Mombasa is a lively port-town and tourist centre with around 400,000 inhabitants. Sadly, another feature are the vast slums on the periphery of the city. Construction works for the SOS Children's Village Mombasa were completed in 1979. In the same year, the first children and SOS mothers moved in.
The SOS Children's Village Mombasa developed in the Northern shore of the Bay of Mombasa, 500 metres from the coast. It consists of twelve family houses, a village director's house, staff flats, a house for the SOS Aunts (SOS Aunts take care of the children in case of an SOS Mother's absence), and an administrative and service unit. Each family house comprises a small garden in which fruits and vegetables are cultivated. The keeping of goats, cows and geese makes a valuable contribution towards the Village's self-sufficiency. 120 children are currently housed in the SOS Children's Village Mombasa.
The attached SOS Kindergarten was opened in 1979, and consists of four group rooms, a playground, and several secondary rooms. It is currently attended by 100 children both from the SOS Children's Village, and the local neighbourhood.
A Youth House for the older youth which were soon to outgrow the SOS Children's Village was rented in 1995, in the town of Maweni, some four kilometres from the SOS Children's Village. Meanwhile, a total of six SOS Youth Houses developed. The children move into the SOS Youth House at around 15 years of age, giving them more responsibility as they are only supervised by one youth educator. SOS mothers, village directors and psychologists carefully prepare the youngsters for this significant step towards independence, to which roughly four years are assigned; extendable for prolonged education or job search.
Since its establishment in 2001, the SOS Hermann Gmeiner Primary School has developed into an indispensable educational facility. It is currently attended by about 480 children from both the SOS Children's Village, and the local Neighbourhood. It consists of 16 classrooms, a library, a multi-purpose hall, and an administrative unit.