In an affluent country like Australia with one of the most generous welfare systems in the world, many Australians are tempted to think that funding for an essential agency like SOS is readily available from Federal and State governments. The reality is that children in non-government care in South Australia receive an average of only $9.52 a day in government funding, and one can readily appreciate how far this goes in providing housing, food, clothing and education.

In fact our Australian Village receives only 30% of its funding needs from government and local supporters - a massive 70% is contributed by our parent organisation in Austria. In other words our Australian kids are being sustained by the donations of thousands of overseas donors - mainly from Europe. Even in a poor country like Pakistan SOS is totally self supporting.

Quite simply, we find it incongruous and embarrassing that our Australian kids have to rely on donations from Europeans to pay for their sustenance.