SOS Mothers as ‘Agents of Change’ Chathuri Jayasooriya Independent Psychosocial/Child Rights Practitioner National Adviser – Advocacy (External), SOS Children’s Villages, Sri Lanka

 SOS CV Model – village/family-based  Central role of the SOS Mother  SOS CV Sri Lanka – 1981 (35 years)  5-year advocacy strategy and framework ( )  Participatory approach

 To explore how SOS Mothers – as ‘professional mothers’ – can be assigned the role of a ‘change agent’

1. What is the space that is available for SOS Mothers to express their agency and act as ‘agents of change’ advocating for the rights and wellbeing of their children as well as their own?  Institutional culture  Existing legal and policy context  Economic realities  Socio-cultural ideologies, especially the gendered scripts and expectations of motherhood 2. How can this space be explored through a participatory process? 3. How can an agentic role be grounded in their daily realities? 4. What are the key challenges?

 Continuous and long-term engagement with the Mothers  Informal interactions  Formal interactions  A process

DialogueConsciousnessMotivationIntentionAction

 Demonstrated agency, resilience and strength  Wealth of experience, insights and wisdom on residential care of children  Bond between the SOS Mothers and children  Willingness to engage in advocacy processes  Recognition within SOS (sometimes beyond)  Existing spaces and opportunities for their voices to be heard  Interest of the SOS management

Institutional Legal & Policy Economic Socio- cultural AGENCY

Agents of Change Psyche (Psychological) Personal Space Society (Socio-cultural) Political Space State Society SOS