September 27th, 2023
“No baby belongs in an orphanage” has been our belief since day one of Neema Village. We have our own Neema Social Worker, Angel Macha, who works as soon as we get a baby in to begin a plan to get them back into a family. We only take babies under two and we can usually get them back home by age three. In the last eleven years we have helped over 450 babies. Currently there are 63 babies at Neema Village and we are trying to get them home!
You may not realize but Neema Village now has 95 full time employees to take care of these babies. With nannies, cooks, guards, drivers, a nurse, cleaners, farm workers, maintenance men, cow men, etc., it is a big job! Remember no one is paid at Neema Village except Tanzanians. We like that.
This sweet baby boy lost his mom in childbirth. He was so tiny the father did not think he could keep him. It is not easy for families to keep a preemie baby like this but he will be able to go back home to his dad when he is bigger.
He weighed only 1.4 kg when his dad brought him in. Now he is getting big and has little round chubby cheeks. Neema has had many preemie babies, our smallest weighed only 800 grams!
Elesha is about 6 weeks old now and doing well. This is the baby that we witnessed his mother throw him across the room. Thankfully he was not hurt and does not seem to have any lasting trauma from that horrendous event. Kelle and I on the other hand might have!
ADOPTED! Nashooki and Esuvati were starving with big heads and tummies and skinny little arms and legs when they were brought to Neema by a neighbor. Their mother has the sickness and does not want to live so the babies were being neglected. The neighbor who came often to visit the babies has gotten permission to adopt the girls and they were able to go home to their forever family. We are so happy for them.
The little fluffy hair twins, Nyesu and Furaha were newborns when they were brought to Neema. Their Maasai mom had died out in the village. Through Social Welfare from their district they were able to go to their new home this month. They are Big girls now.
RETURNED HOME! Gian and Giana were born March 12, 2022. They came to Neema at twenty-one days old. Gian was a big baby weighing 4.2kg (9.25lbs). His little sister Giana weighed 3kg (6.6lbs). Their mother had sadly passed away due to blood loss after the birth. She tried going into the hospital a couple of times but they could not get the bleeding to stop.
The hospital was ready to give a blood transfusion but it was too late.
This is a heartbreaking story. Her first baby had died and then she had twins and they also died. She then had Gian and Giana and she passed away after only three weeks with them.
The twins were big and healthy and loved bible class. We will miss them, Gian was just learning to talk and with his gruffy little man voice would greet me every morning with “Hiiiiiii.” They returned home to their father and an auntie who has agreed to keep them.
Newborn Ruth came to Neema with her 18 year old mother. The mother is an orphan and is now being looked after by her late mother’s friend. Ruth’s young mother had some very horrible things done to her and as a result became pregnant and also contracted the sickness.
Ruthie was able to return to the family this week. This spunky little girl went home knowing there is a man named Jesus and He loves me! Ruthie loved to sing and clap to the songs at church. Go with God sweet girl!
This little sweetheart, Camilla, was abandoned at the hospital. Her mother just walked out of the hospital and never came back. The nurses soon realized no one was coming to nurse this baby.
Baby Camilla was adopted! Her new mom and dad are from Dares Salam and are already in love with this happy little girl. Praise God. She will never be left behind again.
Last year a tiny baby 1.7kg was abandoned at the hospital in Arusha and brought to Neema Village. The Nannies voted to name her Lottie after my sister Lottie McCormack who was so tiny when she was born she was put in a shoe box on top of a pot belly stove. Today this little sweetheart has a new mom and she will never be abandoned again!!
New Mom was so excited she was Praising God! Her son is 24 years old and grown and mom always wanted a daughter. When asked if she would keep the name Lottie she said no, her new name is Winner because she is a Winner. I think she is right, baby Lottie won the lottie-ery with this new mom! Go with God Winner!
We kept sweet baby Glory while her mom was recuperating in the hospital. She had had a c-section that got infected and had been in the hospital for a couple of months. We are so happy that she was well enough to take this precious baby girl home.
We will leave you with the happy, smily face of little Michael. Please be praying for all our babies and just remember that half way around the world there is a place called Neema Village trying to put families back together. I think God likes that, don’t you. Help when you can.
Love you guys,
Dorris