G N I S AV S E I B A B
Door of Hope makes a difference in the lives of abandoned children with a four-fold ministry in the heart of Johannesburg. By Tamsyn Cornelius It was 1999 and an abandoned infant was found on the Queen Elizabeth Bridge in Johannesburg. While people stood around taking photos of this newly-born infant, the baby sadly passed away on the side of the road, due to exposure to the elements. Abandonment of infants in South Africa is, unfortunately, a common occurrence. Many of these children are left to die, or simply abandoned in dustbins, open fields, public toilets or on train tracks. After this horrific 1999 occurrence, the Berea Baptist Mission Church said, “something needs to be done”. Under the leadership of Pastor Cheryl Allen, the church made a hole in their wall and a ‘Baby Bin’ was installed allowing mothers to leave their babies, any time, day or night, for the church to take care of them. The moment a baby is placed, care workers on duty receive an electronic signal alerting them. The baby is taken in and the anonymity of the “donor” ensured. News has spread and other babies have been brought personally by their mothers or have come through other means such as
the police, community members, hospitals or clinics. “It is estimated that about 1000 babies are abandoned per month and only a third survive,” explains Door of Hope’s Operations Director, Nadene Grabham. “We don’t encourage abandonment. We offer a safe alternative to babies being abandoned in toilets, rubbish bins etc.” “We believe God has called us into this work,” explains Nadene. “Since we started in 1999, we have had 1572 babies of which 189 came through our Baby Bin.” “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you,” (James 1:27). Door of Hope operates a fourfold ministry in Johannesburg which includes the running of three baby houses that are often commended for feeling more like a home rather than an institution. Here they can comfortably take care of around 74 babies. They are also currently building a village for those children who are not adoptable. Some of the children
will find their home at the village and will become part of the Door of Hope family where they will find a community of ‘moms’ and ‘dads’, ‘aunts’ and ‘uncles’, ‘cousins’, ‘grannies’ and ‘grandpas’ to love and cherish them. “We seek to help in meeting the needs of abandoned, abused and orphaned children in South Africa, by providing loving and stable Christian environments, so that they may grow up to be people that have a positive effect in South Africa and the world.” How can you get involved? Door of Hope has different fundraising initiatives in progress. They are also in need of finances, consumables and volunteers to assist as needed. They are trusting God for over R30-million to build the Door of Hope Village. “Our world needs people of character. If we can raise a generation of world changers, we can make this world a better place. With your help, graduates from the Door of Hope Village can live lives of quality, starting a legacy that will build on itself for generations to come.” For more information visit www.doorofhope.co.za. THE CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE
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