It’s a week day and as dusk blooms into morning, and the hot sun dances in the sky, several people are already making their way to school or work. Clusters of school children chatter and laugh loudly, while adults shout greetings, banter and engage in the latest news. Vehicles hoot or speed along the roads of the small township of Woodhall 2 in Lobatse.
The chirping of birds and noise from the hive of activity is no different from any other day. In the midst of this an eerie cry of a child can be heard. It’s distinguishable and urgent. It grips at one’s heart and cannot be ignored. The crying continues to pierce across the street for more than ten minutes. Neighbours, some still in their sleep wear, peer across fences or peep from the safe distance of their doors in confusion. Can’t the mother calm him/her down?
What’s more boggling, is whose baby could it be…Apparently, there isn’t knowledge of a newborn baby.
It’s a small knit community, where people know each other; they would probably be aware of the birth of a baby. As the cries intensify confusion and worry increase.
One bold elderly woman emerges from her house to investigate. She follows the cries with the mature ear of an adult mother. She’s led to the pit latrine toilet in a yard two doors from hers. As she gets closer, the cries get louder and she’s gripped by shock and fear.
However, she’s not prepared for what she sees when she decides to peer into the pit latrine where the desperate sharp shrill is coming from. The cries are steady and seem to be weakening but it’s clear that there’s a baby inside there.
The shocked woman calls out to other neighbours and within a few minutes scores of people are assembled in the yard, elbowing and shoving one another, all trying to peak into the semi-dark pit latrine where the now weakening cry is coming from.
As they gasp and chatter in astonishment, wondering who could have dropped a newly born baby inside there someone suggests that the men in uniform be immediately summoned.
The police and firemen are called and almost half an hour later, a blood-caked baby is retrieved from the pit latrine and hastily covered with a blanket offered by a Good Samaritan who has also prepared milk in a cheap plastic bottle to feed the child. A dark cloud of shame and disgust curtains those who witness this heart-wrenching scene, as everyone loudly wonders what kind of human being would do such a ghastly act.
A few days later, police investigations point out to a young woman known as Rebaone* as the perpetrator of this crime. Onlookers stare in surprise, anger and some with pity, as the pretty and petite bespectacled girl is led out of the store where she works and shoved into the police van to be transported to the police station for further questioning.
Although the young woman probably thought her ‘secret” was safe, it took a snoopy and suspicious neighbour to act as a witness. On being questioned, the girl’s father, who she lives with, denies knowledge of any pregnancy or baby, and claims he was away on a work engagement at the time her daughter is suspected to have given birth. The neighbour claims that although she suspected the girl to be pregnant, she wasn’t sure as Rebaone* always left home dressed in baggy clothes, often time a dust coat which she wore to work.
“I once jokingly asked her is we should expect the pitter patter of little feet but she hurriedly brushed her off. She didn’t show much ÔÇô to the unacquainted eye, it probably seemed like a little harmless belly bump caused by over-indulgence in food and drink but as a mother, my expert eye could tell me that she’s with child.”
Rebaone* is one of hundreds of women who take to dumping their babies, perhaps hoping it will die, to try and get out the sticky situation of an unexpected pregnancy.
Child abandonment and dumping is often an alternative to abortion, which raises concern over the need for the establishment of safe havens in our country, to offer these babies a chance to life and being adopted by individuals better prepared to raise and love them. While baby dumping may be seen as solely a criminal act, it also reflects certain issues in our social landscape like imbalanced gender power relations, poverty, ignorance and mis-education.
In the past six years, Botswana has experienced a shocking number of cases of backstreet abortions, concealment of births, child neglect and infanticide. In 2010 alone, 450 cases of baby dumping were reported. The numbers of cases seem to escalate with every passing year with continued reports of babies found lying dead on roadsides, dumped in garbage bins or fetuses being dragged by dogs along streets. Last year at an anti-baby dumping campaign event held in Gaborone, the Assistant Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Dr Gloria Somolekae noted that ‘it’s imperative that factors which lead to baby dumping be explored’. But is it simple?
The common profiles of perpetrators of baby dumping are young, single, economically challenged women.
In most cases, the child was unplanned and may be perceived as a hindrance to personal development or an economic burden. In most cases, research has confirmed that the woman would have no plans for the birth and care of the child, be isolated and angry due to the father denying paternity or being ostracized by family members. As would be expected of a young person, the girl may have not been mature enough to weigh her options. While various reasons may be attributed to the scourge of illegal abortions and baby dumping, Lerato Opakile, is adamant that sex education is lacking in our communities. “Batswana are largely conservative and embarrassed about touching on topics such as sexual health and intimacy. However, this is working to our detriment because the consequences of ignorance affect our social landscape and devalues the quality of our people’s lives. From a young age both girls and boys should be taught about bodily functions, sexual feelings; which are natural, and the responsibility that comes with sexual engagement. Unfortunately sex is concealed in a veil of secrecy and shame so young people partake in sex secretly, whereas they aren’t equipped to deal with sex ÔÇô from making choices about contraceptives and testing themselves for sexually transmitted illnesses and HIV/AIDS,” she says.
Opakile is more liberal and realistic about sexuality. “Young people do have sex. There’s no way around it. It’s better for them to protect themselves rather than find themselves pregnant and alone. Unfortunately, girl children suffer the most. We need to be open with our girls and empower and educate them. Unfortunately, the responsibility of rearing children is still a largely a female preoccupation which burdens females who have to contend with lovers who opt to be cash cows or sperm donors. This lack of active paternal involvement could well lead many women to resort to terminating pregnancies or dumping new born babies.
Government should also consider introducing DNA banks, which would make it easier to trace the fathers of these dumped babies and bring them to boot. In terms of rape, government through police services should crack the whip on sexual molesters,” she says.
But are youth really having sex in large numbers and if so, why aren’t many girls resorting to using contraceptive? Tshiamo Tabokwa, a teenager at a Gaborone secondary school is adamant that there’s isn’t enough education and support for young children.
“We are vaguely taught about the reproductive system and given information on the dangers of sex. On the other hand, through the media and street talk, sex is glorified therefore we become interested in experimenting, or in other cases, persuaded to have sex by tricky boyfriends and lovers. Because many adults portray sexual intercourse as a ‘bad thing’, youth fear going to health posts to seek information on contraceptives and prevention of HIV/AIDS infection.
Although I believe it’s important to delay sexual activity until one is older or married, I know that many youngsters are having sex and this has unsavory consequences, if the child isn’t informed and prepared.”
Opakile agrees that girl children must be empowered and encouraged to use contraceptives if they cannot abstain.
“I believe it’s better to encourage healthy sexual habits. The ‘rhythm’ method doesn’t work. Women who aren’t prepared to fall pregnant have the choice of taking the pill or getting a contraceptive injection every three months, which is more convenient. It also cannot be over-emphasized how important the proper use of condoms is in the possible prevention of pregnancy and many sexually transmitted infections,” she asserts.
While in the ideal, it all seems simple, in reality it’s clearly a more complex matter. Certain information that is disseminated to youth is distorted, misunderstood and the level of secrecy and ignorance rife in our communities makes it difficult for young women to make better decisions.
