Anna felt strongly that with God’s help she, too, could make a difference. Precisely at this time, her Head of Department, Professor Coovadia, was awarded the Nelson Mandela Human Rights Award and along with the award came a substantial sum of money.
Professor Coovadia, recognizing that Anna was involved with evangelical charity efforts among AIDS sufferers, approached her for advice as to which organization would most benefit from this money. Anna says that she uttered the following words almost of their own volition “Give it to us” she had told Professor Coovadia. It took six months for the legalities to be finalized but in May 2001 iThemba Lethu (I Have a Destiny) was born.
Glenda Algie, co-ordinator, estimates that 21 babies have since passed through the Transition Home. All, but one, have either been adopted or fostered or united with extended family members. The ‘one’, being among the first babies of iThemba Lethu, had passed-away soon after arrival at the Transition Home, too weak to survive the onslaught of the killer virus that had ravaged her tiny body.
Dealing with the heartache:
How does one endure the emotional roller coaster-ride of caring for these hapless babies whose lives, sometimes, hang so precariously in the balance? Gail Johnson, although not involved with iThemba Lethu in any way, the late Nkosi Johnson’s foster mother, in her email to me reduced me to tears as she describes Nkosi’s last days when the “baddies” in his blood began to diminish his body and crumble his vitality and he would cling to her and say “I’ll miss you Mommy”.
Glenda says that between herself, Anna, Ntefeleng Ntoa (Social Worker), Liz Holley (House Mother), Cindy Mnyandu (Housekeeper) and Ndondo Ngcobo (Night caregiver) there exists a bond of mutual empathy and support. This, along with the fact that each member of the team feels specifically called by God, who strengthens them, is the mainspring of their fortitude.
“Losing a child to the hospice is a rare occurrence.” Glenda said “but in these instances we are bolstered by the fact that, due to our loving care, the child has received love, prayer, and individual care in a warm, family environment.”
Anna describes iThemba Lethu as a transitional home and not an institution and allowed me to read excerpts of the integration program of some of the babies that have passed through the home (names and personal details withheld). It is a sad indictment on our humanity; a story of babies being deserted in hospitals, thrown from moving vehicles, tiny babies handed over to complete strangers on some pretext and never reclaimed or left with grandparents too old to take care of them. Heartbreaking cases of babies that would simply die of starvation if left in a corner because they have no concept of their cries being responded to, or toddlers so malnourished and neglected that, at two years old, they are still unable to walk or talk. There were also the tragic Love stories of dying mothers arriving at the home to hand over their precious offspring and to bid them a tearful and final farewell.
The Fate of the Abandoned Baby:
There are diverse reasons for the syndrome of abandoned babies. Often it is due to the youthfulness and ignorance of the mothers who are unable, for varying reasons, too assume responsibility for their unplanned offspring but more prevalent are the instances of HIV positive mothers who are either too ill themselves or shrink from the emotional pain involved with raising a terminally ill child while also dealing with the existing stigma that result in family and friends ostracizing them. Ntefeleng, the resident social worker, explained that every effort is made to either reunite the abandoned child with his/her own family or to place them with an adoptive or foster family and that the Transition Home assists with the screening and support of the adopted children.
“We have successfully implemented five adoptions thus far, three of which were trans-racial.” Ntefeleng told me. These latter adoptions are becoming a common occurrence but there are those that disapprove, fearful of the child being diverged from their natural heritage. The detractors of this practice must, however, agree that it is the lesser of the evils in the forsaken child’s arena.
iThemba Lethu also encourages involvement with the youth of their Church, and any other willing volunteers. The voluntary caregivers number about forty. They arrive at the Home severally, but on a regular basis, to help with meal and bath times or simply to entertain the babies. Anna explains that the large numbers of willing participants is also due to the local schools encouraging a culture of volunteering.
A Tour of the Home:
The house, itself, nestles at the foot of a steep driveway, hidden from the road by generous hedges and shrubs and secured by high fences and an electronic gate. I find the garden to be neat and well groomed and, on a smooth patch of green grass near the iron-grilled front door, an empty plastic paddling pool crouches in chubby silence. As I enter the carpeted Lounge Cindy Mnyandu (the Housekeeper) greets me from atop a stool, cloth in hand, as she meticulously polishes the shades of the central Light. She shakes my hand, smiling shyly, before continuing her task. I encounter Liz (the House Mother) in the Kitchen and through the open back door I spy several toddlers happily chattering as they play among an assortment of colourful toys. The atmosphere is one of happy contentment and the envy of any household. There are currently four toddlers residing at the home and Liz informs me that very often all four are vying for her attention at once. This is immediately collaborated by the very agile W and M, both of whom are displaying a zealous and energetic curiosity of simply everything, while enthusiastically escorting me on a grand tour, led by Glenda, of the immaculate and spacious house. They evince a total adoration for Liz, Glenda and Anna with intermittent leg hugging and fervent smiles that are wholly adorable. In the Kitchen Glenda points out a steel container in which donated breast milk is pasteurized for the benefit of the resident babies. I am greatly impressed by this and wonder who these munificent women are and, later, as I view before and after photos that illustrate how ailing, weak babies with sunken brows quickly become vigorous and lusty, I wonder whether they fully realized how truly commendable their offerings are.
Further Missions:
iThemba Lethu have come to the realization that the problem of HIV/AIDS cannot be treated in isolation and from the point of view of prevention, they have begun a program among the youth of Cato Manor that encourages behaviour adjustments and engenders a sense of self-worth which, the Mission believes, will impact on their sexual choices and behaviour thereby preventing HIV infection.
Anna says that what struck her deeply is the lack of a meaningful destiny for disadvantaged children and how their realization of this must impact negatively on their life choices.
“This is not what God intended for our adolescents” Anna expostulates, pointing out the verse in Jeremiah where God says that ‘He has a plan for us, to prosper us and not harm us’. Anna says that she is inspired by this verse and, indeed, this ideology appears to be intrinsic among the Administers of the Transition Home.
As I prepare to leave a young girl arrives (one of the forty-odd I imagine) and immediately lifts a gleeful little M onto her hip and totes him off into the belly of the house. It is such a comfortable action that speaks of a familiarity and it succeeds in striking a joyful and optimistic cord. A cord that exclaims with certitude that for many hope will burn eternal because of iThemba Lethu.
The end. |
