New ‘baby bin’ launched for unwanted babies
There's a new home for abandoned, aborted, abused and orphaned babies and children in the Randfontein CBD.
On Friday, 7 October, Door of Care and Safety home launched a ‘baby bin’, where mothers can leave their unwanted babies.
This place of safety aims to receive and assist any abandoned, abused and orphaned babies and children from any potentially dangerous source in cooperation with other agencies.
After roughly five and a half years of existence, the founders of this home identified the need for a ‘baby bin’, given the high number of new-born infants who are abandoned all over Randfontein and surrounding areas.
“We realised that many of those desperate women and girls may have acted differently had there been an alternative. Our objective is to allow mothers to leave their babies in the bin, during the day or night, rather than dumping them elsewhere,” said Piet van der Heever, one of the founders of Door of Care and Safety.
When a baby is placed in the ‘baby bin’, the care-workers on duty will receive an electronic signal alerting them to the baby’s presence. The baby will then be taken into the home and the anonymity of the mother will be ensured.
“Children in this situation don’t need food or clothes (metaphorically speaking), they need love and the promise of a brighter future,” said Ramona van der Heever, one of the founders of Door of Care and Safety.
During the launch of the ‘baby bin’, Mzi Khumalo, Rand West City’s Executive Mayor assisted in the official opening of the bin. Other guests included various child lawyers and social workers from Randfontein, among them Elbie Botha, head of the Randfontein Children’s Court.
“We encourage desperate mothers to make use of this bin instead of trash cans and dump-sites.
“We provide a temporary Christian home for all our babies and children whilst seeking a forever family, suitable long-term foster care or other permanent care for each child,” Ramona concluded.
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