SOS Children’s Villages Kyrgyzstan is a non-governmental organisation, providing services to children without parental care and children at risk of losing parental care. More than 200 children live in the villages and another 600 children are helped through family strengthening projects each year in the Kyrgyz Republic.
In 2010, Aflatoun’s method was introduced to SOS mothers and administration staff in the villages. This was followed by a training for trainers to implement Aflatoun’s programme for SOS children, which was supported by an extensive school campaign. To date, more than 1000 children have received Aflatoun’s social and financial education and the most active and enterprising among them have joined the Aflatoun club.
By participating in entrepreneurial activities, children learn how they can have a positive impact on their community. They also develop financial skills, which encourage them to actively participate in various projects and manage their funding resources. For example, children accumulated monthly pocket money to buy wheelchair for a child with disabilities and collected scrap paper to sell and save the money. At the same time, Aflatoun’s method helps facilitators to teach more effectively and develop the children’s skills.