Almond Tree in Delmas gives babies a second chance
One-hundred-and-four babies have been cared for at this home since it opened in 2018.
A warm, playful environment and homely atmosphere await visitors to The Almond Tree Baby Home (TAT) in Delmas.
TAT offers a secure, comforting environment with nurturing care for orphans and vulnerable little ones.
It is a registered child and youth care centre, through which these children are rescued, restored and released through re-unification, foster care or adoption.
Under the caring, loving hands of house parents Kobie and Lonzelle du Plessis, TAT is home to up to 25 children aged birth to three years.
Asked how TAT came to be, Lonzelle said, “Charmaine McQueen, the CEO of TAT in Benoni, started with one baby in 2014, but the need to expand quickly grew.
“Our daughter, Michelle, comes from TAT Baby Home in Benoni. At the time, Kobie and I decided to make a difference in a child’s life by fostering a baby.
“Michelle came to us in December 2016, and through many hardships, we secured the adoption of our sweet little girl.”
In 2017, various role players approached the Du Plessis’ about possibly opening a branch in Delmas.
“From there, things went quickly, and in December 2017, the doors of TAT Baby Home in Delmas opened. Our first eight-week-old arrived in April 2018, and since then, we have had 104 babies in our care,” Lonzelle added.
According to the couple, the babies end up at TAT as orphaned or abandoned and are sometimes left in hospitals by mothers who can’t care for them.
“We work in close conjunction with various social services and the police. The trail of paperwork is a nightmare, but that is part of the system and something we deal with regarding every baby coming through our doors,” said Kobie.
The couple believe God sent them on this path and that every baby reunited with its biological parents or family, or who finds a loving forever home, makes all the hardships worthwhile, adding that they are blessed.
“There were uncertain times in the beginning, but with the support of our community, we can honestly say that we can provide.
“However, the support and donations from our community are vital to our existence, and we call upon anyone who wants to help to email us at delmas@thealmontree.co.za.”
Call Lonzelle on 082 563 9184 or Kobie on 082 787 3791.
“Together with God and the support of our community, we can rebuild these little ones’ brokenness and restore them to wholeness and life,” the pair concluded.
