The Baby Basket had its official opening on September 19, by the SAVF Secunda Child and Youth Care Centre (CYCC). Everything from bottle warmers, cots, clothes, baby products, storage containers to JoJo tanks is brand new, thanks to the generosity of donations and funding from residents and businesses.

Not only locally, but as far as New Zealand and Cape Town, people came to learn of this project, which was initiated by the SAVF CYCC in collaboration with the NPO Tree-Seeds Foundation and the Ligdraers.

The SAVF CYCC saw the need for more beds for babies and children who have been abandoned in and around the Secunda area.

For this reason, the SAVF wanted to relocate the babies from the CYCC to accommodate more beds for the older children and to create a safer environment for both children and infants.

“We have children who are in and out of the house that go to school, and we get babies that are a few hours old, and their immune system is not that high. We want the babies to be in a safe space and not have much contact with the children who go to school,” said Mari Louw of the SAVF CYCC.

The Baby Basket can accommodate 10 infants aged 0 months to 4 years and has two permanent caregivers on the premises at all times.

Two shipping containers, one for storage and the other an insulated store room, will ensure that all stock is safely kept and stored at cooling temperatures. Additionally, a JoJo tank has been installed to provide water for days when there is no water available.

Brand new cots and bedding will ensure comfort for the infants, along with two beds for the caregivers. Volunteers helped give the premises a fresh coat of paint.

There are even brand new carpets, and the bathroom has been kitted out to make it more baby-friendly. The Baby Basket gives a welcoming and homey feel.

A built-in baby saver, which is a box-like structure, is still being built. The baby saver will allow mothers or guardians to anonymously and safely leave an infant in the structure built into a wall, rather than dumping the babies in a gutter or in an inhuman manner.

During the ribbon-cutting, Liné de Vries of the Tree-Seeds Foundation said: “God loves every baby that will come through these doors, and He made sure that everything you see here is brand new,” said De Vries.

The project began on March 10 with around R42 000 raised, which wasn’t nearly enough for a project like this.

“There were more and more people who came together and wanted to help, whether it was painting or new doors, they wanted to help. This is God’s project; we are just the helpers,” said De Vries.

She thanked every person and business that contributed to this project, whether big or small. The SAVF CYCC opened its doors in 2022 and can accommodate 24 children. Louw said that over the past three years, they have received weekly calls about babies who need to be homed.

“We always felt bad and had to say no. We only had four cots and they are always full,” said Louw.

She said that from August 2024 until now, seven out of the nine babies have been placed in foster homes. “This is nothing more than proof of God’s great love and grace. Every baby is placed in His hands, and we know He has already provided for them,” said Louw. She said the support from locals and out-of-towners is unbelievable.

“This is an extension to our child and youth care centre. Before we had 24 beds, now we have 34. My hope is that every child that comes from here and has an opportunity to be with a family will continue to grow, and that they will have all the love and attention and realise they have been chosen by God,” said Louw.