Safe haven for dumped babies

The launch of the Impact Baby Rescue Centre, with its safe box for unwanted babies, came as a huge relief to spokesperson for Honeydew Police Warrant Officer Karen Jacobs who said, “Cases of dumped babies are a huge problem in the Honeydew Precinct” and added that “Some of these cases occur because people don’t know that there is help out there for them if they don’t want the babies they are carrying.”

The centre is situated in Cosmo City.

A partnership between ER24 Emergency Medical Services,Village Church’s Impilo Child Protection and Adoption Services and Impact Africa Baby Rescue opened doors for the safe receipt of unwanted babies.

Senior pastor for Village Church Lonehill Colin Ekamen says, he had a vision in 2008 to create a safe place for orphans to stay until they could be placed in an appropriate facility or home.

This vision became reality when Impilo Foster Home formed its first foster home in August 2011, followed by a second home in April 2014.

Ekamen stated that, “We needed the immediate medical care at the home for the babies that were found abandoned.”

Hans Lodder CEO and director of Impilo Foster Homes

said, “One of our children was abandoned on a rubbish dump in a plastic bag and as a result suffers from brain damage. He has been one of our inspirations for the project.”

This led to the launch of the baby drop box.

A mother places her baby in the box, which is followed by an alarm inside the house and is sent to ADT, RSS security services and ER24.

ER24’s Luyanda Majija said, “ER24 has partnered with Impilo Foster Homes to … facilitate the dispatch [of] an ambulance with the appropriate medical crews to assess a baby dropped off at the rescue station.”

Richard Franzen, founder of Impact Africa Baby Rescue, commented that his organisation, “helps community centres with the education and prevention of abandonment of babies.”

Details: Hans Lodder hansl@impilofosterhomes.org.za, info@impilofosterhomes.org.za, 079 840 7119; Impact Baby Rescue 071 617 2002.