SOS Children’s Village

The SOS Children’s Village is an off-base Community for Orphaned/Abused Japanese Children. SOS stands for Save Our Soul. It is located in Mt. Takao, Hachioji. There are 36 children that are between the ages of 2-18. The village consists of six houses, with approximately six children in each house. 3 homes out of 6 have been moved in the neighborhood so that children could be given opportunities to live like their own home with their neighbors.

The SOS Children’s Village was originally founded in 1971 for orphans who lost their parents in traffic accidents. The situation has been changed since then. Currently only 1 of the 36 is an actual orphan. The others have families, but have suffered abuse and neglect, or are just not wanted. Also, a lot of their parents have financial problems. There is an adult at each house 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The village provides a home, adult supervision, counseling, and an opportunity for these children to have a productive life away from abuse and fear.

Due to the lack of educational opportunities, the children are significantly below the average learning capacity for their respective age group. Because of the amount of children per provider in the homes, several children are suffering from attention needs. As a result, the children’s maturity level has severely decreased.

The Save our Souls Children’s Village is in constant need of capital for operating expenses and facility upgrades. Currently, one building is in desperate need of renovations. They have tried to save money to built one by 2020.