Choose help over abandonment, agency urges mothers

The national child protection agency, the Samoa Victim Support Group (S.V.S.G.), has called on mothers in Samoa to ask for help and not to take the lives of their newborn babies as Samoa reels from a second case of fatal child abandonment. 
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The President of the S.V.S.G., Siliniu Lina Chang, spoke out in response to two cases of babies who were found dead in the past month, one at sea and another on Saturday, adjacent to a trash bin at the Mulifanua wharf.

“No child whether young, old or new born deserves to die at the hands of the parents due to negligence, pride or poverty.  All children are a gift from God,” she said.

“The children fulfil God’s purpose for the growth of His Kingdom here on earth and they have the right to life.

“Sadly, the incidences of abandoned babies in Samoa of late, remind us that all is not well in our beautiful slice of paradise.”

Siliniu said that questions about whom "to blame and what causes these catastrophes are not ours to ask.”

“As a child protection agency, S.V.S.G. is more concerned with how can we save another child from being abandoned or how else we can help save mothers in such situations?," she said. 

“We are appealing to all our mothers in these situations to please, know that help is just a phone call away. 

“Having the courage to reach out for help will not only save yourself, but most importantly, that gift of a child.”

She also added that earlier this year, they were greeted one morning by a newborn left outside their office door. 

“We never asked who [or] what but we knew that whatever the situation may be, a child has been saved. He is now a healthy child at the House of Blessings nursery at the Campus of Hope.

“Mothers, before you make a decision to take a life by your own hands, know that you are not alone.   At S.V.S.G., we are your family, and we are just a phone call away.

“All children are a gift from God and as such, they have the right to life like you and I.”

The S.S.V.G. operates a 24-hour free help line number: 800-7874.

News from: Samoa Observer