Alternative Care
– June 1 2022
Ring of Honor
With love and appreciation, a ceremony has been held in SOS Children's Villages Qudsaya to honor Mama Salam and Luma, alternative caregivers, with the ring of Honor. The board of Directors of SOS Children's Villages Syria attended, besides the presence of Dr. Kay Vorwerk, President of the Hermann Gmeiner Academy, who has joined via Skype.
SOS Children's Villages awards the SOS ring of Honor to mothers and fathers who have been active in their work for ten years or more as a symbol of respect for their mission and gratitude for their achievement.
"The SOS Children's Villages Rings of Honor are an important symbol of appreciation for the past commitment and motivation for continued engagement to our organization. Thank you so much," says Dr. Kay, the Hermann Gmeiner Academy president.
Moms and Dads are the foundation of alternative care work. They have played a unique role in SOS Children's Villages SOS by building loving families and securing warm homes for vulnerable children worldwide since the organization was founded in 1949. Candidates for this prize show complete loyalty and solidarity within the SOS Children's Village community during their life and work and promote these characteristics. Whoever receives the ring of Honor confirms the values that are the core of SOS Children's Villages' work worldwide. This was clear in Mother Salam and Mother Loma, who proved their loyalty and devotion over the long years of their work.
The mother, Salam, joined SOS Children's Villages Syria in 1998 as a resident aunt in the Aleppo village, and after a few months, she became the mother of four and then six children. She attached to her children quickly and had feelings of motherhood and love for them. Unfortunately, her family was against this job. They refused due to the necessity of residing outside her home and the tremendous effort required for this work.
Because of the tremendous pressure from the family, she was forced to leave work. However, Mother Salam returned later to SOS Children's Villages, as she was very attached to her children and was in constant contact with them while she was leaving the work. The mother, Salam, returned to work as a youth supervisor, but she preferred going back to the village to live and take care of her children.
The mother, Salam, took care of 26 children. Some of them got married and had children; some traveled abroad, and others were university graduates. All of them are still in constant contact with Mama Salam. Mother Salam has twenty-three years of experience working as a mother in SOS Children's Villages Syria. Today she is taking care of five children in Qudsaya village.
As for the mother, Luma, she started her work in the SOS Children's Village Aleppo in 2000. After that, she became a resident aunt and worked for two years, then left the job.
Mother Luma returned to work as a mother who provided alternative care services in 2006 and had many children whom she was caring for. Some had difficulties, and others had special needs and required great care. Moreover, because she provided all the support and love to those children, Mother Luma was called "the mother of difficulties."
During her career, mother Luma took care of nineteen children. Many of them became independent, worked, and integrated with society, others got married and had children, and they are in constant contact with her until now. Mother Luma has 17 years of experience providing alternative care and still works as an alternative mother in Qudsaya village.
This award symbols an appreciation of the great efforts made by the mothers and fathers who provide alternative care services to the children. It is a simple expression of admiration and gratitude. Mother Salam and Mother Luma left an explicit touch on the success of alternative care work in SOS Children's Villages Syria. Awarding them with the ring of honor expresses high gratitude and pride for their work.