Child Sponsorship Background from Vientiane, Laos

SOS Children's Village Vientiane

SOS Children's Village Vientiane is situated about 6 km from the centre of the capital, Vientiane, and only 25 km from the border crossing to Thailand.

Vientiane lies on the river Mekong, exactly opposite the Thai border town of Nongkhai where SOS established an SOS Children's Village in 1993. In the vicinity of SOS Children's Village Vientiane, there are several primary schools and a market. The children are brought up in the Buddhist tradition of the country.

The SOS Children's Village consists of family homes, accommodation for co-workers and the necessary administrative buildings. 

Other SOS Projects in Vientiane

There is an SOS Nursery School where children can be taken care of.

An SOS School provides primary and secondary education to students. It has classrooms, laboratories, a library, an administration and service area, and a canteen. Both nursery school and school are attended by children from the SOS Children's Village and from the local community.

Older children from the SOS Children's Village normally move to the SOS Youth Home when they start a vocational training course or go on to higher education.

With the support of qualified youth workers, they develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions. They are encouraged to develop team spirit and build up contacts with relatives and friends, as well as with the relevant authorities and potential employers.

Background to Vientiane

Vientiane is the capital city of Laos, situated in the Mekong Valley.  It is also Laos's largest city. The estimated population of the city is over 200,000, while the number of people living in the Vientiane metropolitan area is much higher.  Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.