Nurturing Hope

A Day at the Crisis Nursery:

During our visit to the crisis nursery, we were told a story that resonated with me. In villages, if a mother passes away, sometimes the baby is buried alongside her because there’s no one else to care for them. Hearing this gave me a greater appreciation for the invaluable work being done by the Ministry of Hope and the women at the nursery. 

The crisis nursery aims to reunite children with their parents, or their village, typically when they are old enough to eat solid food. I’ve studied the benefits of family reunification in social work classes, so I was really happy to hear that was their goal. 

At the nursery, we were able to play with the younger children and hold tiny babies. They started off shy and unsure, but it was wonderful to see them warm up to us and laugh and play. A memorable moment for me was when I was holding a sleeping baby who woke up and peed all over me— through my skirt and down my legs. It made me realize that resources, like diapers, were scarce— many kids likely wore only makeshift coverings. Reflecting on this, I admired the hard work and dedication of the few women who tirelessly cared for these children, despite the challenges and limited resources. Their commitment to helping greatly inspired me; it showed me that action doesn’t always require perfect conditions or ideal timing. My time at the crisis nursery reminded me of the power of compassion and the incredible resilience people have in the face of adversity.