Kill your baby, dump your baby ... or make sure s/he is safe and has a future

Kill your baby, dump your baby ... or make sure s/he is safe and has a future

"When the girl-child that was buried alive,

Is asked for what crime she was slain?'

 

Al-Quran  81: 8-9

 

 

The baby Moses was placed in a reed basket and set adrift on the Nile -- to be found and brought up by Pharaoh's daughter.  That was very lucky!

 

 

 

In Islamic countries -- with their strict sexual morality and enforced segregation of unmarried men and women -- there is obviously no sex outside marriage, and therefore no problem of unwanted babies.  Theoretically. 

 

So why is it that, in Malaysia alone, there are scores of babies abandoned every year?  Left in secluded public places, like toilets and rubbish dumps, presumably in the hope and expectation that a kind stranger will find the child and ensure its well-being. 

 

Sadly, many abandoned babies in Malaysia are not so lucky, dying of dehydration or even being eaten by wild dogs.

 

The problem is, of course, the shame of being an unmarried mother.  Many young women hide their pregnancies from their families, perhaps get no support from the baby's father, and for them the only option seems to be to give birth in secret and then dump the child somewhere -- trusting that s/he will be found and looked after. 

 

There is now, at least in Kuala Lumpur, a much better option. 

 

 

Operating out of an innocuous detached house in a leafy cul-de-sac in the suburb of Petaling Jaya, OrphanCARE's mission is to get abandoned and orphaned children into suitable, permanent families as quickly as possible.  It is thus not an orphanage per se, but more of a temporary safe home and adoption centre.  

 

  

 

OrphanCARE works closely with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development to expedite the adoption process whereby abandoned and orphaned babies and children are quickly matched up and placed with suitable parents. 

  

OrphanCARE undertakes awareness programmes to make society recognize that orphans should not be left permanently in orphanages or shelter homes.

  

There is a database of interested adoptive parents with complete background profiles and OrphanCARE is working with orphanages, single mother shelter homes, hospitals and clinics to provide suitable families for orphans and unwanted or abandoned babies. 

  

But most innovative is OrphanCARE's solution to secret 'baby-dumping', often conducted at night. 

A state-of-the-art 'baby hatch' has been installed at the facility, allowing anonymous mothers to safely leave their babies, and enabling them to be swiftly and legally processed for adoption. 

The mother leaves the baby inside the air-conditioned baby hatch.  If she signs and leaves the consent form, it means that there is no need for a police report -- the baby can proceed immediately into the adoption process.  (Not signing the form slows the adoption process down a lot, because a police investigation is triggered.) 

 

 

 

Once the hatch is closed, it becomes locked (so that no-one else can steal the baby), an alarm sounds inside and the baby is visible on the television monitor.  If the mother should change her mind, an intercom is available for her to talk to the centre staff. 

 

 

 

The neighbours have all been surprisingly supportive of the OrphanCARE facility, and in the wider community there have been only a few opponents coming from a miserable religious perspective, asserting that this facility will encourage illicit sex. 

 

The OrphanCARE baby hatch does not address the problem of inappropriate and careless sexual relationships, but it surely provides a better option than new-born babies being eaten by wild dogs.  Who could argue against that?

  

    

 

www.orphancare.org.my

 

Comments

[Mohamed Mughal]

What a blessed idea. I didn't know that this was an issue in Malaysia. Informative post!

[Greenkiwi5032]

Hi there. I am currently doing some public speaking assignment about baby hatch... and need to tell my audience about baby hatch: the reason for it. but i'm stuck on my point... i didn't get enough point. If you don't mind... can u help and share with me about this baby hatch things. I really appreciate it. Thank You.

[Anand Raj Doraisingam]

I am a malaysian, married with children and living in Spain. My brother in-law and his wife are interested in adopting children from Malaysia so that my kids and his prospective adopted kids would have a common cultural bond.What does he need to do. My in-laws reside in Spain.

[YL]

Hi there. I am interested in adopting children. Can a single parents adopt a child?

[Puspa Sivan]

Hi
I am Puspa Sivan and would like to volunteer my services to care for the babies as I can see that you are doing it in a very professional manner and since I am an 'Infant and Toddler Development' Specialist I feel the need to support the programme.

[Ong Hooi Chan]

Hi
Both my husband & I are bankers & we don't have any child. I hope babyhatch can help us to adopt one child.

[iz]

hello there..i have a friend that infected with hiv..can she adopt a child?

[Noorliza Mat Sharif]

Hi, how can we adopt baby boy?

[dolly]

Hi
we would like to adopt a baby .pls guide us how to apply and the procuders .TQ.

[Dzulkifli]

Hi there. I am interested in adopting a babby boy.
Can a single parents adopt a child?

i Am a Malay guy, unmarried and works as an accountant.

[mai]

i am a single mother to 2 children,now i'm pregnant,my due date is 5/2 2012,unfortunately,my bf family did not allow him to be responsible.i cannot afford to take care of this child,what should i do??

[sheela]

hai....im intersted in adopting a newborn baby boy...n if possible it should b a punjabi or nothern indian baby.... both my husband n i have been trying for the last 15 years for a child but in vain as even gynes r not able to esplain... would really appreciate ur help n generousity..thanks

[umm summy]

asa.
is it possible for UK citizens,non malaysia, who have been approved by the UK adoption authorities to adopt a new born baby from malaysia? how long would it take, what is the proceudre? there seems to be no information on this and lots of people are postin questtions and are desperate! jk, waslam

[Ann]

i already married for 5 years but still don't have one.And our basic income were just below rm2000,if that occur,is my adopting baby would be rejected.

[Joey]

My husband and I have a 5-year old daughter now and we are interested to adopt another child. We are from a Chinese family so a Chinese baby is preferred. What is the process?