Ngwana house personnel really have a warm heart

POLOKWANE – Looking after and taking care of babies is not an easy task, but this is the primary function of the Ngwana House in Fauna Park.

Ngwana means ‘child’ and the caretakers simply love the children they take care of.

Ngwana House serves as a refuge for some of society’s most vulnerable babies between 0 and 24 months of age. These precious little souls are orphaned or abandoned or given up for adoption by mothers who cannot care for them. The house has become a home to 22 children.

Previously the adoption process was only done in Pretoria but from August 1, the adoption office will be run from Ngwana House. The home’s social worker, Santie Oberholzer said she would be responsible for the adoption office, which will resort under Abba Specialist Adoptions and Social Services Organisation. “We want to place every baby with a warm and loving family. The babies stay with us until a screened, permanent home is found. They are then put into foster care or they are adopted,” she explained.

She further said if a mother felt she had absolutely no other option open to her other than to abandon her baby, she should rather leave her baby on Ngwana House’s doorstep.

The past two decades have seen Abba become the current national designated and accredited child protection organisation.

Abba forms part of the Apostolic Faith Mission’s Executive Welfare Council and has a mandate to facilitate both local and inter-country adoptions. Abba provides a comprehensive spectrum of services related to adoption in all provinces in South Africa, they render adoption services, statutory services in respect of adoptable children and support and option counselling in cases of unplanned pregnancies.