Why does Baby Line exist?
Through running The Baby Home Durban North, we saw the need to step in and help mothers before they reach the point of abandonment. We do not know the extent of poverty in our very own communities. Every abandoned baby has a story, but behind every abandoned baby is a mother whose story is often never heard.
Sometimes it is a pack of nappies that is the deciding factor between a mother keeping her baby or giving them up for adoption. We want to do everything in our power for that family unit to stay together.
It is estimated that around 3 500 babies are abandoned in South Africa every year. These are only the babies who are found and officially recorded.
This is why Baby Line exists. We exist to stop these abandonments before they happen by counselling, supporting and walking alongside mothers throughout their pregnancy and after they have given birth. We provide practical assistance, emotional support, and a safe space where women are reminded that they are not alone. Our heart is simple: to do everything in our power to keep mothers and babies together wherever it is safe to do so, because no mother should ever feel that abandonment is her only option.
Our impact
Baby Line was established in 2021 with one simple mission: to reach mothers before they reach the point of abandonment. At the beginning of 2025, under new management led by Tatum Teunissen, the organisation expanded its reach by introducing monthly visits to government hospitals across KwaZulu-Natal.
Every month, our team visits labour and maternity wards, where we spend time counselling and encouraging mothers who often have no one by their side. During each hospital visit, we distribute between 80 and 100 care packs to new mothers and their babies. These packs contain essential items, including nappies, wet wipes, maternity pads, soap, a face cloth, baby clothing, a blanket, a toy and underwear –providing practical support during those critical first few days and helping mothers get back on their feet.
Beyond our hospital outreach, Baby Line operates a 24-hour counselling and support line, with an average of 20 mothers reaching out each month for emotional support, guidance, and practical assistance. Many of these conversations continue throughout pregnancy and into motherhood, ensuring women receive ongoing care rather than a one-off intervention.
Our impact is measured not only by the number of care packs we distribute or the calls we answer, but by the families that stay together because someone chose to stand beside them when they needed it most.
In 1969, Sheila Suttner, a social worker, identified the need for residential care for children with intellectual disabilities and opened a small house in Pandora Road in Kensington to accommodate 21 children.
The Avril Elizabeth Home was named after a young girl, named Avril Elizabeth Wilson, who had contracted encephalitis and was on the waiting list but sadly passed away before being admitted into care.
In June 1970, the Avril Elizabeth Home was officially opened by the then mayor of Johannesburg. Due to ever-increasing requests having been received for residential care, the premises were later relocated to Fishers Hill, Germiston.
The Avril Elizabeth Home currently provides facilities for 151 children and adults with mild to severe intellectual disabilities.
As a registered non-profit, the home relies heavily on the support of donors to sustain the specialised care provided. Services provided include residential and medical care, as well as stimulation and therapy, inclusive ofphysiotherapy, which plays an integral role in development and rehabilitation. Many residents receive maintenance physiotherapy to prevent deterioration of their physical disabilities.
In 1969, Sheila Suttner, a social worker, identified the need for residential care for children with intellectual disabilities and opened a small house in Pandora Road in Kensington to accommodate 21 children.
The Avril Elizabeth Home was named after a young girl, named Avril Elizabeth Wilson, who had contracted encephalitis and was on the waiting list but sadly passed away before being admitted into care.
In June 1970, the Avril Elizabeth Home was officially opened by the then mayor of Johannesburg. Due to ever-increasing requests having been received for residential care, the premises were later relocated to Fishers Hill, Germiston.
The Avril Elizabeth Home currently provides facilities for 151 children and adults with mild to severe intellectual disabilities.
As a registered non-profit, the home relies heavily on the support of donors to sustain the specialised care provided. Services provided include residential and medical care, as well as stimulation and therapy, inclusive ofphysiotherapy, which plays an integral role in development and rehabilitation. Many residents receive maintenance physiotherapy to prevent deterioration of their physical disabilities.
Mission
We pack and distribute handcrafted nappy bags filled with essential items for mothers and their newborn babies. These bags provide much-needed support to women facing challenging social circumstances and are made possible through generous private and corporate donations.
Vision
We strive to ensure that every newborn delivered at the hospitals we serve goes home with something warm to wear and that every new mother leaves with the essential personal care items she needs.
Purpose
Bless a Baby supports local communities by providing selected hospital maternity wards with free baby bags filled with essential items for mothers and newborns. The initiative also invites volunteers to make a meaningful impact by serving their own communities through Bless a Baby.
What we do
Volunteers lovingly sew and pack beautiful bags made from donated fabric, each filled with essential items contributed by generous donors. These bags are then distributed to 11 local hospital maternity wards and one clinic, bringing comfort and care to mothers and their newborns. Other volunteers knit or crochet blankets and jersey sets, which are key items in our bags.
Making a positive difference
We pack and distribute at least 339 bags every month, which means 339 babies a month born at the local hospitals we serve go home with more than they would have, and 339 families benefit from a bit of extra help. Since 2002, over 45 000 families have been positively impacted by Bless a Baby’s work through the receipt of a Bless a Baby bag.
From emergency to empathy
For many women, the birth of their child is not surrounded by joy or celebration, but by anxiety and trauma. Some arrive at maternity wards with no change of clothes, no support person, and no essentials for their newborn.
This is where Bless a Baby steps in. By placing Bless a Baby Bags directly into the hands of nurses and social workers, we ensure that they reach mothers at the exact moment they need them most.
The ripple effect of kindness
The impact of a Bless a Baby Bag extends far beyond the mother and child who receive it. It has a ripple effect across communities, families, and future generations.
Supporting one mother:
- Helps break the cycle of poverty by giving her a stronger start.
- Eases the pressure on healthcare and social systems.
- Builds a community of care, generosity, and responsibility.
- Shows that in difficult times, no one is truly alone.