I love doing volunteer work, I feel a sense of duty to do so. While I have volunteered for many organisations, my heart lies with children. When (after 5 years of trying to conceive) I was told that I have unexplained fertility - I had a strong urge to connect kids who had been abandoned (an unfortunately very common thing here in South Africa).
"All I wanted to do is mother a child and all any child wants is for someone to love them like only a mother can."
In some way I felt that we would connect. All I wanted to do is mother a child and all any child wants is for someone to love them like only a mother can. I found a Baby Home where I "fit". I would volunteer nearly every day and I grew extremely close to some of the babies. The children at this home all hand happy endings, and were adopted into families of their own. It was hard to say goodbye to children who you had helped care for as your own - but like mother's do, you do whats best for your child.
The volunteer work opened my and my husbands eyes up to adoption, and through this we eventually became parents to our very own little boy - little did we know that this was God's plan for us all along! Since we brought or boy home, the time available for me to volunteer became minimal, I had a new little bundle to care for! Both my husband and I make it our focus to assist the babies homes around us when and where we can though - in the name of our son whom we love oh so very much!
"volunteer work opened my and my husbands eyes up to adoption"
Recently we were able to take some time off and help the Durban North Baby Home, here in South Africa, by digging a vegetable garden for them and donating vegetable seedlings. We really enjoyed this form of volunteering! The food we we planted would be used to feed little ones for years and years come.
HERE WE ARE GETTING OUR HANDS DIRTY
More About The Durban North Baby Home
This home for abandoned and orphaned babies us a Non Profit Organization that was started a few years ago by a woman called Jo and her husband. Like us, they had also adopted a child and this opened their hearts to the very sad cases of abandoned children in South Africa. They built a large nursery on to their own home. registered as legal foster parents and submitted their NPO application. They are currently housing 7 babies, all under the age of 3.
When we visited the home we got to meet these beautiful kids. We got to see how well taken care of they are. Every need of theirs is met - most of all, they are LOVED. They are loved by their foster parents, the workers who assist at the home and by all the volunteers. They sweetie pies will stay at the home until such time that they are adopted by a family of their very own.
You can learn more about the Durban North Baby Home HERE
There is currently a huge crisis in Southern Africa where children, mostly babies, are being abandoned recklessly. Very sadly, 2 out of 3 of these abandoned children die, before being found and rehabilitated. There are a few organizations who are making it their sole purpose to educate the communities on family planning as well as options for unwanted pregnancies, with adoption being their encouragement. A number of hospitals have also but safe opening in walls (like a mail box) where mothers can place their babies if they want to remain unknown. This measure seems extreme, but rather this than the babies being placed on dumps - which is what is currently happening.