Sanyu receives babies who have been abandoned. No parent willingly gives up their child and the stories are often heart-breaking. Some children are ill. Young parents without jobs struggle to look after them and leave children where they can be found and given a new home. That is why this church supports Sanyu.
Dr Stephen Kituuka explains why life under Covid has been so hard.
- Incomes are lower
- Jobs are fewer
- Support from churches has dropped.
On the other hand
- The cost of living is higher
- Abandoned babies are more vulnerable
- There is a greater prospect of babies getting sick
- Mobilising funds to pay staff is “a nightmare”.
Sanyu looks after 50 babies at a time, so the washing is never ending. The latest report focuses on the laundry. “Mama Christine Mana Resty and Mama Teddy work at the laundry. Two Mamas are on duty at a time, five days in a row. One Mama collects the clothes and bedsheets and loads them into the machine or sets some aside for handwashing. We are talking about 100 bedsheets at a time and many changes of clothes!”
“The Laundry Mamas work long days. Sudden downpours mean they have to stop what they are doing and run for the clothes line. They never complain. Mama Christine does not work directly with the children but they love to visit her when she is sorting the clothes. It makes her happy.”
International volunteers have not been allowed to work in Sanyu for the last year. However, that rule has now been lifted and, after appropriate isolation on arrival, volunteers from around the world are currently permitted to come to Sanyu to help lighten the load.