Abandoned baby buried with love

By Buli Sonqishe

FOLLOWING the death of an abandoned baby, Child Welfare South Africa Edenvale expressed gratitude for the support received in arranging the baby’s burial.

In August this year, the centre was contacted by Edenvale Hospital after a baby was abandoned at the hospital.

Edenvale social worker, Gerald Mvundura, said they were contacted by the hospital after the baby girl, *Aya, was abandoned by her mother soon after she was born.

“The hospital called us after the mother disappeared. Authorities tried to trace the whereabouts of the mother but they could not find her because the details she had given at the hospital were fake,” said Mvundura.

Mvundura said after all the efforts, they had no choice but to place Aya at a place of safety. They took her to the El-Shammah Home for Abandoned Babies in Primrose.

“On November 17, Aya started vomiting and she was taken to the clinic but on arrival the clinic transferred her to a hospital in Germiston. We received a call that the baby was in hospital and was struggling to breathe. We quickly rushed there. The doctors tried all they could but the little one could not be saved,” said Mvundura.

They contacted the Avbob office in Kempton Park to assist with the burial.

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“We felt it was important that Aya be given a proper burial but we did not have the means to provide a proper funeral. Avbob Kempton Park was willing to help with all the funeral arrangements and the burial. We are grateful for everything they did for us and we are happy the baby had a decent funeral,” said Mvundura.

He also thanked the community of Primrose for their help during this time.

“We would also like to thank the El-Shammah Ministries for conducting the service and providing fresh flowers for the funeral. The Edenvale community was also very helpful with their donations of baby formula and other supplies we needed.”

Mvundura said the staff at El-Shammah Home for Abandoned Babies would go for trauma debriefing to help them cope with the grief.

“The people who work with these children become attached to them because they see them every day and they care for them. Therefore when something like this happens, they are affected and it is important they get all the help they need,” he said.

“As social workers we come across such situations often but you can never really get used to it,” said Mvundura.

He urged mothers to seek help if they could not take care of their babies.

“Mothers must not abandon their babies. There are other alternatives out there and if you cannot take care of the baby, seek help and follow the proper procedures. They must consult social workers who will give them guidance on what steps to follow. That ensures the baby is kept safe,” said Mvundura.

*The child’s name has been withheld as the mother has not yet been located to inform her of the death of her child.