OSSO (19/20)

The need...
In Ecuador there are hundreds and hundreds of abandoned and disadvantaged children living in orphanages. Often these children are in the orphanages because of poverty, societal conditions and political unrest. The good-hearted staffs of these orphanages are struggling to meet the individual needs of these children because their limited resources are strained and they can抰 provide everything they抎 like to. Because of having to deal with limited resources, when infants are not held, talked to and touched, some become socially impaired and unable to form loving relationships. This lack of attention may also lead to poor physical, emotional and intellectual development.


Orphanage Support Services Organization (OSSO) is a nonprofit charitable organization that provides volunteer opportunities to serve in orphanages in Ecuador in over 10 orphanages for the purpose of providing them with various types of support. Under the direction of our local Project Directors, volunteers (led by volunteer leaders) form the backbone of OSSO抯 orphanage support program. Volunteers provide one-on-one nurturing to these disadvantaged children who might otherwise never realize their potential. Because our volunteers provide thousands of hours of service every week in the orphanages we抮e in a unique position to understand the material and financial needs in the orphanages and are in an ideal position to see that donated funds and items are used most efficiently in the orphanages.



The children are unquestionably benefitted from this help and support, but volunteers and leaders are also benefitted and changed as they make a difference in the life of a child in need.


Where did the name OSSO come from?
OSSO is an acronym derived from 揙rphanage Support Services Organization� and is pronounced OH-so (in addition, 搊so� in Spanish means bear, so we抮e also doing a play on words with our logo). We call our logo the angel bear and feel it depicts exactly what our loving volunteers are doing while serving with OSSO: acting as angels while holding and loving little children.