A celebration to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of China's first SOS Children's Village will be held on July 1 at the SOS Children's Village of Chengdu, capital of southwestern Sichuan Province.
   
Mr Helmut Kutin, president of SOS Kinderdorf International, which supervises all the SOS children's villages around the world, will attend the celebration and award glory finger rings to nine "mothers" who have worked at Chengdu SOS Children's Village for 10 years, said Cao Shuhuai, director of the village, on Tuesday.
   
The village will also award "kindhearted medals" to those who have been longtime supporting the special village, said Cao.
   
China now has nine SOS Children's Villages since the first was founded in northern port city of Tianjin in 1985. The 10th will be built soon in the national capital of Beijing, said Cao.
   
Founded in 1997, the SOS Children's Village of Chengdu is home to 143 orphans now and 15 "mothers" were taking care of these children.
   
The SOS Children's Village was originated in Austria during World War II, aiming to provide orphans with family care. More than 400 such villages have been established in more than 130 countries, according to the SOS Kinderdorf International.

(Xinhua News Agency June 22, 2005)