In developing countries around the world, millions of young children who have been abandoned and orphaned are being cared for in orphanages.
They desperately need to be loved, stimulated and valued. You may know a child who spent his or her early months or years in one of these resource-poor facilities and was lucky enough to be adopted by a loving family.
You might also know of a family who has struggled with such an adoption because of the poor quality of care their child received during his or her early months.
June 1 was proclaimed International Children’s Day by the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1925.
On Children’s Day this year, the staff of Numsa’s Ekurhuleni region thought it would be a good idea to adopt an orphanage in Vosloorus following a decision of the union’s national executive committee in May this year.
Mohau Home for Orphaned and Disabled Children, run by Mrs Mohau, operates from a house in Vosloorus and houses 33 children.
Children were given blankets, food vouchers, sweets and teddy bears. Speaking at the celebration, George Choshane, Numsa’s regional secretary in Ekurhuleni, said that Numsa has adopted the centre as a pilot project, and that it is important that the union should have a budget for it..
“We should come here one weekend and cement the whole yard.
These children are not supposed to be playing in this dusty area. It is our duty as a union to set precedents on issues like these.
As unionists, we need to look at the social aspect of our society as well,” he said.
“Young children, please look after Mrs Mohau. You will grow up one day and she will need you to look after her when she is older.
She is your mother now,” he cautioned.
The celebration was well attended and the children had lunch with the Numsa staff and other stakeholders.
Why should Numsa care?
As a union that cares, Numsa thought it should help to create a conducive environment for the upbringing of these children.
More often than not, infants and young children in orphanages receive minimal custodial care.
They survive from day to day without experiencing close relationships, without receiving the stimulation needed for healthy brain development, without being praised for their accomplishments, without learning compassion or respect for themselves and others, and without the foundations for a healthy, functioning adulthood.
Millions of children spend their entire childhoods in orphanages. They will survive, but will not become peace-loving global citizens who will make positive contributions to the world community.
By adopting an orphanage, you can profoundly change the lives of orphaned children. By adopting this orphanage, Numsa will profoundly change the lives of the children who live in it.
Source
Numsa News No 2 2010