Two women, 13 years, 140 babies
Sunday is Mother's Day, so we thought we would bring you touching tales of motherhood. Each day this weekend we will post one of three exceptional stories. Today we are featuring two special house mothers. Meet, Linda Davis and Precious Thabete.
SINCE their doors opened in 2004, first with Fairhavens then with Ubebele two years ago, Linda Davis and Precious Thabethe have together taken care of over 140 abandoned babies in The Domino Foundation’s transitional homes. The women are the respective house mothers for the baby homes in Durban North and have been working by each others’ side for over a decade. The 35 year-old Thabethe was the first person she interviewed for the role as a care giver at Fairhavens, recalled the 60 year-old Davis.
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“It’s been amazing working with Precious all this time. I learnt so much from her and I was so proud she was made a house mother in 2015 when we opened Ubebele,” said Davis. Davis and Thabethe are themselves parents to three and two children each. Yet despite dealing regularly with cases where parents decide to give up their children, these mothers don’t condemn them.
“When we go to pick up children we don’t know the background of the women who are giving their babies, so we can’t judge them,” said Thabethe.
Davis said, “A person needs to be desperate to decide to give up their child. Particularly in cases where the woman has made an effort to find a safe place like Child Welfare or a baby home, to take their child to.”
What they appreciate about the parents in these cases, is that they are choosing to place their children’s best interest ahead of their own, by giving them to someone who can take better care of them than they would. “I feel very sorry for them because often they are heartbroken when we come to collect the child. I usually spend more time having to console the parent,” recounts Davis.
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The pair say they are happy when a child is adopted. “That’s because the baby has found someone who will love them and take care of them,” says Davis, adding that it was something she learnt, realising that it is better for the baby.
“It’s a calling for us,” said Thabethe. “I believe that this is what I’m meant to do: care for these children and give them love.”
