A very happy New Year to you all. We hope that you have kept safe and well over the Christmas period and been able to spend time with your loved ones.

We have started the year with a wonderful update from Forever Angels following our donation at Christmas. As with all of us, it has been a very difficult time for the teams to maintain their services through the pandemic. COVID has hit small charities like Forever Angels hard, with donations reduced and much more competition for grants and corporate support. We were so happy to hear about the differences our donations have made and to see the fun and festivities that were had by all.

The Baby Home

Three new babies have been recently admitted to Forever. In early November 7-month-old Neema joined.  She was abandoned in a toilet and was rescued late at night.  She had mild malnutrition and some infections and sadly since she has had constant fever and illness and been in and out of hospital.  Last week, she was finally diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anaemia.  This explains her ongoing illness and now there has been a diagnosis, she is on the correct medication and will hopefully be able to manage her condition much better. Our donation has paid for hospital stays, tests and medication for Neema as well as her food and carers. 

In December the home received 18-month-old girl named Annastazia.  Annastazia had been abandoned and when she arrived at the Baby Home, she had quite severe hand, foot, and mouth disease as well as an eye infection linked to an ongoing eye condition.  Our donation paid for the medical care for Annastazia as well as her ongoing care at Forever Angels.

The home also welcomed a 4-week-old baby named Valieth in December.  Valieth’s Mum died from a severe lung infection shortly after Valieth was born, leaving her in the care of her 16-year-old sister.  Her sister is not able to care for her ongoing needs, so she was placed at Forever Angels.  Our donation will pay for milk for Valieth until she can be weaned, or until we find extended family to raise her.

Our donation also enabled the home to stock up the medicine cupboard at the Baby Home – making sure there are adequate supplies of Calpol, ibuprofen, vitamins, worming tablets and antibiotics to care for the children.

Maisha Matters

Our donation supported Jackline and her Mum on the Maisha Matters programme.  Jackline came to the home when she was 6 months old and weighing only 3 kilos (less than her birth weight.) Her Mum was ill and was not producing enough breast milk to sustain her.  Our support meant that we could provide Jackline with weekly formula milk and the progress in her has been incredible.   She gained weight quickly and is now a healthy baby girl.  The team also set her Mum up in a charcoal business which she can run from outside her house.  This will enable her to work and earn an income whilst caring for Jackline at the same time. 

Our donation at Christmas went towards the Christmas lunch for the staff and children and meant we could give each staff member and child a gift.  It looks like they had such a wonderful day!

Wishing everybody a safe and healthy start to 2022.

Love 

The SPK UK Foundation Team x