Story by Sherine Atieno and Photos by Ondari Ogega
In a softly lit room at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), a tiny bundle of life rests calmly, wrapped in a white shawl. His name is Shadrack Baraka—a name that means blessing, fitting for a child whose first breaths were drawn not in the warmth of a home, but in a carton box on the side of a busy road.
At just two months old, Baraka’s story is already one of survival, rescue, and resilience. Today, he lies in Nursery 2 of JOOTRH’s Newborn Unit, among other fragile babies weighing between 1.6 and 2 kilograms. Some sleep quietly, others nurse in their mothers’ arms, but baby Baraka has no biological mother present. Instead, he is surrounded by the watchful care of nurses and medical social workers who have stepped into the role of caregivers — a role they’ve filled with compassion and unwavering commitment since the moment he was brought to their doors.
On the evening of April 12, 2025, a hawker selling women’s clothes in Nyamasaria stumbled upon a shocking sight — a tiny newborn, wrapped in cloth and placed inside a carton box, abandoned near Kasagam Primary School. The umbilical cord was still intact. With compassion overriding fear, she rushed the baby to Kisumu County Referral Hospital (KCRH). Later that night, accompanied by a KCRH driver, the infant was transferred to JOOTRH for admission.
On arrival, he was received by two nurses who admitted him into the hospital’s care. The child had no name, no medical records, no known family. But he had been found, and more importantly, he had been loved from the moment he entered JOOTRH.
Since that night, baby Baraka has known nothing but tenderness. The hospital’s medical team ensured his every need was met—providing diapers, baby formula, warm clothing, and around-the-clock monitoring. The Medical Social Work Department, under the leadership of Ms. Eunice Gor, immediately took steps to secure his future. When it emerged that the good Samaritan had not reported the abandonment at first, the team coordinated with police to trace her, then escorted her to file the proper report. Once the police issued an OB number, the case was formally notified to the Children’s Officer in Kisumu East Sub-County.
By June 23, 2025, JOOTRH had formally requested the placement of Baraka into alternative family care for his safety and long-term wellbeing. That call was answered by New Life Home Trust Kisumu, a registered charitable children’s institution with a mission of “caring with compassion.” They specialize in rescuing abandoned or extremely vulnerable babies aged between one day and six months. They not only provide shelter but also healing, dignity, and family. Through reintegration with biological families, foster care, and adoption (coordinated through licensed agencies), they ensure every child has a chance to belong.
Today, a team from New Life has come to meet baby Baraka. As they enter the Nursery 2of the newborn unit, they find him calm, alert, and wrapped in white. Esther Opiyo, one of New Life’s caregivers, steps forward. With care and admiration, the JOOTRH Social Work Director gently hands her the child. This symbolic moment is the hopeful beginning of another.
Baraka is headed for New Life Home Trust, just 4.9 kilometers away, a short drive, but a massive leap for a child who began his life on the street. There, he will meet caregivers who will continue to nurture him while his case progresses toward a long-term family solution, whether through foster care, reintegration, or adoption.
According to Kenya’s Constitution (2010), every child has the right to protection from neglect, abuse, and harmful practices. They are entitled to basic nutrition, shelter, parental care, healthcare, and education. However, the National Institute of Health estimates that 3.6 million children in Kenya are either orphaned or abandoned.
Yet, in every abandoned child lies a story waiting to be rewritten and in every act of compassion, a new chapter begins.
