The Children’s Village for Orphans in Madinah recently hosted a conference on orphan care. The conference discussed a strategy to improve the care and services offered to orphans in the Kingdom.

Consultant to the undersecretary of social affairs Abdullah Muhammad Al-Shomar said his ministry is considering a system where families can sponsor and take care of orphans, according to an integrated comprehensive strategy to be applied across the country.

Speaking on the sidelines of a charity forum held recently, Al-Shomar told local media that the ministry plans to close down shelters that lodge destitute children. “Any child found wandering on the street will find a real home to receive him. We already have a list of families who are prepared to take in any orphan or homeless child to live with them in cooperation with social security.” However, some families do not need such financial support to raise a child, he added.

He said: “Once this strategy is implemented, every homeless child and orphan will be blessed with a real family and home to live in. The ministry will be a partner in this project which will solve so many problems.”

He explained that the financial aid that orphans get from the ministry has increased by 100 percent. “An orphan at the elementary level receives SR500 a month now. For a higher level of education, the orphan receives SR700, and SR900 at the secondary level. At university, an orphan receives SR1,200.”

This pocket money, he pointed out, is for his personal expenses as the house provides all the other necessities including food, clothing and school stationery.

Commenting on the recommendations of the forum, he said: “The recommendations will help us to develop better strategies to care for the orphans, in accordance with the directions of the social affairs minister.”

He noted that 50 experts and officials, in addition to a number of academics from Saudi universities participated in drafting the comprehensive strategy. “The strategy discussed six important points. These are related to the sponsorship of orphans, their rehabilitation for work, marriage, the programs and activities they should be involved in and their education and integration into society.”

The head of the executive committee at the ministry, Samha Al-Ghamdi said the ministry is keen on caring for the orphans, whether they live in shelters, or with substitute families. “We are working on providing a good and decent environment for them to live in, which should ensure their productive participation in the Saudi society.

“A comprehensive study was prepared to boost the services provided for the orphans in line with the minister’s directives. These services keep pace with and complement the aspirations of the Kingdom’s leadership,” she said, explaining that the strategy aims to build a positive personality and enable the orphan to be a productive member of the society.