SOS Children’s Village programme Harar is located in Harar, capital of Harari people’s regional state. It is the second oldest SOS Children’s Village programme in Ethiopia which was opened in 1980 in respond to the Ethio-Somali war that created a severe child care crises and family disintegration in the eastern part of the country. It started operation with ten family houses accommodating 100 children, and after five years the second group of five family houses were added accommodating 57 children who lost their parental care due to the drought in the country that made the total number of children in the village 157 at that time.

Over the years the Children’s Village has intensified efforts in the region to change the situation of target children and young people Currently there are 277 (119 Female) children and young people supported under Alternative Child Care program Harar. There are 15 SOS family houses in the program location which give service for 136 (51Female). While growing up in SOS families; each child receives the essential services like care, health, education and psycho-social support which are vital in ensuring the full-fledged child development. In addition to SOS families, the program also supports children in Other Forms of Alternative Child Care program (OFACC) in which 59 (29Female) children develop in a caring family environment getting support while living with their biological or extended families.

The ACC program also runs two youth facilities (YFI and YFII) in which a total of 82(27 YFI) young people are supported to lead a semi-independent life while attending school, vocational training or higher education. Over the past three and half decades SOS Children’s Village program Harar has made every effort to grow children in a caring family environment and provide youth with the opportunity to become self-reliant and contributing members of the society.