Your help supports at-risk children in Malawi. Through our locally led team and their partnership with the Department of Social Welfare, these children are given a head start so they can grow up healthy and return to their community.
For Blessings, who was abandoned on the day he was born, this milestone didn’t always look likely. But thanks to your support for the work of Open Arms Infant Homes he has just started a new chapter with a family of his own.
Blessings was born in September 2019. He weighed just 3.4kg when he was found abandoned in a bush, with his placenta still attached. Some local women found him while they were collecting firewood and took him to a police station. Blessings was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for infections for three weeks. From there, he was referred to Open Arms in Blantyre for care while he recovered.
His welcome at Open Arms Infant Homes in Blantyre
At Open Arms, Blessings was able to access the medical care and nutrition he desperately needed. This adapted as he grew and he moved from young baby formula milk to soft foods and eventually a mixed diet to support his changing needs.
Socially, he began to explore his world and enjoyed playing with his peers and walking with his carers. His ‘mother’ at Open Arms gave him continuity of care and support.
Blessings quickly began to thrive. He is playful, gentle and loves watching the hustle and bustle of the home. He got on well with his peers, but sadly his family still could not be identified.
In July of this year, almost two years after he was found, a foster family was identified for Blessings. His new guardians began to visit him at the home so they could bond, with the care staff on hand to support him. They would play together and learn each other’s daily routines to make the transition as easy as possible.
The big move home
Blessings went home with his new family to start his new life with them. His parents have been in regular contact with updates on how he is settling in. They intend to formally adopt him as soon as they can.
This wonderful story means Blessing can now move on from Open Arms happy and healthy and continue his childhood in his new family home which is a huge achievement.
Thank you
Thanks to your support we can continue to support babies like Blessings. You are protecting the access to safe and secure care when no other options are available so that children can continue to achieve their milestones while embedding strong foundation of physical and social development which will last a lifetime.
Your donation will help children in Malawi grow up healthy with the love of a family
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