A safer option for desperate moms
After a lot of controversy and a year later, The Domino Babies Home's baby safe has not been used.
THE abandonment of babies is a huge problem, locally, provincially and countrywide.
According to the Domino Babies Home (Fairhavens) there are no official annual statistics for abandoned children in South Africa, however, the unofficial number is 3 500.
“In reality it’s probably higher. National adoption stats show 2 400 children were adopted last year,” said Melanie Turner, project manager for The Domino Foundation.
The Domino Babies Home alone took in a total of eight new babies last year. Two of the babies were adopted by Danish nationals, two went back to their families, three were adopted by South Africans and one was sent to a children’s home.
After 10 years of serving the community as a transitional home for abandoned and vulnerable babies, The Domino Babies Home (Fairhavens), expanded its efforts by introducing a baby safe, which opened its doors to extremely desperate mothers last year.
After being asked by the local police and Child Welfare, and following research, the babies home decided to install a baby safe.
It is a ventilated device installed in the exterior wall of the home that faces the road.
A sensor immediately goes off when a baby is placed inside, instantly notifying three people at the babies home. The baby is then removed from the box immediately and the home alerts the police, doctors and welfare.
The babies home stressed this is a last-resort solution for desperate mothers, an answer to a problem that shouldn’t really exist.
But following controversy on the subject, and some people believing it promoted abandonment, the babies home reported that the safe was not used at all since it was installed last year.
“We know it’s a controversial issue, but we need to get the community to understand how huge the issue of abandonment really is,” Turner added.
“We are in no way promoting abandonment, but rather safer, anonymous and responsible abandonment of babies. The abandonment of babies in South Africa has become a dire situation.
“The baby safe offers a lifesaving solution. Already babies that are being dumped in a plastic bag, toilet, bin or bush, are extremely lucky to be found alive as they are dumped and left for dead.”
Turner said it’s believed higher income South Africans often look down on mothers who abandon their babies, but added no one could know what the mother’s circumstances were at the time.
“Every child has the right to a family and here we can at least give them a family and also get them adopted,” she said.
Turner stressed that they wanted to spread the word about the baby safe as well as educate mothers before abandonment takes place.
“We don’t currently have the funds to run awareness campaigns in the areas and at institutions where it matters most. We need to get posters, campaigns or billboards out to informal settlements, universities, hospitals and bus stops to name a few,” she said.
Turner welcomed any company or organisation that wanted to donate funds, services or resources towards the awareness campaign to contact her at babies@domino.org.za
The baby safe is at The Domino Baby Home in Adelaide Tambo Drive (Kensington Drive).
