Fenix Charity Fund Launches Initiative to Support SOS Children’s Village Valmiera in Latvia.

The Fenix Charity Fund, in collaboration with the Ieklausies – Sadzirdi – Atbalsti program (Listen – Hear – Support), announces the launch of a new project to help transform the lives of children in crisis at SOS Children’s Village Valmiera, in Latvia. This initiative is part of a broader effort to provide essential support to vulnerable children and their foster families.

Together with the Ieklausies – Sadzirdi – Atbalsti program, Fenix Charity Fund is raising funds to create two crucial spaces that will provide therapeutic and emotional support to children in crisis: a Music Therapy Room and a Nature Aesthetics Studio. These spaces are designed to help children recover emotionally, offer them a safe environment to heal and develop. You can also support the children in SOS Villages by donating your musical instruments. If you have any well-maintained and working musical instruments that you no longer use, please consider giving them a new life in the hands of a child. 

“In our daily work, we not only care for children who have been left without the care of their biological parents but also provide various forms of assistance to families with children who find themselves in difficult circumstances. One such form of support is the SOS Family Support Centers, which also offer social rehabilitation services for children. 

The creation of the Nature Aesthetics Studio and Music Therapy Studio at SOS Family Support Center in Valmiera will enable us to provide more diverse support for children in need. Under the guidance of experienced specialists, children will have the opportunity to engage in creative activities in an engaging way, thereby improving their concentration and communication skills, fostering creativity and strengthening their mental health. 

Without the involvement of donors, the establishment of such studios would not be possible. We sincerely thank Fenix Charity Fund for their initiative and efforts in raising funds specifically for this purpose”, says Ilze Paleja, Director of the SOS Children’s Villages Association.

Santa Laizane, Director of the Fenix Charity Fund, says: “We are grateful to everyone who has shown interest and support so far. These two new spaces will provide invaluable tools for the development of children’s emotional, social, and cognitive skills. We warmly invite those who feel moved by this cause to join us in making this vision a reality. We are deeply thankful to ISA for their involvement, care, and active support, which will help bring this project to life and continue to impact many lives”.

Music Therapy Room

Music therapy is the use for therapeutic purposes, utilizing sound, rhythm, melody, and harmony in an individual or group process between the therapist and the client. Its purpose is to promote communication, learning, mobilization, and expression, to improve physical, mental, and social health, and to develop an individual’s potential for a better quality of life. It is a highly beneficial practice for children, helping them build self-esteem, release built-up emotions, as well as fostering connections through shared experiences with peers and therapists.

Nature Aesthetics Studio

The Nature Aesthetics Studio promotes children’s emotional and creative development and helps improve sensory and social skills. It provides children with the opportunity to explore nature, reduce stress, and promote well-being by offering a harmonious and peaceful environment that stimulates imagination and creative thinking. The studio also facilitates children’s connection with the surrounding world, improving their emotional balance and self-expression. Spending time in nature-inspired spaces has been shown to help children process difficult emotions and develop a stronger sense of calmness.

SOS Children’s Villages provide a loving and safe family environment for children who cannot be cared for by their biological parents. With two villages in Latvia – Īslīce and Valmiera – each community comprises 12 houses, administrative buildings, and playgrounds. Each SOS family has a dedicated foster mom caring for five to six children, many of whom grow up alongside their siblings, fostering a sense of belonging and emotional security.At the Riga SOS Family Support Center, efforts are underway to raise 2,900 euros to renovate two rooms, which will provide much-needed spaces for families and children in crisis.

The SOS Children’s Village in Valmiera, established in 2007, also hosts a Family Support Center, which offers various rehabilitation services like music therapy, speech therapy, and Montessori sessions for both village children and families in need within the community. Each year, dozens of children receive emotional and developmental support, helping them build resilience and prepare for independent life.