22/06/2012 – The newly elected President of SOS Children’s Villages International, Siddhartha Kaul, has outlined an ambitious plan that provides a loving home for one million at-risk children.
“The global economic downturn has impacted on the organisation, however the plight of children across the world is not limited to economic matters,” said Mr Kaul. Speaking after his election at the General Assembly of SOS Children’s Village International, President Siddhartha Kaul, 57, also demonstrated the scale of his commitment to the federation of 133 countries and territories.
“Together we will strive to do what is possible to provide a caring family environment for one million children by the end of the decade, keeping in mind that quality supersedes quantity. We promised one million children and this is a promise we aim to keep. To achieve it, is a major task, in today’s difficult environment. For 63 years, supporters have responded to our work with tremendous faith and we seek their continued help.” SOS Children’s Villages currently provides a loving home to some 370,000 children. In addition to this, in excess of one million children and adults are supported through the provision of a variety of services.
His predecessor and mentor, Helmut Kutin described the Indian born President as “an organiser, a realistic thinker in matters of economics and someone who appreciates the value of diversity”. This was evident when Mr Kaul supervised the highly successful SOS Emergency Relief and Reconstruction Programme that followed Asia’s tsunami in 2004.
