Thanks to your support, Open Arms are able to stand in the gap and offer Malawi's orphaned and abandoned children a safe, loving home and a second chance after a difficult start to life.
One such child is Sharon and this is her story so far.
A rocky start
Baby Sharon was welcomed to Open Arms in September 2021 at three months old, a few days after her mother sadly passed away.
Referred by local Social Welfare officers, she arrived at Blantyre Infant Home worryingly malnourished and unwell, weighing a tiny five pounds.
After the team assessed her, she was quickly admitted to the local hospital where it was discovered she had anaemia and a slightly swollen heart.
Thankfully, after four days of treatment, she was well enough to be discharged and returned to the Infant Home where she has continued to receive round-the-clock monitoring, love and care from the experienced paediatric nurse-led team.
New beginnings
Six months on and thanks to the nurturing, nutritional and medical support provided by Open Arms, Sharon is a happy, healthy little girl who is full of smiles and clearly thriving!
She is very settled at the Infant Home and adores her dedicated house mothers.
Sharon’s father is alive and well. However with four older children to take care of, he is currently unable to give Sharon the care she needs to survive and thrive in her early years.
Thanks to your support, Open Arms are able to stand in the gap and provide lifesaving care for Sharon and babies like her when their families aren’t able to. Then, working closely with the local Social Welfare Department - support their return home to extended family around the age of two.
A brighter future
Sharon’s family plan to resume guardianship of her when she is two years old. In the meantime, she enjoys regular visits from her aunt and uncle, who are amazed at how well she is growing and incredibly thankful for the care she is receiving. They have commented that they feel they would have lost Sharon had she stayed at home.
Once Sharon is able to return home, she and her family will continue to be regularly monitored and supported with expertly tailored advice and essentials such as maize, fertiliser, medicine, water purification tablets and soap by the Community Outreach team. This service is vital to ensure a smooth and successful transition back home where Sharon can continue to thrive.
If you’d like to join us in building brighter futures for children like Sharon so they can grow up healthy and supported in a loving home, please consider setting up a regular donation.
£20 a month will pay for all the formula milk a growing baby needs.
Thank you for your support!
Your donation will help children in Malawi grow up healthy with the love of a family
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