A wall installation can be a possible end to baby abandonment, says Alexandria Syiem
THERE IS hope now for two babies that were abandoned by their biological parents. One is now in a millionaire family’s bundle of joy in south Detroit and hospitals have offered to treat the other little one, born with an ailment. But it’s not always a happy ending. If you still haven’t observed the cradles installed on the walls of hospitals and orphanages all around Shillong, the next time you go out make it a point to note its location.
These cradles are not meant to encourage abandoning babies, lack of family planning and unprotected sex, but they are a way of reminding people that such events do take place. We have heard stories of babies being thrown into garbage bins, pushed down the sewer pipes or left behind at hospitals. Some even abandon babies in dirty public toilets. Installing these cradles is one way to prevent the disgusting ways people find to abandon their babies.
These cradles also give people a hope that someone on the other side, understands that there are reasons for abandoning a child. The reasons are common; poverty, sex selection in the typical Indian society, casual sex that results in unwanted pregnancies and fear of loss of reputation or chastisement from the church. There is not much that sex education can do. Counselling and advice are good up to a point. It depends on whether the counselee or mentee actually practices what she hears.
The Specialized Adoption Agency (SAA) joined hands with the Reach Ministry run by Rev Reuben G Laloo and installed the cradle points to save lives.
In Meghalaya it’s mostly teenage pregnancy and poverty that makes young women who can’t go for an abortion and are afraid of telling their parents who abandon their babies. Most couples in rural Meghalaya and even in the urban areas do not use contraceptives. They give birth to many children they cannot take care of and then there are teenage couples who are sexually active and are careless with the contraceptive measures available. They too end up abandoning their babies. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS3) the fertility rate in Meghalaya is 3.8, which is high compared to other states in India and the number of women with two children and not wanting more children is 63.8%. Use of contraceptives in Meghalaya is the lowest in India with only 2.4 percent reportedly using condoms (2005-2006). Only 62.4% men and women have heard of AIDS.
According to officials, seven-eight babies are saved every year by Reach Ministry which also looks after street children. The social welfare department supports the Reach organisation to help build a better world and future for these children.