20 years of commitment for the children of Cabo Verde

Since 2003, the Luxembourg association SOS Villages d’Enfants Monde has been involved in projects for vulnerable children in Cabo Verde, particularly in Mindelo (on the island of São Vicente).

The country’s second largest city and cultural capital, Mindelo, birthplace of the singer Cesária Évora, harbours one of the most beautiful bays in the world. Its economy is mainly based on tourism, and was severely affected by the Covid-19 crisis. Mindelo has one of the highest unemployment rates in the archipelago and major social problems due to the economic insecurity of families.

Thanks to its social centre (day centre, training centre, management of a family strengthening programme, emergency shelter, etc.) and its support for vulnerable families in Mindelo, SOS Children’s Villages in Cabo Verde has become a major player in child protection in the region and has addressed a wide range of issues (education, professional integration, housing, shelter for homeless children, family strengthening, Covid-19, etc.) through its various programmes.

History :

2003: Opening (and extension in 2005) of the SOS Children’s Village in São Domingos (10 family homes for 100 children) with a kindergarten (for 100 children). SOS Villages d’Enfants Monde is in charge of the maintenance of the children’s village and the educational follow-up of the teenagers.

2008: Opening of the SOS social centre in Mindelo, 5 km from the town centre in the Ribeira Julião district.

2010-2016: Family strengthening programme* in Mindelo (for 1,000 children, 260 families, 3 communities).

2012: Opening in 2012 of a youth centre (two houses for 15 teenagers, one for an educator) in the SOS village of São Domingos.

2013-2016: Family strengthening programme in Praia* (for 565 children, 140 families, 5 communities).

2017: Child protection and community support programme. The aim is to build the capacities of everyone so that the community can guarantee decent living conditions and a protective and stimulating environment for children on the road to empowerment.

2018-2019: Support for the SOS social centre in Mindelo, a rehabilitation programme and temporary accommodation for street children.

2020-2021: Support for 124 children (27 families) during the Covid-19 pandemic.

2021-2022: Renovating and equipping homes for 12 very vulnerable families (39 children) in the Mindelo community.

2022-2023: Support for 40 young people from the communities of Fonte Filipe, Ribeira Bote, Monte Sossego e Ribeirinha with training (manicure, pedicure, hairdressing and ICT) and equipment support to enable them to find a job or set up a micro-enterprise.

2024-2025: Training programme for young heads of single-parent families (55 women, 5 men) in São Pedro, a fishing village on the island of São Vicente, leading them towards income-generating activities.

* Programmes supported through a Framework Agreement with the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

Thank you to the students of the Sainte-Anne private school of Ettelbruck

Throughout the school year, the young people organised several charity events, raising €15,325.15, which is now being donated to SOS Villages d’Enfants Monde. Part of this sum comes from the proceeds of the charity concert organised last November by Sainte-Anne School in honour of the association’s 50th anniversary.

At the cheque presentation ceremony, Sophie Glesener, Director of SOS Villages d’Enfants Monde, welcomed this ongoing support for the social centre in Mindelo, Cape Verde, which is celebrating 50 years of independence this month. The Lycée d’Ettelbruck has been supporting it for some 20 years, as it has other community projects that have developed on the island to help the most vulnerable.

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