SOS Children's Village Dharamsala is situated 8 km outside the town, at the foot of the Dhauladhar Mountains, which are part of the Himalayas. It consists of 44 large family houses, a baby home, a community house, and the necessary administration and service area. More than 2,000 children and youngsters live at this SOS Children's Village. Since each mother has many children to take care of, all the meals are prepared at a central kitchen and then distributed to the families.
The SOS Kindergarten and the SOS Hermann Gmeiner School (primary and secondary school) are not only attended by children from the village but also by Tibetan children living in the neighbourhood. The large SOS Vocational Training Centre offers courses in arts and crafts. SOS mothers and co-workers of Tibetan Children's Villages are trained at a special training centre. At Dharamsala, there is also an SOS Medical Centre, which is open to the local community.
The SOS Children's Village has two SOS Youth Facilities, one for girls and one for boys. Young people usually move from the SOS Children's Village to an SOS Youth Facility when they start a vocational training course or go on to higher education. With the support of qualified youth workers, the young people develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions. They are encouraged to develop team spirit and build up contacts with relatives and friends, as well as with the relevant authorities and potential employers.