ORPHANS are children whose families have abandoned them due to the child being born disabled, female or with “unappealing” characteristics such as an undesired skin color. In addition to children being orphaned due to the deaths of their parents, children are also considered orphans when their parents decide to no longer care for them and leave them on the streets, in public places or at NGOs – never to be heard from again. Mission: No Child Orphaned is a campaign that brings together NGOs across India that care for orphaned children. These NGOs give the children nutritious meals, medical attention, regular medical treatment, education, sports and the chance to enjoy their childhoods in a safe and loving home.
When children are left on the streets to fend for themselves, these little ones are in danger of being abused and exploited by the worst criminals – child traffickers. These criminals take advantage of the fact that the child has no guardians or parents protecting them and either coerce or abduct them. Once in their grasp, these children are forced to work in factories or restaurants, sold into sex trafficking and never see the inside of a school classroom or a safe and loving home. In this blog, we share with you 5 tragic stories of orphans whose lives could have gone down a dark and dangerous road – but did not all because of donors who support Mission: No Child Orphaned.
These 5 stories of orphans are from Delhi Council For Child Welfare (DCCW), an NGO that has a unique program named Palna, which means cradle. The organization was heartbroken at the number of babies who were being abandoned due to disabilities. Therefore, Delhi Council For Child Welfare came up with an idea. They placed a cradle outside their children’s home for people to leave their “unwanted children”. As soon as any weight above 1 kg is placed inside the cradle, an alarm rings inside the home and alerts the staff members who go outside, pick up the child and bring him or her inside for immediate medical attention in their in-house medical unit. Since 1975, Palna has become a home for orphans and the last chance parents have to make sure their “undesired” children have a safe place to live.
“I was given weeks to live”
The Palna cradle alarm rang. When the staff went outside, there was a 3-month old baby in the cradle whose limbs were fractured. Upon an immediate medical examination, it was found that the child had Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a condition that causes a child’s bones to break or fracture at the slightest touch. The hospital said the baby had only weeks to live and it was clear that because of this congenital condition, the family had abandoned him. But the organization took him in and cared for him. In time, the baby’s health improved and he is now a cheerful and thriving eight year old who dreams of becoming a policeman.
“The beatings left wounds on my scalp”
When a toddler was brought to the NGO, she had residual scalp wounds on her head and a respiratory tract infection. The authorities who brought her said that she was being beaten so severely that she was admitted to the hospital for treatment. It was her mother who was abusing the child and when it was decided that her home environment was too dangerous, the child was brought to the NGO. Delhi Council For Child Welfare helped her overcome her trauma and gave her a safe and secure environment where she would be treated well and make friends with the other children at the home, who consider her their sister.
“I was suffocating inside a plastic bag”
When the staff members looked inside the cradle after hearing the alarm, they saw a plastic bag with something moving inside. Opening the bag, they found a newborn baby with the umbilical cord still attached. It appeared that the baby had been suffocating inside the bag. The organization’s medical unit placed her under intensive care and she was on oxygen for 10 days. Under careful observation, the baby was slowly taken out of intensive care and given the right nutrition and medication to help her become stronger. The little girl is now healthier and enjoys playing in her new home which is filled with affection and warmth.
“I was born with multiple deformities”
It was a difficult delivery and birth trauma that caused this infant to be born with deformities in all four of her small limbs. Her toes on her left foot were unseparated, her right foot was unformed, her right hand was missing a finger and her left arm was too short. Lifting her out of the cradle, the organization’s staff members gave her nutritious food, regular physiotherapy and the chance to interact with other energetic children her age. The child, who was abandoned at two days old, is now a cheerful and active two-year-old who responds to her name when she is called and has learned how to use her hands to carry out tasks.
“I had needle pricks all over my body”
The small body of a two-month-old baby boy in the organization’s cradle was found with multiple needle pricks. He weighed just 1.45 kg, had weak muscles and after a thorough medical examination, was found to have Retinopathy of Prematurity due to poor growth in his mother’s uterus. The organization gave him medical treatment at the hospital and after multiple therapy sessions and special education, the child grew into an active and healthy 3-year-old boy who enjoys playing with building blocks, reciting poems and participating in team sports and other games with his friends at the home.
Support Mission: No Child Orphaned
When you support Mission: No Child Orphaned, you help NGOs care for orphans who are already in their care plus take in more orphaned children who need new homes and loving families. To support Mission: No Child Orphaned:
Support Mission: No Child Orphaned
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Shirley has been in the development sector for over 10 years and is passionate about making a change in the world around her, including adopting dogs and writing to make a difference.
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