Aid to the Church in Need: Nigeria: The nuns in Nigeria who are caring for little orphaned babies

Nigeria: The nuns in Nigeria who are caring for little orphaned babies

Posted by ACN News on 27/7/2009, 5:09 pm
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Nigeria: The nuns in Nigeria who are caring for little orphaned babies

"She was just lying there in the bush“

Eva-Maria Kolmann

It all began in 2001 when someone found a newborn baby in the bush – only just in time, in fact, for the ants had already begun to crawl over the little baby. Since no one knew who her parents were, the little girl was brought to the nuns in the nearby convent at Ikeduru, in eastern Nigeria. They took her in and cared for her lovingly, giving her the name "Chidimma“ – which means "God is good". As time passed, more and more children were brought to them, especially newborn babies whose mothers had died in childbirth. It is by no means unusual for these children to be blamed by their relatives for the death of their mother, but equally it is very often the case that the remaining relatives are quite simply overwhelmed and unable to care properly for the child – more often than not because they already have many children of their own whom they are scarcely able to feed and care for. Other babies were born to single mothers who in other circumstances might quite possibly have chosen to abort their child. One or two of the children have been rejected by their own families because they are albinos and have white skin and white hair. Such children are widely discriminated against in many countries of Africa and often ill-treated; and indeed in some countries, like Tanzania for example, they are even murdered by witch doctors in order to make supposed magic potions from their body parts. All these children have found a secure refuge and a loving home here in the "House of Hope" run by the Daughters of Charity of the Precious Blood, as the congregation to which the sisters belong is called.

Daughters of the Charity of the Most Precious Blood take care of orphans in the Hope House

"These children are like jewels to us", says Sister Stella, who runs the House of Hope. "For each one of them we always ask ourselves, 'What would their natural mother, who is now in Heaven, have done for and wanted for, her child?' That is our yardstick". And with tears in her eyes, she adds, "God is so good!" The truth is that, but for this House of Hope, many of these little ones would not be alive today. And the children love the sisters. Whenever one of the nuns enters the room, they all come running, crying "Sister, Sister!" In the mornings, when Sister Stella walks through the hall, a host of little mouths cry out, "Good morning Sister!" The sisters also continue to care for their little charges even after their family members have decided, some time later, to take them back after all. For it is also the sisters' goal to have the children return to their natural families again wherever possible, and the aunts and uncles, grandparents or even fathers who had previously felt themselves unable to care for a baby are often willing to take back their children when they are older. In such cases the sisters visit the families frequently and continue to accompany the children for a long time.
It is also very important to give the older children guidance and direction, so that they do not simply hang around in idleness and end up falling into the hands of the drug dealers, as Sister Stella tells us. There is a great need for solid pastoral care here, so that these young people can build a secure and happy existence and a stable family life, based on the Good News of Jesus Christ. At the same time the sisters provide a great many such people with real practical help, showing them how to run a home and how to earn a living. They aim to care for the whole person. "Above all, you have to lay a solid foundation", Sister Stella emphasises. For then these children, who once seemed lost, will have the chance to find out for themselves that "God is so good".

But the sisters from the House of Hope not only care about the little orphans but also do at least as much to ensure that other children do not lose their mothers in the first place. For childbirth mortality rates are far too high, and Sister Stella estimates that around one woman in ten still dies in childbirth. That is why the sisters are doing all they can to educate women and young girls and show them how to increase their chances of a safe and happy delivery. Many are afraid to go to the doctor – either because they are fearful about the high costs this will entail, and which they cannot afford, or else because they simply do not trust modern medicine and are frightened at the prospect of an operation. Not a few of them also believe that to give birth by Caesarian section somehow makes them of less worth as a woman and a mother. Many simply tell themselves "God will help me" and here the sisters have to work very hard to convince them that modern medicine can also be an instrument of God's help.

The story of little Chidimma has a rather sad ending, in fact, for this little child was born already infected with HIV. She died at the age of eight and was buried inside the sisters' convent. But without Sister Stella and the other nuns, Chidimma would have died soon after birth. Instead she had eight happy years to play and laugh in and bring some sunshine into the lives of others too. And numerous other children now have her to thank for the fact that for this House of Hope exists in the first place and has helped them too.

But there are countless other orphaned children in Africa who know nothing of a loving home, and thousands of little Chidimmas die in miserable circumstance every day, whether from Aids or from other diseases, or even simply from starvation. In many countries all over Africa the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is therefore helping sisters, priests and lay helpers who daily strive to show the suffering little brothers and sisters of Chidimma that "God is good" indeed.

To help this cause please contact the Australian office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148. Web: www.aidtochurch.org

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Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148 ABN: 62 418 911 594
Ph/Fax (02) 9679-1929 e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org web: www.aidtochurch.org