SOS Children Village in Tabanan

The orphans at SOS Village in Tabanan are so respectful, and so eager to learn!



SOS is a large international organization, working in some 28 countries, with its mission being to help children. Headquartered out of Austria, SOS has 14 centers around Indonesia. The "Village" in Tabanan is the largest center SOS operates in all of Indonesia.



The grounds of SOS Tabanan are absolutely beautiful! The "Village" consists of 12 large cement houses, each one with three rooms: one for the adult who serves as the parent for the children, and two rooms where the children sleep. Each house has between 9 and 10 children living at it.




Sunday I had my driver take me the hour from Legian where I'm staying, to the SOS Village, where a special art exhibit was going on.



The children from SOS Village and Salama Children Home had their artwork on display for the day. This exhibit, in addition to being a fund raisers, since all the works of art were for sale, also served to raise awareness of the work of these NGOs in Bali.





John became my guide for part of the day as he showed me the art exhibit and told me about his hopes and dreams for the future. Now 18 years old, he plans to attend college.



The day was a fun one, with my spending most of my time with the children, encouraging them with their English, all-the-while, learning about Bali, Balinese culture and SOS Village.



The children of SOS Village.



So, so cute!