By Ishola Balogun
A baby thought to be just a few hours old when it was found was abandoned at a roadside, in Igbogbo, Ikorodu area Lagos state. The newborn baby boy, who weighed 2.7 pounds, was discovered by a woman going about her daily business activities at the early hours of Tuesday after being alerted by the child’s cries.

The baby was found with blood all over his body and his placenta by his side suggesting that he might have been born few hours before he was found.

A source informed Saturday Vanguard that the baby was immediately taken to the nearest police station from where he was taken to the hospital for care and attention deserving of the condition and later handed over to Great Faith Orphanage, Igbogbo-Bayeku.

Saturday Vanguard visited the Home on Idowu Akinlade beach close, along Bayeku road, Igbogbo where children across different ages numbering about 30 are receiving care. The founder of the home, Rev. Lateefat Lydia Aroyewun told SaturdayVanguard that the home was established principally to take care of abandoned children, but expressed shock that it was the first time a day-old baby would be found and brought to the Home.

The abandoned baby now named Joshua

“Most of the children in the home were abandoned but this is the first time a day-old baby would be found. He was found with blood all over his body and the placenta,” adding that the fugitive mother did not leave any note or clue on why she abandoned him. As at press time, we could not get the Lagos PPRO to comment on the situation.

She further disclosed that the baby is in a stable condition, tested and certified okay. “We returned from hospital few hours ago, but we will still go for further test to determe other necessacry things.” The middel aged woman said a naming ceremony was organised recently where the little boy was named Joshua Oluwatewogbami.

She revealed that few days before the incident, a three-month old baby was also found within the same area abandoned in a carton.

“The same happened some weeks ago where a baby boy was also abandoned by a run-away mother. Somebody who discovered the baby called my attention and we went to the police and with the involvement of the police, I agreed to take care of the the baby. The baby is named Moses Destiny Oluwatamilore”.

She said that the babies (Moses and Joshua) are being fed with SMA Gold consuming an average of four per week.

Of all the children in the home, only the last two (Moses and Joshua) are not of school age. All others who are orphans and abandoned are receiving their primary junior secondary education in different schools located within the area. Rev Aroyewun disclosed that some of them are being sponsored by some school proprietors while also calling on spirited individuals to assist in the education and welfare of the children.

Asked about their surnames, she stated that she had given all the children in the home ‘ThankGod’. “I refused to let them use my husband’s name or the same name with my children. Instead, I gave them ThankGod. They are known as that in their various schools. This is because when they decide to leave the home in future, all can still be united with the common name Thank-God.”

Rev Aroyewun whose maiden name means compasion said she grew up to empathise and give compasion to children and that informed the reason for establishing the home in August 1999.

Children of Great Faith Orphanage, Bayeku

She said her own four children are well-to-do in their various fields, adding that the present rate of unwanted babies, broken homes and divorce to mention but a few, drew her concern and pity for the downtrodden and abandoned children in the society. She noted that people who empathise with the children come around either to celebrate their birthdays with them or to relate with them periodically.

“People are coming but you know where we are now is a rented apartment, anything can happen. We are currently building a permanent home for the children to keep the bond. Where-ever they go when they grow, they will know they have a home somewhere,” she said.

Dr. Bola Adedoyin, a peadeatrician, reasonsoned that there is a huge “mother deficit” daily going by the rate of child abandonment. She noted that when a baby is not allowed to form a bond with a loving mother during his crucial first years of life, the damage can be irreversible. She explained that the damage could be lack of sufficient Vitamin B, C or D. She further stated that lack of love can manifest itself in life-long struggle with anxiety, depression, addictions and abuse disorders. To children, abandonement is nothing but hatred or the absence of love. “Our strong social structures and conservative adoption laws tend to give rise to higher rates of child abandonment. Just a couple of weeks back, it was reported that a two-week-old baby girl was abandoned in Mofere Area of Ado Ekiti. According to reports, the baby was wrapped in a white shawl and left in an open carton along the street.

“If mothers are too busy to care for their children or considers the blessings of God pains, the lingering pshycological and physiological effects may cause the society a lot more harm, but thanks to orphanages and homes who offer more than what some mothers could offer their own biological children.