The Hindu : `Children orphaned by AIDS, a new challenge'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004

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`Children orphaned by AIDS, a new challenge'

By Prince Frederick

Photo: N. Balaji

The president of the SOS-Kinderdorf International, Helmut Kutin (right), with J.N. Kaul, president, SOS Children's Villages of India.

Chennai Jan. 6. Hermann Gmeiner blazed a trail when he founded the first SOS children's village at Imst (Germany) in 1949 with just 600 Austrian shillings. Based on the ideal of "providing abandoned and orphaned children a substitute for their lost families", the SOS concept soon caught on. In 1960, SOS-Kinderdorf International, the umbrella organisation of SOS children's villages, was born. Gmeiner was at its helm till his death in 1986. The mantle then passed on to Helmut Kutin, who has since built 154 more SOS children's villages around the world.

Under Mr. Kutin, the movement flourished in India too. Mr. Kutin, who was in Chennai recently for the silver jubilee celebration of "SOS Children's Villages of India-Chatnath Homes", spoke to along with J.N. Kaul, president, SOS Children's Villages of India, about the challenges ahead.

"In 1949, many of the children that the first SOS village was taking under its wing were those orphaned by war. Today, a new challenge stares us in the face — children orphaned by AIDS. The epidemic has shaken the very foundations of a few countries in Africa. But, even if just two per cent of the population in India is hit by AIDS, the tragedy will be much worse than what we find in any of these African countries," he said.

"Here, to all appearances, this evil has not assumed as alarming a proportion as in Africa. But what we see may just be a part of a larger problem that is not yet fully known. And the day of reckoning may be nearer than we think. We have to do everything to nip it in the bud," Mr. Kaul said.

Does SOS-Kinderdorf International do anything to stem the tide?

"Around the world, we conduct AIDS awareness programmes for schoolchildren and emphasise the use of drugs that can reverse HIV-AIDS in newborns," Mr. Kutin said. "But don't get me wrong. This is our supplementary area of work. Our main work will always be the running of SOS villages for children."

Out-reach programme

"In India, apart from our mission to set up self-contained children's villages, we have also embarked on two out-reach programmes. One of them is for children who are not orphans, but are from families that cannot make both ends meet. These children without a childhood are allowed to visit the nearest SOS village. On a given day, they will receive three hours of knowledge-oriented instruction, enjoy one hour of organised sports and a sumptuous meal," said Mr. Kaul.

Of the 34 children's villages across the country, a good number were set up in places where children had to bear the brunt of man-made tragedies (Jammu, for example) and natural calamities (Latur and Bhuj which were shaken by quakes). "We are also building a special SOS children's village for mentally retarded children in Bhopal," Mr. Kaul said.

Many of the children from SOS villages have gone on to study at prestigious universities and occupy high positions. Mr. Kutin himself was a member of the first children's village.

"Our children occupy high positions in all fields imaginable. Our 45-acre children's village in Bhimtal (Uttaranchal) is aimed at fostering academic excellence. Children with excellent educational records get to stay at this village, which is equipped with the best of educational facilities. We expect these children to become role models for others," Mr. Kaul said.

Who provides SOS-Kinderhorf with the steam to run these children's villages?

"We depend on the generosity of our friends. There are about 6 million friends around the world who support us. ... But we need more help," said Mr. Kutin.

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