The first SOS Children's Village was founded in Imst, Austria, in 1949, in the aftermath of the Second World War. Hermann Gmeiner was devastated by the large numbers of orphaned and abandoned children. He believed they urgently needed love, security, and a home.

The SOS Children's Villages have made one simple idea their whole educational work. They have grown from the assumption that no child can live without a family, that the child needs the family in order to develop and unfold his physical, mental and spiritual powers.

Since then, the SOS idea and educational concept have proven to be the first best alternative to a natural family all over the world.

Today, under the leadership of Helmut Kutin, there are SOS Children's Villages in all five continents; 444 SOS Children's Villages spread out in 132 countries.

Hermann Gmeiner's idea of giving children without biological parental care an alternative home in an SOS Children's Village arrived in Lebanon in 1964. Two years later, the Lebanese government agreed on establishing The Lebanese Association of SOS Children's Villages. Its mission has been to provide family-based care to children in need in all regions of Lebanon regardless of their religion or background. Children coming from various religious communities, share the SOS Village life in mutual respect. Girls and boys of different ages grow up together in an SOS family house like brothers and sisters.

Children are admitted into the SOS Children's Villages from day 1 until the age of ten.

"Nothing in the world is more important than to care for a child"                                                                                                         Hermann Gmeiner