‘He will be raised to believe he is special and welcome’
Family opens their arms, hearts and home to abandoned baby
A Roodepoort home-owner got quite a shock recently when a three-day-old baby was left on his doorstep, with no information.
The baby was taken to the Child Welfare South Africa Roodepoort’s (CWSAR) office, where the staff did not hesitate to assist. “We could not believe that this tiny human survived the weather conditions, because he was left on the doorstep with not even a blanket on an extremely cold night. He was very small, hungry and cold, and we helped with some nappies and other necessities which we were fortunate to have, after some donations were received,” said Estelle Odendaal, the Director at the CWSAR.
She added that, because they had no information, it was very difficult to find a safe place for him to stay and get him the right medical care, and explained, “We tried to trace his family, but could not find any information, as none of the hospitals in the area had any record of the birth of the child. Without a birth certificate, we could not be provided with any medical assistance for him.”
Odendaal said, that, although they were shocked and angered by this situation, they were grateful that the mother left the baby where he could be found and be helped. “At least we had a chance of helping this little one, and giving him a chance to live a happy and full life with people who love and accept him,” said Odendaal.
After providing the little one with the necessary items, the social worker who was appointed to the case found a friendly family which has already assisted them with fostering many children in the past, and asked if they would be prepared to help once again.
“The family did not hesitate, and they immediately came to our offices, together with their own children, to meet the new addition to their household. It was a very positive meeting, and this foster will definitely be a long-term arrangement,” Odendaal said.
The little one was was registered as Keamogetswe, which means ‘You are welcome’, and Odendaal believes that, in the care of his new family, he will be raised to believe that he is special and welcome in the world.
After he was registered, Keamogetswe was taken to the hospital for a general medical assessment, and, save for having a slight cold after his rough start in life, he was given a clean bill of health.
Odendaal is appealing to the community to help them with donations of baby items, especially nappies (size number 3) and milk (Infacare no 1), and said, “The family is also in need of baby clothing (0–3 months and 3–6 months), blankets and any other baby equipment.”
If there is anyone that can help with donations, please contact Esti le Roux on 011 271 8700 or send an email to estelle@childwelfaresaroodepoort.org.za for more information.
To see what they do and what other items they need, visit the CWSAR’s website at https://www.childwelfaresaroodepoort.org.za or their Facebook page, https://ww.facebook.com/CWSARoodepoort/.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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