The official opening of SOS Children’s Villages Cape Town in 1996 was led by Nelson Mandela, marking the beginning of three decades of providing vulnerable children with a safe and loving home.
Thirty years ago, SOS Children’s Villages opened its doors to the Thornton community in Cape Town.
Officially opened by the late former president Nelson Mandela in 1996, the village reflected the organisation’s commitment to providing children and young people with a safe, loving home. At the dawn of democracy, it became the first SOS Children’s Village where SOS mothers and children from different racial backgrounds could live together under one roof.
The SOS Children’s Villages Cape Town marks its 30th anniversary, celebrating three decades of providing alternative care, community family empowerment and child protection services to children and young people.
“As we know, the primary responsibility to care for children is the biological parents of every child. Child and Youth Care Centres like the Cape Town village close the gap where children have lost parental care,” said Nqabakazi Gina, National Director of SOS Children’s Villages South Africa.
