Top: Young babies at Mother’s Hope. With a concept that every child deserves a loving family, Mother’s Hope has strict criteria for couples intending to adopt. Baby care is a top priority and the home has full time medical staff and helpers to look after the babies around the clock. (Image Courtesy/Mother’s Hope) (Left) Founder/Director of Mother’s Hope, Moamenla Jamir and (Right) Banuo Z. Jamir, Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner Nagaland, chief guest at the tenth year anniversary celebrations of Mother’s Hope, at Dimapur on June 1. (Morung Photos)
Dimapur, June 1 (MExN): On June 1, 2001 Mother’s Hope was started in Dimapur with a mission of ‘rebuilding hope’. Today, it celebrates ten years providing unconditional support and care to pregnant girls undergoing crisis pregnancies, and providing and promoting loving, nurturing care to newborn babies and infants needing permanent loving families.
Celebrating these ten years, at Mother’s Hope premises at Model village, 7th mile, Dimapur the founder and director Moamenla Jamir said that she couldn’t have asked for a more joyous celebration. “Today, we salute all the young girls and mothers who have gone through the challenges and decided to go through the pregnancy,” she said. Sharing to the gathering, what she said were pearls of wisdom from her parents, Moamenla said that one should always have faith in God and get education. “Then you can be anything you want,” she said.
Moamenla stated that initially when Mother’s Hope began, she never imagined that it would grow to what it is today. “We just responded to the need” she explained, on why the services in Mother’s Hope expanded. Stating that it was not easy in the beginning when Mother’s Hope started, Moamenla said that initially a lot of people retaliated; thinking that setting up of an institution like Mother’s Hope encouraged young girls to be pregnant. To this I averred that, “Having a hospital doesn’t’ encourage people to get sick, similarly having Mother’s Hope doesn’t encourage anyone to be pregnant.” A statement, she said she still stands by till date.
“In this journey we have seen so many girls of varied ages come to Mother’s Hope, but let me tell you only ten percent are pregnant by consensual sex, the 90% got pregnant by date rape, incest, rape etc,” she maintained. Thanking Mother’s Hope trustees, staff and well wishers, Moamenla said that today if Mother’s Hope was able to provide a safe and happy home for young unmarried girls, and babies and children awaiting adoption, it was because “You provided the opportunity”.
Banuo Z. Jamir, Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner Nagaland, chief guest for the function also appreciated the works of Mother’s Hope. “An institution like Mother’s Hope gives us hope, even if in a small way. Changes have been brought in our society and people’s mindset too. To break ground is not easy, it must have been difficult and we can only imagine what Mother’s Hope must have gone through initially,” she said.
Saying that the 21st century is a difficult generation to live in, Banuo said that we are living in an age where we are grappling with issues, which are accentuated because of advancement of technology and information. Apart from natural and physical challenges we are dealing with corruption, not only of money but of values, she said.
“There have been so many drastic changes in the last ten years. Today, in Nagaland we are enjoying the fruits of education, maybe it has taken many years but now we are living in a wonderful phase where we are enjoying the advantages and facilities that development brings,” she said. She also felt that there are much more opportunities and the society mindset has also changed.
However, she pointed out that out of education, aspirations arise and when it is not met, frustrations begin and because of those social elements are born. “There is erosion in our traditional values,” she opined and added that there has been a lack of interaction with family leading to breakdown in communication and breakdown in interpersonal relationship. This has created a wide gap and we witness new tensions in our society from haves to have not’s resulting in social crimes.
Violence, rape, homosexuality are personality traits inherent in humans, but it remains dormant a long as we have strong traditional moral values, she said. Today these have been broken down, it is so unfortunate today we read our local news of fetuses and new born babies found in drains, she said. To these, she said that sensitization programmes not only for women but for men also should be conducted.
Mother’s Hope director also presented a token of gratitude to Narola, the oldest staff member of Mother’s Hope. Earlier, before the function begun, the new approach road to Mother’s Hope was also inaugurated. Guest of honour for the programme was Phyllis Marwah, from Mother’s Choice, Hongkong.
Celebrating these ten years, at Mother’s Hope premises at Model village, 7th mile, Dimapur the founder and director Moamenla Jamir said that she couldn’t have asked for a more joyous celebration. “Today, we salute all the young girls and mothers who have gone through the challenges and decided to go through the pregnancy,” she said. Sharing to the gathering, what she said were pearls of wisdom from her parents, Moamenla said that one should always have faith in God and get education. “Then you can be anything you want,” she said.
Moamenla stated that initially when Mother’s Hope began, she never imagined that it would grow to what it is today. “We just responded to the need” she explained, on why the services in Mother’s Hope expanded. Stating that it was not easy in the beginning when Mother’s Hope started, Moamenla said that initially a lot of people retaliated; thinking that setting up of an institution like Mother’s Hope encouraged young girls to be pregnant. To this I averred that, “Having a hospital doesn’t’ encourage people to get sick, similarly having Mother’s Hope doesn’t encourage anyone to be pregnant.” A statement, she said she still stands by till date.
“In this journey we have seen so many girls of varied ages come to Mother’s Hope, but let me tell you only ten percent are pregnant by consensual sex, the 90% got pregnant by date rape, incest, rape etc,” she maintained. Thanking Mother’s Hope trustees, staff and well wishers, Moamenla said that today if Mother’s Hope was able to provide a safe and happy home for young unmarried girls, and babies and children awaiting adoption, it was because “You provided the opportunity”.
Banuo Z. Jamir, Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner Nagaland, chief guest for the function also appreciated the works of Mother’s Hope. “An institution like Mother’s Hope gives us hope, even if in a small way. Changes have been brought in our society and people’s mindset too. To break ground is not easy, it must have been difficult and we can only imagine what Mother’s Hope must have gone through initially,” she said.
Saying that the 21st century is a difficult generation to live in, Banuo said that we are living in an age where we are grappling with issues, which are accentuated because of advancement of technology and information. Apart from natural and physical challenges we are dealing with corruption, not only of money but of values, she said.
“There have been so many drastic changes in the last ten years. Today, in Nagaland we are enjoying the fruits of education, maybe it has taken many years but now we are living in a wonderful phase where we are enjoying the advantages and facilities that development brings,” she said. She also felt that there are much more opportunities and the society mindset has also changed.
However, she pointed out that out of education, aspirations arise and when it is not met, frustrations begin and because of those social elements are born. “There is erosion in our traditional values,” she opined and added that there has been a lack of interaction with family leading to breakdown in communication and breakdown in interpersonal relationship. This has created a wide gap and we witness new tensions in our society from haves to have not’s resulting in social crimes.
Violence, rape, homosexuality are personality traits inherent in humans, but it remains dormant a long as we have strong traditional moral values, she said. Today these have been broken down, it is so unfortunate today we read our local news of fetuses and new born babies found in drains, she said. To these, she said that sensitization programmes not only for women but for men also should be conducted.
Mother’s Hope director also presented a token of gratitude to Narola, the oldest staff member of Mother’s Hope. Earlier, before the function begun, the new approach road to Mother’s Hope was also inaugurated. Guest of honour for the programme was Phyllis Marwah, from Mother’s Choice, Hongkong.
