29/05/2026
Our hearts are for these mommies, who are so desperate and vulnerable. It’s a complex issue and we at The Baby Box Project reach out to new moms with kindness ... in those moments when she is at her most vulnerable.
‘𝙄’𝙢 𝙂𝙖𝙩𝙫𝙤𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨’ '𝙄𝙛 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙞𝙩, 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙.'
𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝘼𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖’𝙨 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢'
A newborn baby was left at the gate of a place of safety this week.
The mother arrived carrying her child, said she could no longer cope, left the baby and ran away.
Instead of compassion, what followed was anger, frustration, judgement, and a shocking glimpse into how broken our child protection system has become.
The DSD social worker was contacted, when she arrived, her response was not concern for the mother or the baby. Instead, she repeatedly complained that she was “gatvol” of mothers abandoning children.
She questioned why the mother was not stopped.
She complained that these mothers “just drop and drop the way they want.” She said: “What the hell am I going to do?”
“I don’t have clothes, food, or anything for the child.” “Who’s going to register this child?” “I’m not going to take them anymore.”
" If she feels like throwing a child in the deep of the pit, let her go and drop her child there. It’s her child.
Yes — social workers are under pressure.
Yes — the system is collapsing under lack of support, resources, staffing, and accountability.
But what does it say about our society when a mother is so desperate she runs away after leaving her newborn at a safe place… and the very people meant to protect vulnerable women respond with anger instead of help? These are not “bad mothers.”
These are often women facing poverty, abuse, homelessness, mental health struggles, fear and isolation.
Many are terrified. Many have nowhere to turn. Many are treated like criminals the moment they ask for help.
And yet — this mother still chose a place of safety.
She did not leave her baby in a field, a drain, or a toilet. She brought the child somewhere she believed the baby would survive.
That matters.
The tragedy here is bigger than one abandoned baby.
It exposes a child protection system that is exhausted, underfunded, traumatised, and failing both mothers and children.
If frontline workers are this burnt out and unsupported, how are vulnerable mothers treated when no one is listening?
South Africa needs more than outrage. We need support systems. Safe surrender awareness. Mental health support for mothers. Resources for places of safety.
And accountability inside the very departments meant to protect the vulnerable. Because no mother should feel so hopeless that running away is her only option.
