Crisis Centre for abandoned/orphaned babies Uganda

A New Year message from the field – and the latest news on 4 baby girls – each with their own New Chance thanks to Nafasi and Our Wonderful Donors

Welcome to our first report of the year, in which Nafasi’s manager, Jackie, sends an inspiring message and we learn how 4 of our baby girls are growing thanks to the hard work and dedication of Nafasi staff – work and dedication that is only possible thanks to our fantastic donors.

So over to Jackie: -

“When a close friend told me that caring for orphans and vulnerable children would change my life I did not fully understand the meaning of this statement, but working with them and their vulnerable young mothers in need has made me realise that you will love more passionately, hurt more deeply, grieve more bitterly and celebrate more joyously throughout the process of caring for them than you ever thought imaginable.

Here in Uganda ,56% of our population are 18 or younger, and one in ten of these are orphans and critically vulnerable due to poverty, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence and sexual abuse. Teenage pregnancy is a major challenge and many of our young women, still children themselves, find themselves thrust into early motherhood. Both unprepared and unsupported to raise a child, many of these young mothers are forced to abandon their children.

At Nafasi we are committed to providing support and care in such crisis. I lead a team of 12 dedicated staff who I cannot thank enough for the great job they do in ensuring every baby and young child in our care is nurtured, kept safe and healthy. I am also immensely grateful for all the hard work that our social work team put into our community support programme, which reaches out to teenage mothers.

We are committed to helping every woman and girl develop confidence and self-esteem and unlock the unlimited potential that is within each and every one of us.

We would like to thank all our sponsors and donors, as none of our work would otherwise be possible, and we look forward to a 2018 in which Nafasi can continue to grow our vital work.”

4 Baby Girls – Each with a New Chance

 Baby P was admitted to Nafasi when she was less than a month old, malnourished and in urgent need of life-saving care. Her 17-year-old young mum and baby twin sister had both died the day after she was born, and her family could not even afford to buy milk for her. Now she is growing well and can crawl thanks to the specialist attention she is receiving to develop her motor skills. She is a happy little girl who greets everyone with a big smile.

 Baby M has just had her 9-month immunisations at our campus clinic. She is with us at Nafasi until her teenage mum and her foster family have sufficient resources to care for her at home. She has a big appetite for everything and rarely cries. She loves to roll about in the Nafasi garden, and to crawl, although she can only crawl backwards!

Baby L was admitted to Nafasi last October, as a very malnourished and underweight 5-month-old, following a referral made as a result of our outreach initiative, the Nafasi Community Support Programme. Baby L’s mother is mentally ill and being cared for by the local authorities. Baby L is way behind in her development and has needed a lot of specialist care and encouragement to eat, settle in and get used to the daily routine at Nafasi.  Although she is not yet strong enough to crawl or stand, she is beginning to gain weight and to socialise with other babies of her own age.

Finally, we have an encouraging update on Baby D, the tiny baby who came to Nafasi at 2 weeks old with her vulnerable 13-year-old teen Mum, whose rescue and ‘multiple new chances’ we covered in our last report of 2017. We are delighted to report that both are doing very well. Mum has just started the new school year in Uganda in her new class at the Mission school and has a real opportunity to catch up on her missed education. Baby D is now a happy, smiling child who has learned to crawl and stand up. The clinic doctors are pleased with her growth and developmental progress. She recognises the attention that her Mum gives her in the evenings and weekends, and she is also developing independence and can play on her own.

Nafasi staff and social workers are working with the statutory authorities and our partner organisations to draw up plans to ensure that each of these babies can be resettled and grow up in a stable and loving family environment, and we will keep you updated. Two of our Directors are visiting Nafasi again in March, so look out for the update photos they will be taking of these babies on our website and social media, and in our next report.

Thank you again, your generosity gives each and every one of these babies and their mothers real hope and a new chance in life.

 International Women’s Day Thursday March 8^th 2018

For one day only GlobalGiving will give away extra funds for donations made on International Women’s Day to projects like Nafasi Welfare Centre who work to support and promote women and girls in need. We are proud to say we qualify!

Please donate to not only celebrate with special day with us but also to maximise your donation! See flyer on our facebook page.

Thank you for taking time to read this report. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us: www.nafasiwelfarecentre.org