The Abandoned

When I arrived at Neo Birth this morning I found the staff gushing over a tiny little newborn. I assumed it was the child of one of the staff members. I asked who she was and they told me she did not have a name. Yesterday her young mother came to Neo Birth and explained their circumstances. Afterwards, while the counselor was holding the little girl, the mother just walked away, abandoning her 1-week-old child. One of the Neo Birth staff members took the baby home with her for the night. Apparently she was malnourished and had not eaten in 3 or 4 days. The little girl was being passed around, receiving so much love, all day at the office. It was today that the compassion and commitment to the mission of Neo Birth was incredibly apparent. The staff members will take her to the doctors and a social worker, and will continue caring for her until she is placed in a home.

I was told that children are abandoned at Neo Birth around once a month. It takes around 4-6 months to place a child in a home. Neo Birth used to send the abandoned children to a shelter called Lighthouse. However, Lighthouse is not currently open, so the Neo Birth staff care for the children in their own home with their own money until the child is placed into a home. I was told that Neo Birth wont let these children go to a shelter or family unless they are Christian. No comment. The founder of Neo Birth, Maurie, told me how important it is to have shelters within the individual communities. This is because the child will be living in a place that speaks the same language and has the same culture. It will also empower the community to look after and be responsible of their own.