SOS Children's Villages has been active in Finland since the 1960s.The SOS Children's Villages idea was well received in Finland and the organisation's activities have continued in recent decades. At present, SOS Children's Villages supports children, young people and families in six locations in Finland.
There are six SOS Children's Villages, one SOS Youth Facility and 13 SOS Social Centres in Finland.
In 1982, the fourth Finnish SOS Children's Village was opened at Vihanti, a small community in northern Finland. Vihanti has about 3,000 inhabitants, and it is located approximately 600 kilometers north of Helsinki and 70 kilometers south of the city of Oulu.
The SOS Children's Village Vihanti is situated on the edge of the town Vihanti and is surrounded by beautiful pine woods. The Children's Village has a playground and a sports field which offer children of various ages good possibilities for different activities. There are four idyllic wooden houses, which are painted red and one home is in a semi-detached house. The Community House is the centre of the SOS Children's Village. In addition to the office, the Community House also contains leisure facilities and is often used for a cozy get-together.
The secondary school and the high school are located very close to the SOS Children's Village. The nearby cities offer several options for higher education. Each youth is given a chance to acquire a profession. Skiing, fishing and playing in the nature combined with various other activities give the children belief in their own talents.
