JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – PAN Africa’s premier news agency, Centre for African Journalists (CAJ News Africa) has come to the rescue of abandoned babies and orphans in the poverty stricken township of Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg.
CAJ News Africa donated in cash and kind to the Roi Baby Home (Refilwe Community Project) and The Impact Centre Baby Rescue.
The publication’s Editor-In-Chief, Savious-Parker Kwinika, said he was deeply touched by the plight of the abandoned children, whose future would look bleak had no such organisations as Roi Baby Home (Refilwe Community Project) and The Impact Centre Baby Rescue existed.
“Usually journalists and their different media houses are known for reporting stories about the plight of people but we have decided to go a step further by donating. We found it necessary to lead by example to give a helping hand in a small way,” Kwinika said.
“Instead of embarking on our usual business of reporting news stories about problems and crises in our societies, CAJ News Africa chose to be different by getting involved in tackling the social ills and economic challenges that our people find themselves in.
“We found it necessary to help these young innocent souls in our small donation. We hope this will make the difference in helping that baby to become a somebody tomorrow, and perhaps become a leader in a different way,”
Kwinika said.
Roi Baby Home (Refilwe Community Project) official, Nicole Gillette, commended the gesture.
“The donation will go a long way, especially during this time of the festive season. We are so thankful that God brought us to your (CAJ News Africa) heart and mind! We are so thankful for your interest in our home and what we do at Refilwe in general,” Gillete said.
Gillette said the Roi Baby Home was a non-profit organisation that relied wholly on donations to cover everything from nappies to salaries of the members of staff.
Since opening in 2012 it has helped 31 babies. It currently is home to 12 babies.
The youngest is 6 weeks old and the eldest aged 3 years.
“Most of those babies are left in secret, hidden or unsafe places. We have had babies come to us after being abandoned in rubbish bins, dumping areas, a public toilet or in a veldt,” Gillette said.
– CAJ News
