Image of girl waiting for adop

Photo: Twitter/DoorofHopeJHB

Image of girl waiting for adoptive parents in Joburg goes viral [photo]

A photo of a baby girl waiting on her adoptive parents at an orphanage in SA recently went viral.

Image of girl waiting for adop

Photo: Twitter/DoorofHopeJHB

A photo of a baby girl waiting on her adoptive parents in Johannesburg recently went viral after it was shared on Twitter.

Door of Hope SA, an organisation that helps give abandoned children a ‘forever home’ (as they call it), shared the photo on Twitter and was met with a lot of comments from Twitter users all over South Africa.

“This picture really touched me and made my heart melt,” said one Twitter user of the photo where a little girl waits on her new adoptive parents at a window.

Along with the photo, Door of Hope SA said:

“Excitement and nervousness as we wait for Forever Mommy and Daddy to arrive. Bye Bye Sweet Baby Girl. Your adventure with your family begins!”

It is reported that the photo covers a magnitude of similar adoption events celebrated at Door of Hope. News24 also reported that the organisation has taken care of 1 647 abandoned babies in almost two decades and about 683 babies were adopted.

About Door of Hope SA:

Their work involves saving abandoned babies and ‘bringing children home’. According to their official website, adoptions in South Africa are facilitated by government accredited adoption agencies. Door of Hope works in conjunction with such an adoption agency i.e. ABBA. They specialize in National Adoptions, Inter Country Adoptions, Unplanned Pregnancies and Social Services. ABBA provides a comprehensive spectrum of services related to adoption in all provinces in South Africa.

“If we are not able to reunite abandoned babies into healthy biological family situations, we believe the next best option for the child is to be adopted into a loving family. We are grateful for every person or family that is willing and able to open their heart and home to babies who have been left abandoned or orphaned.”

Saving abandoned babies

Abandonment of infants in South Africa is, unfortunately, a common occurrence.

Many of these children are left to die, or simply abandoned, in dustbins, open fields, public toilets or on train tracks. In 1999 the Berea Baptist Mission Church said, “something needs to be done”. Under the leadership of Pastor Cheryl Allen, the church made a hole in their wall and a ‘Baby Box’ was installed allowing for mothers to leave their babies any time day or night for the church to take care of them.

The moment a baby is placed, care workers on duty at Door of Hope SA receive an electronic signal alerting them. The baby is taken in and the anonymity of the “donor” ensured. News has spread and other babies have been brought personally by their mothers or have come through other means such as the police, community members, hospitals or clinics.