The identity of the young woman who abandoned a toddler in front of a former orphanage building on Foncha Street, Bamenda, has been revealed.
Bala Dian, a native of Nso residing in Bamenda’s Old Town, is the individual responsible for this heartbreaking act.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, May 21, when Dian’s daughter was found abandoned at the gate of a building that previously served as an orphanage.
Witnesses reported seeing Dian around the premises with the child shortly before the abandonment.
Ngala Elvis, a Good Samaritan, discovered the toddler around 2 pm. In a video that has since gone viral, Elvis said he was initially confused upon encountering the young girl alone on the street.
“I met this little girl walking down the street alone. I was kind of confused because she is too small to be walking alone,” he narrated.
“There is a primary school up here which made me think that she is one of them who walked out of the gate. I met a woman there who told me that she saw a lady standing in front of this building with this child and that the lady just left,” he went on.
The building, which once housed an orphanage, now stands empty. Elvis’ suspicions of abandonment were confirmed when he noticed a sack filled with baby clothing and nappies in front of the building.
“This sac was here. Something pushed me to check the content. The content made of baby’s clothing and nappies made me notice that it was a case of abandonment,” he explained.
Elvis concluded that Dian had likely mistaken the building for an active orphanage, hoping her child would be taken in and cared for.
He then pledged to take the child to the nearest public authority for proper care and attention.
As the news of the abandonment spread, the identity of the mother, Bala Dian, was uncovered. On Wednesday, May 22, she was reportedly seen at a party in Bambili. Neighbours revealed that Dian had been planning to attend this party for some time.
The current whereabouts of the child remain unknown, and the fate of Bala Dian is also uncertain at this time.
The community is left in shock and concern, pondering the circumstances that led to such a desperate act and hoping for the child’s well-being.
Cases of young mothers abandoning their babies are regular in Cameroon, with newborns often left in front of orphanages, and hospitals, or out in plastic bags and dumped at garbage collection points.
