adminBook: The Baby’s Baby
Author: Kaleni Hiyalwa. The story is set during the liberation war in Namibia and depicts the lives of refugees displaced by the strife and how they cope.Shekupe is a 13-year-old orphan whose parents are killed in separate incidents during the war and leave the young girl without relatives to take care of her.
The refugee school principal suspects that the young girl is pregnant and immediately sends her to the commander of the camp to resolve the issue.
Commander Kalubena is a tough but compassionate man who feels sorry for the teenager and recommends her to the camp hospital for immediate medical attention.
Sister Mary is the hospital head nurse who has two daughters of the same age as Shekupe and decides to adopt her as her own child.
After some serious probing the nurse discovers that the girl is indeed pregnant and the father of the baby is an unknown soldier who had briefly visited the camp.
The girl is so young that she does not even understand what it means to be pregnant, thinking that the symptoms of vomiting, loss of appetite and missing her periods are normal signs of growing up.
The nurse realises that it is futile to get the girl to identify the man who impregnated her because her age makes her ignorant of the fact that he harmed her by having sex with her in the first place.
The nurse therefore decides that she will not take that route and she will have to take care of both mother and baby.
Sister Mary decides to take care of the “baby with a baby” even though the child will be fatherless despite him being alive somewhere.
The story highlights the plight of vulnerable children who are orphaned during armed conflicts and become displaced without any guardians to take care of them.
The youngsters become victims of sexual and other types of abuse due to their inability to comprehend what is happening to them.
The camp commander and head nurse bring a glimmer of sensitivity and compassion in an otherwise harsh and unforgiving environment.
They show that in the middle of evil and violence there are people who remain virtuous and supportive even if they deprive themselves of small privileges so they might help others.
“The Baby’s Baby” shows that there can be hope after the death of a person’s loved ones as seen by Shekupe’s survival after the death of her mother when she was only five years old.
Shekupe is later raised up by a loving family and goes on to achieve as normal girls of her age. Despite being pregnant at 13 years, Shekupe is given a ray of hope by Sister Mary who offers her a new home and family to live with.
Continuation of life is also seen by the fact that the girl loses both parents but will eventually have family of her own after her baby is born despite her very young age.
Kaleni Hiyalwa’s story is relevant in giving strength to victims of sexual abuse during armed conflicts such the currently taking place in the DRC, Mozambique, Sudan and Central Africa.
It also appeals to the consciences of the perpetrators of abusive acts against vulnerable members of society so that they may reconsider the consequences of their actions on the lives of their victims.
Online Reporter