Ondangwa, situated in the north of the country only about 80 km from the Angolan border, is one of the three most important cities of the Oshana Region. Ondangwa means "the end of the Ondonga area", one of the former kingdoms of the area.
The location was chosen because a survey had indicated a big need for children's care and development facilities in northern Namibia. The municipality of Ondangwa donated a suitable plot of land for the erection of an SOS Children's Village on the outskirts of town, in a newly developed, middle-class residential area. Its architecture reflects the "Solid, Modest and Integrated" approach: The family houses resemble the local building style and fit seamlessly into the neighbourhood.
SOS Children's Village Ondangwa consists of twelve family houses with a capacity for up to 120 children, houses for the village director and the SOS aunts (who support the SOS mothers and take care of the children when the mothers are on leave) and an administration area.
The SOS Kindergarten offers enough space for up to 75 children both from the SOS Children's Village and the surrounding community and comprises three classrooms. The third SOS Children's Village in Namibia, Ondangwa, which also included an SOS Kindergarten, became operational in autumn 2008. Three family strengthening programmes were set up to respond to the orphan crisis, that sub-Saharan Africa is currently facing due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
These programmes offer support to families who are at risk of abandoning their children and enable children to grow within a caring family environment. Together with local authorities and other service providers, SOS Children’s Villages supports families and helps them to take good care of their children.