European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 18, 1967, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 the stars and stripes on a family plan wednesday october 18, 1967 an orphanage with a difference when the weather is Nice Margarete Besemer takes her kindergarten class to the playground. Is photos by Merle Hunter by Ray Wright staff writer children scurrying Home from school to Tell Mother what i said and what she said. The smell of cookies baking .48 hug for the toddler up fresh from a Flap. Does this Lind like a traditional orphanage it in t. Bit it is Home for children separated rom i Theio a i tsp and made wards of the court its the sos Kinder Dorf at Eisenberg Germany. Typical of the children s villages being built in 24countries around the world under the leadership of Hermann Gmeiner who built the first such Home Atim St Austria in 1949. The children none of whom can for various reasons be put up for adoption live in families of eight with a Mother who performs the limitless tasks Ofa Mother anywhere. Boys live in their Homes Here until they Are ready to go on to higher education or to Gln a 12b App re Tjce ship. Girls live in their Ltd a they a self supporting or marry just Uke girl in any Normal  i of the children on acceptance into a family Range from infancy up. At the moment the  has youngsters from 15 months to 15 years old. Seldom is a child older than 10 accepted How. Hans and Annemarie and Peter and Jakob and Al the rest attend the Public school but preschoolers have Ajom Hergarten All their own taught by mar Garete Besemer. Youngsters living in the Kinder Dorf Are Welcome touring their schoolmates Home and in turn Are Al Lowed to visit Homes of their friends. Emphasis is on giving them the same kind of life their friends have. In fact they occasionally have More opportunities than outside children. They can use a Well equipped Craft shop and a photography workshop on the grounds. A part time sports instructor and music teacher Are available. And frequently on sundays they go by bus to a neighbouring City and swim in the municipal Pool. The Eisenberg Kinder Dorf ers have made goo records scholastically said chaplain Willi Bechberger. One boy attends gymnasium High school Andone girl is in College. In september we will have one go Rund fou boys ready to so on to higher education.". What of the substitute mothers what kind of lifers it for them we it s 8�� Lite according to Elfriede Bague who mothers the children in Haus Lerche Lark her airy Home has a modern Kitchen that would make most european housewives drool Central heat ing picture windows overlooking lawns and Forest and a private Domain of a living room and office which converts to a guest room. The Mother does her own shopping on a budget of around $200 a month for her family of eight. She does All of her own housework laundry mending an cooking. The Kinder Dorf Leader and chaplain stand ready to help in situations she can t  also has an annual vacation away from Fier family while the children go to an sos Camp this year the Camp will be near Cologne. When a Mother retires she receives a  must be Between 25 and 40 at the time of hire unmarried or widowed and must pass stiff physical and psychological tests. Those accepted spend a year at a special school for Kinder Dorf Moth ers and some time in a Home As a visiting aunt to flavor the  Eisenberg Kinder Dorf opened in 1961 with 15 Homes each costing about $12,500 to build. Still to rebuilt were the Community building and kindergarten funds for operational costs come from the inter National sos children s Village association which has More than 2 million members in Europe alone who contribute Small sums annually. Some funds also come through fines paid to courts in non criminal cases explained Karl Heinz Zieher Kinder Dorf Leader the Kaiserslautern German american women club has taken the Eisenberg Kinder Dorf under its Wing and makes Christmas a memorable time forthe children. Other women s clubs and military units do the same for Kinder Doris in their areas Elfriede Bague reads to her youngest Ward. The Homes have a regular living room where children can relax practice their artistic talents during Long Rainy afternoons. ,.j