Rawalpindi

SOS Children's Villages has been working with children and their families in Pakistan since 1975. As a result of natural disasters, political unrest, as well as civil war and military disputes in the various regions, the people of Pakistan have been exposed to a life of great social misery, which has affected children in particular. SOS Children's Villages has provided permanent support in the form of health care, education and counselling to families in need. In addition, when natural disasters have struck, SOS Children's Villages has provided Pakistan with relief aid. At present, there are ten SOS Children's Villages in Pakistan, six SOS Youth Facilities, six SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools, five SOS Vocational Training Centres, five SOS Social Centres, one SOS Medical Centre, and two SOS Emergency Relief Programmes. Two SOS Children’s Villages and one Hermann Gmeiner school are under construction.

In view of the dire situation of poor families and orphans in the district of Rawalpindi, SOS-Kinderdorf International opened SOS Children's Village Rawalpindi in 1989. Former first lady of Pakistan Nusrat Bhutto was present at the opening ceremony. The village is situated 10 km from the area of Rawalpindi Cantt.

The facility currently has 20 family houses (which offer a new home to up to 200 children), a village director's house, an aunts' house, a multi-purpose building, a mosque, and an administration and service area.

An SOS Youth Facility was also set up in 2000. It can take in around 50 teenage boys who are receiving vocational training or are in higher education. For the boys, this is the first step towards independence.

The SOS Children's Village places great importance on its contact with the neighbourhood, which is why an SOS Hermann Gmeiner School was opened in 1998. The school, which has 15 classrooms, provides education of a high standard to 300 SOS children as well as underprivileged children from the neighbouring communities. An SOS Social Centre opened in 2002 and now offers health advice to around 150 patients each month. It has five rooms.

An SOS Vocational Training Centre opened in 2000 and offers training for around 175 teenage boys. The boys, who receive training in subjects such as electrical engineering and car mechanics, come from the village itself, as well as from the surrounding communities.