Tashkent, 10 June 2014 – UNFPA will hold three special trainings for the youth of SOS Children’s Village on HIV prevention among most-at-risk-adolescents in Uzbekistan. In the beginning of the year, UNFPA met with SOS Children’s Village to discuss opportunities for joint initiatives and cooperation to target the young people of the SOS children’s village as primary beneficiaries and agents to fight the HIV spread especially among most-at-risk-adolescents. The two organizations agreed to conduct training on HIV awareness and prevention for young people of SOS Villages. Youth will be trained by the experienced Peer Educators using peer-to-peer approach within the UNFPA supported Peer to Peer Youth Educational Recourse. In addition to general knowledge on HIV/AIDS and its prevention, trainees will also acquire knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and rights. The campaign will be held in Tashkent, Samarkand and Urgench cities during summer.
SOS Children's Villages runs a variety of programmes to support children, young people and families in Uzbekistan, since 1996. These programmes include care in SOS families, day-care in the kindergarten, care and support for young people and community support in social centres. Since 2007, the family-strengthening programmes have been working with local agencies to allow children who are at risk of losing the care of their family to grow within a loving family environment.
At present there are three SOS Children’s Villages, one SOS Youth Facility and six SOS Social Centres in Uzbekistan. The capital city of Tashkent was home to the first SOS Children's Villages programmes. The work of SOS Children's Villages has continued to meet the needs of local children, young people and families: SOS now operating in three locations in Uzbekistan.
