Durban - A decade ago, the Peace Agency, a non-profit organisation, opened their first Baby Home in Durban, KwaZulu Natal.
“Mother Teresa said: ‘Not all of us can do great things, but we can all do small things with great love'. This has been our motto and the foundational ethos of The Baby Home since its inception,” said Justin Foxton co-founder of the Peace Agency.
“One of the biggest issues facing South Africa back then and now more than ever, is that of our country’s most vulnerable children,” he added.
According to the National Adoption Coalition of South Africa (NACSA), it is estimated that there are over 3000 babies abandoned across South Africa every year. The Baby Home is a fully registered Place of Safety that cares for abandoned and orphaned babies.
This year, The Baby Home commemorates a decade of having saved the lives of more than 800 babies.
Foxton said each day at The Baby Home is about love and a celebration of life.
“Ideally, we wanted to have our annual gala banquet at the end of the year to thank all our volunteers, workers and donors, who have all enthusiastically supported us over the years.
“However due to the pandemic we have instead decided to celebrate this milestone with a media campaign, highlighting some of the remarkable work done by The Baby Home team,” Foxton said.
Crisis parent Joanne Teunissen, who runs The Durban North Baby Home, said when they receive a call, from a hospital or the police, they have no idea about the circumstances
"But what we do know is that they are coming to a place where they are cared for and loved,“ she said.
This year, the Peace Agency also opened The uMlazi Baby Home. This home is run by Eunice Khumalo, who is the longest standing caregiver of The Baby Home. Not only does The uMlazi Baby Home provide love and care for abandoned or orphaned babies, it is also a training centre for caregivers providing valuable skills and work opportunities for people in the uMlazi Community.
The Baby Homes have also felt the repercussions of the volatile Covid-19 economy.
“We are seeing that the need for baby homes is increasing dramatically in South Africa and this will continue as the economic fallout from the pandemic gets worse. There can be no greater trauma than a baby’s life lost and yet as a country we lose so many each day,” Foxton said.
The Baby Home would like to thank the many volunteers, workers, donors and media that have assisted throughout the last decade. They would also like to invite everyone to journey with them as they move into the next 10 years of saving and changing lives.
To start with a monthly donation of R100 or more, click here http://www.babyhome.org.za/donate/
Challenge 10 friends or more on social media to do the same and help save the lives of more vulnerable children.
The Baby Home would like to thank the many volunteers, workers, donors and media that have assisted throughout the last...
Posted by The Baby Home - Durban North on Wednesday, September 16, 2020
The Mercury