Baitul Aman:  Haven of Love for Abandoned Babies

Quraisha Daya is inspired and moved by a visit to the abandoned babies unit at the Baitul Aman

Crisp blue skies and rolling hills of every shade of green embrace the open road to La Mercy. As the river gently meanders to the sea, wild flora pull away to reveal plush white villas with heavy silk drapes and silver-dusted balcony railings that seem to stretch out to the sea. In this picturesque setting, lies Baitul Aman, a home for abandoned children. Aptly named, tranquillity filters through this house of peace, and although the older children are at school today, uninhibited giggles signify the life and warmth of Baitul Aman’s Abandoned Babies Unit.

Little Omar smiles mischievously and Aadila sweetly tags behind him on the quest to find his lost sandal.  Baby Rashida lies quietly in her cot, clutching her milk bottle, while curious Razina stares at her crying neighbour. Supervisor Ridwaan Mahommed explains that a need for a specialised babies unit emerged  at the home which is now 37 years old. After initially catering for 10, the unit accepted 15, and now holds 13 children ranging in age from 3 months old to 5 years old. “We have no idea where their parents are,” he says.  “They’ve all been abandoned or left at hospitals.”

The Departments of Child Welfare and Social Services have ensured these children are raised safely and untainted by loneliness. “Even though we don’t know if these babies were born into Muslim families, we raise them as Muslims because every child born is born a Muslim,” explains Mahommed.

Three month old Ahmed has been at the unit since he was a day old and little Mariam, who has a water retention problem, has been through many operations, but there is no shortage of love for her and other children whose home is this cheerfully painted unit. “All their toys and cots are donated through the Darul Yatama wal Masakeen,” relates Mahommed gratefully, adding that the community’s response has been wonderful.

The Abandoned Babies Unit now employs 4 staff, who are nursing aides and child-care providers, as a few of the children are HIV infected. Mohammed says that singling out those with the disease would create an unfair separation, “While 3 of the children are infected, we treat everyone the same,” he says, adding that no child is deprived of the care and attention he/she needs.

 As supervisor of Baitul Aman, Mahommed’s job is as emotional as it is rewarding. “At first, it was very draining,” he admits.  “But it gets easier because giving of yourself takes the place of feeling down.”

 “We have a lot of happy times here,” he says smiling, describing the moments that have made joyous memories in the baby unit.  “The highlights are when a child grows up and leaves the home, going on to become a productive and contributing member of society.”

The process of adoption at the unit works through social workers from an outside agency, who assist the family in adopting a baby if the child is available for adoption. Adopting a positive attitude toward entrepreneurship is a step in the right direction for the home, and with sustainability in mind, Mahommed suggests that the future of Baitul Aman will be a successful one. “We now have a chicken farm and hope to open holiday cottages, a play area, an animal farm, tunnel farms, an aviary and fish breeding,” he says, pointing to an empty swimming pool where they hope to breed tuna and bass. These projects aim to provide a sustainable income for the children and in conjunction with vocational training programmes, teach the children how to think outside the box and be independent. Mahommed is impressed by the Muslim community’s assistance to Baitul Aman but says that much more is needed for the unit to flourish. “We are hoping to extend the baby unit, because we had to stop admissions due to our capacity to only welcome 10 children,” he says. While most South Africans celebrate Eid with their families, the children at the Babies Unit celebrate Eid with different families who provide breakfast, lunch or supper on the day, and come to spend these meal times at the orphanage. Often, the family also provides a mountain of gifts, so that the children feel special. ‘There have been times when they have been forgotten,” says Mahommed. “But we try and make Eid as special as we can so that the disappointment is pushed aside.” It is easy to become disillusioned and demotivated, as frustrations do crop up, but Ridwaan Mahommed’s attitude is powerful, his motto is “Everything is a Challenge.”

The road back from Baitul Aman is a very different inspired one, full of reflection, self-awareness and a sense of motivation to make the lives of these little treasures beautiful. Suddenly the massive mansions with their perfect paving and double-volume entrance halls seem overshadowed by visions of baby Mariam and little Omar playing with his broken tennis racket, happily hunting for his lost sandal.

Article by Quraisha Daya