Farida was welcomed at Open Arms for temporary care after her mother struggled to look after her because of severe mental health issues. Her mother was found wandering the streets in Mangochi town and Farida was at risk. It is not known who Farida’s father is.
Welcoming Farida
When Farida arrived, the care givers, or ‘mothers’ at Open Arms took, her to Mehboob clinic where she received health tests. These were all ok. However, she was suffering badly with scabies, anaemia, and malaria. The team made sure Farida had the care she needed to return to good health and she is now fully recovered from all her health issues.
Farida’s extended family has yet to be found and the team will work closely with Social Welfare to monitor progress of their investigations.
Farida is now two years old and so is one of the older children at Mangochi Infant Home. She has been with Open Arms for two months and will be ready to move home very soon. When Farida first arrived at Opens Arms she was extremely malnourished, and weighed only 9.5 kilograms. She has been on a special diet to give her the nutrients she needs to help her to recover and that all important weight is going up.
She now weighs 11 kilograms and continues to be nurtured in a safe and loving environment while her relatives are traced.
On arrival at the Infant Home, the team had no name or details so Open Arms named her Farida. Sadly, she was showing signs of neglect and was lonely and withdrawn when she arrived. The team gently encouraged her to engage with other children at the home and we are delighted to report that she now enjoys the company of her friends and loves playing with dolls and her carers. Her favourite food is boiled eggs and rice with beans and as she grows so does her appetite which is great to see!
We believe that every child has the right, not just for survival and development, but to grow up with the love and care of a family. Farida is safe with the mothers at the infant home while she regains her health but it is vital that she returns home as soon as possible. Once her family has been traced the community outreach team will support Farida and her new guardian in their community so she can continue to thrive at home. Her future guardian will receive support, advice and monitoring as well as Farida to make sure they can provide for her needs and have any help they need to keep Farida at home.
If you would like to find out more about our work, you can read other success stories in our news pages online
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