SOS Children’s Villages supports children who have lost or risk losing parental care by providing family-like care and strengthening vulnerable families to prevent separation. In South Africa, programmes include village-based care, foster care, and youth development, prioritising safety, education, and wellbeing through long-term, community-embedded support.

Responsibilities & Ideal Background

Work that connects Scholars with children and the local community where they can make a visible difference.

A good fit is someone compassionate, adaptable, and reliable, with experience (or strong interest) in youth work, psychology/social work, education, or community arts. You should be comfortable facilitating groups, diffusing conflict, maintaining boundaries, and adapting to resource-limited settings. Bonus skills include trauma-informed practice, play- or arts-based facilitation, and basic project coordination. The impact is direct and human, with lasting relationships and outcomes.

LiA Champions

Our LiA Champions are Helen Henwood and Youness Robert-Tahiri. Curious about this project but not sure where to start? They can share candid insights from their experiences—what the work involved, skills that proved useful, and pointers for exploring a good fit. Please contact them via the Laidlaw Scholars Network:

https://laidlawscholars.network/users/helen-henwood
https://laidlawscholars.network/users/youness-robert-tahiri

Organisation Contact

SOS Children’s Villages South Africa
Email: zama.mbele@sos.org.za