Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Sydney (Agenzia Fides) – Counteracting abortion by caring for newborns and new moms: this is what the Pontifical Missions Societies (PMS) of Australia are working to accomplish through their “Charity House” initiative, which has begun in one of the poorest Vietnamese dioceses. The center is designed to care for “unwanted” children, discouraging mothers from having abortions and offering a consistent aid to extremely poor families who – at the thought that they will not be able to provide for their children – often consider having an abortion.
The Charity House is currently run by 6 Sisters and 10 volunteers who care for 30 newborns and children whose families have either abandoned them or entrusted them to their care. The Center has plans to continue growing little by little, until they reach 200 children. The Director of the House, Sister Mary Nguyen Thi Tha Mai, who has 40 years' experience working with children, gathered energy and human and economic resources in order to open the Center. Thanks to the encouragement of the local Church and great support from outside the country (for example, the PMS of Australia), the project has become a reality. The PMS maintain the House with a donation of nearly 4,600 Australian dollars per month.
The conditions of children in Vietnam are difficult, especially due to the widespread poverty. According to UNICEF, the infant mortality rate is 42 out of every 1,000 live births. The malnutrition rate among children is at 32%, while 17% of children are born underweight. 36% of children under 5 suffer malnutrition. In society in general, 32.5% of the population lives under the poverty line. In these conditions, those who suffer most are always the children. The number of children living on the street has also risen, along with prostitution, drugs, and juvenile delinquency. Institutions and NGOs are all working to fight these phenomenons and promote social progress. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 22/1/2009)
