde for their great support in fighting against poverty, promoting education and further education, and in the care of orphaned and abandoned children. Luxembourg and the SOS-Interfonds took over most of the financing of the São Domingos SOS Children's Village, and the rest of the funding came from German donors.
The second SOS Children's Village in Cape Verde went into operation a year ago and has now been officially opened. Eighty children from different parts of the country will be living in eight family houses. The Sao Domingos SOS Children's Village facilities include a kindergarden, which will also be open to children from the surroundings, and sports grounds.
SOS Children's Villages has been active in Cape Verde for exactly twenty years, almost to the day. The first SOS Children's Village in Cape Verde, which was opened in Assomada on 4 October 1984, has ten family houses and 91 children are being cared for there. The SOS Kindergarden is the only one in Assomada, and is also open to children from the surroundings.