He Sets the Solitary in Families

It's difficult to think that most of them no longer have parents or families. When the wheels of the vehicle first bumped down the steep, broken red-rock drive into “Baby Watoto” of Kampala, I caught the image of a baby being bounced into the air and back down again from a volunteer. On closer look, the beautiful boy had dark brown eyes and a huge dimpled smile; he giggled as a volunteer held him out to us. Every touch, every smile, every interaction is all a crucial part of their development - something they wouldn't have gotten if they had been left in the dark places they were found.

In Baby Watoto in Kampala, there are about 50 babies all divided in five groups. The smallest are in the newborn/preterm room with incubators. Most of them have been weaned off recently, so the medical needs are fewer, as the babies are healthier. The next room hold the “Monkeys”. These little babes are in their first few months, and are swaddled tight for their naps. Following, the “giraffes” are for those who are still malnourished and need extra attention. There are none at the moment.

The building has a large courtyard in the middle with bright blue walls and large windows in the top, to let the light in. On the opposite sides, the elephants and hippos stay. The hippos are the eldest at the orphanage (6-8 months), and once they are developing well, they are transferred to the Baby Home in Suubi, Uganda, where they have over 100 babies who can be up to two years old.

At the Baby Home, the children are raised in families of four with a nanny (who is a trained nurse), acting as their own mother. They found that having a sense of their own family, was also an important part in identity and brain development. The nanny follows them up until their departure into the Watoto village, where they are then placed together in larger families. I can't help but remember the God I serve - “God setteth the solitary in families: He bringeth out those which are bound in chains.” Psalm 68:6. Each one of these babies are precious in his sight. He knows why Aggy has the deep scare on her face; He was there when one of them was found in a dog house and He held the baby when her mother died while delivering her into the world. If God sees the sparrow that falls, how much more does he love each one of these children...