Do Page Six
Experiences as an SOS Mother
What do you think is the difference between yourself and a single parent outside the SOS Children's Village?I don't have to worry about earning money to feed my family. I can save my energy for caring for the children and for bringing them up. I base my methods of child-rearing on the theories we learned on the training course - a natural mother can bring up her children however she feels is right. An SOS mother has to be very careful how she treats the children and what she says to them, so that the children don't get the impression that they're not loved. A natural mother can sometimes be cross with her child but that child will never doubt that his mother loves him. However, the children in my family can't depend on being loved, because I'm not their real mother. That means that I have to be very careful.
What do you do in your free time and holidays?
In my free time I stay at home with the children and we do the housework or play together. Sometimes I take the children to the market and we have a wander around, or I visit my daughter who is already married. I like to read the newspaper and I like to watch the news or programmes on television about bringing up children. When I take my annual holiday I usually take the children to visit my mother. I normally only take three days’ holiday and not the full twelve.
If you were granted three wishes, what would you wish for?
First of all I'd wish for all the children and SOS mothers to remain in good health. My second wish would be for my children all to become useful and independent citizens - that's my biggest wish in life. My third wish is for my children all to manage to find good jobs and to have regular incomes so that they can lead good lives. I also hope that the emotional tie between us, the children and the village, will last even after I've retired one day. I hope that the ties will last forever.
And what do you wish for yourself for the future?
Personally I hope that my children will still come to visit me even after I've retired. I hope that there will be a home for retired SOS mothers by then, where I can live together with my former colleagues. If I can stay near the SOS Children's Village, my children will be able to visit me. If, however, there is no such house by then, I will have to go back to my village and live with one of my cousins or my nephews and nieces.
Do's Story:
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All these mother's stories come from SOS Children's Village Hermann Gmeiner Academy. Copyright is reserved and no unauthorized use permitted. Use for non-commercial purposes may be requested. The interviews telling about the lives of some SOS Mothers form part of an interesting study on being a replacement Mother to children in need in SOS Children's communities worldwide.