Mother’s Hope director pins hope on conscience

Eastern Mirror Desk

Dimapur, Sep. 23: After the government’s revocation of the license of Mother’s Hope as a specialised adoption agency owing to ‘repeated defaults’, the adoption centre’s director Moamenla Jamir has called for ‘undefined conscience’, rather than the letter of law, to act as guide.

Speaking to Eastern Mirror on Monday, she said: “The law doesn’t cover every aspect; we also need undefined conscience, it is very important. It sets you apart as a human being.”

According to Jamir, Mother’s Hope provided home for girls who got pregnant out of wedlock. “They stay here with the consent of their families. The babies are kept here only after consulting with the biological mother as well as the family members. First, we look at all the possibilities to take care of the baby by their family members or relatives; and only if there is no one to take care of the child, we keep the baby,” she said.

She also said that when a baby is given to the care of Mother’s Hope, they sign a ‘confidential agreement’ which is within the knowledge of the parents.

Jamir added that government officials took away 13 children from Mother’s Hope, against the wishes of the children.

She also explained about their failure to submit reports and data within the time limit specified in the regulation. “The babies were from unwed mothers, and in order to maintain their confidentiality, we were unable to give all the record to the officials,” she added.

She narrated an incident in which a family had approached Mother’s Hope through the Central Adoption Resource Authority (Cara) for adoption. Jamir declined their application since the child’s biological mother had insisted that her child be given for adoption only to Naga foster parents.

Calls made to the state’s Social Welfare department officials went unanswered.