SOUTH AFRICA: JOHANNESBURG: UNWANTED BABIES скачать в хорошем качестве

SOUTH AFRICA: JOHANNESBURG: UNWANTED BABIES

(30 Nov 1999) English/Nat A hole in the wall of a Johannesburg church haven has become a lifeline for babies abandoned by impoverished South African mothers. Hundreds of babies are dumped every year in the South African capital, left to die in garbage piles or back alleys. Now the "Door of Hope" is offering these children the chance of survival and a new life with childless couples desperate to adopt. In this decayed inner-city district of Johannesburg a church has become a beacon of hope for the youngest victims of poverty. A metal hatch in the wall of the church compound represents the chance for a new life for hundreds of unwanted babies born here every year. Placing their unwanted babies in the lined compartment allows mothers anonymity and freedom from prosecution. And it gives the babies a chance of a new life. Pastor Cheryl Allen and her staff demonstrated how deposits can be made through the so-called "Door of Hope." Once a baby has been deposited, a pressure-sensitive switch sets off a siren and flashing lights inside the church. A church worker then comes outside to collect the baby. The Hillbrow Baptist Church is on the border of one of the most violent, crime-ridden and decayed parts of Johannesburg. The gruesome discovery of the bodies of abandoned newborns prompted Pastor Cheryl Allen to come up with the idea of the hole in the church wall. An estimated 30 newborn babies are dumped every month in Johannesburg. Reverend Allen's previous nursing experience has made her all too aware of the slim chance an abandoned baby has of surviving. SOUNDBITE: (English) "And so we investigated and found that a number of babies were being killed. And so we wanted to do something about it. We put up posters and asked the ladies in the neighbourhood not to kill their babies or dump them but to bring them to us. And we prayed about it and thought about it and I came up with the idea of putting this hole in the wall, because a lot of the ladies didn't want to just come and give them to us, they wanted to be anonymous." SUPER CAPTION: Rev Cheryl Allen, Pastor, Hillbrow Baptist Church Allen aims to find adoptive parents for all abandoned babies. But some are harder than others to place. Baby Andrew was lucky. He was fostered by an American couple from Colorado Springs who looked after abandoned babies in a black Pretoria township. Two weeks ago he tested positive for H-I-V, but that did not deter his foster parents from making a permanent commitment. SOUNDBITE: (English) "They thought Andrew could be adopted and in these last two weeks found out that he is HIV-positive. And they said please, we'd like Andrew to go to your house. We just want to love Andrew and we have a lot of love in our family and we believe that that love will help Andrew." SUPER CAPTION: Bill Rapier, adoptive parent Reverend Allen has printed over 1,000 posters urging mothers to leave their babies at the church rather than leave them to the mercy of the elements. Already eleven babies have been brought to the church during the project's three months of operation. As word spreads of this humane alternative for desperate mothers, the flow increases. For the church workers, it takes patience, perseverance and care. Each time they lock the inside of the "Door of Hope" they hope that the next time they unlock it, they will have the chance to bring another unwanted baby into their home and give it a chance of life. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...