A VISIT TO ORPHANCARE
Yayasan Tun Abdul Hamid representatives, Ellina Abdul Majid and Iskander Azizuddin visited Orphancare at Kampung Tunku, Petaling Jaya on 6th April 2011. They were greeted on arrival by Orphancare Deputy President, Puan Noraini Hashim and Orphancare Management Executive, Encik Zulkifli Mohd Aris.
Orphancare is a non-profit organisation under the patronage of HRH The Sultanah of Pahang, Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom. Working closely with the Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development, Orphancare aims to give every abandoned baby and orphan a chance to be cared for and loved by families who will nurture and support them. The organisation also undertakes awareness programmes to change the current mindset of society towards orphans so that they are not left permanently in orphanages but placed with caring families who will bring them up in an ambience of a proper family structure.
Perhaps Orphancare has come to be best known for its baby hatch, which is meant to serve as a life line to babies of desperate, unwed young mothers. Located by the front door of the Orphancare premises, newborn babies who would otherwise be abandoned by their mothers out of shame and despair, may be safely placed in the cosy, air-conditioned hatch, complete with mattress and pillows. Once the hatch door is closed, an alarm rings automatically to alert the caretaker who will then come and take the baby. The relevant government department and authorities are informed and the baby is given the requisite care and attention required and then placed with a married couple who have successfully undergone the screening process and been approved by the Welfare Department (Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat) to ascertain their suitability as potential parents.
According to Puan Noraini, Orphancare has successfully placed 27 babies with loving families. However, the number of couples registered with Orphancare eager to adopt a baby far exceed the number of babies who are brought to Orphancare.
Of the more than 500 abandoned babies reported since 2005, about 287 of them were found dead. Police investigations reveal that rubbish dumps, roadsides, bushes, toilets and rivers were among the common spots where babies were found abandoned.
It is hoped that with greater public awareness of the existence of such an organisation as Orphancare, young unwed mothers will turn to Orphancare to provide their innocent babies with a chance to life and a loving family.
Orphancare is located at:
No. 6 Jln SS1/24A
Kampung Tunku
47300, Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel: 03 7876 1900
Website: www.orphancare.org.my
Email: orphan.care@gmail.com
The administrative office of Orphancare. Mothers who choose to give up their babies may come in and meet the members of staff and seek assurance that the babies will go to good homes
YTAH Director, Ellina Abdul Majid, being shown the baby hatch by Orphancare Deputy President, Puan Noraini Hashim. With them are Orphancare Management Executive, Encik Zulkifli Mohd. Aris and Orphancare member of staff Cik Fizah
The baby hatch