More than one hundred abandoned babies have been found homes locally and overseas after being rescued by the the Samoa Victim Support Group (S.V.S.G.), the organisation revealed on Friday. 

The latest case of an abandoned baby received at the S.V.S.G. shelter was three months ago.

The organisation launched a new "Saving Lives" initiative at their Apia headquarters on Friday. 

The campaign comes after Samoa was shocked by news a dead newborn baby girl was found dumped next to a trash bin at the Mulifanua Wharf. Another dead baby was laid to rest at the Tafa'igata Cemetery on Thursday. 

S.V.S.G. Board representative, Mulipola Anarosa Molio'o said that the role and duty of S.V.S.G. since its establishment was to offer assistance, especially to rescue anyone in need. 

“We are here to launch a campaign known as saving lives or save a life. This campaign is not new because it is part of the work which S.V.S.G. has done for so many years,” she said.

Mulipola said that there was a case where S.V.S.G. employees discovered a baby at the doorsteps of the headquarters.

“S.V.S.G. did not question who it is or who is to blame; no we did our rescue work and over 100 cases of babies abandoned and left in the care of S.V.S.G. which have been saved," she said. 

“We hope to raise awareness with the hope to save more lives.”

The Chairperson of the S.V.S.G Board, Georgina Newton Lui, said that the campaign was the result of increasing cases of abandoned babies that they were unable to save.

“We are reminding the public that we are here to help, we want to send our message out that we can help any person in any situation if it’s a young mother or a young man, we can help facilitate the need," she said. 

“Our campaign focuses on young mothers or any mother who is with child and worried about stigma or discrimination.

“We want mothers to know that we have a 24 hour help line: +685 800-7874 so they can call us at any time and somebody will always answer the phone.”

She added that the people receiving the phone call will keep all information confidential and offer the help needed in any way.

“S.V.S.G. has been able to find families to adopt these abandoned babies, let your unwanted child be someone else’s blessing.”

The comments come less than one week after Police Commissioner Fuiavaili’ili Egon Keil, urged members of the public to drop off babies at public buildings such as Police stations or hospitals rather than abandon them.

The baby hatch idea was first proposed by the Vice President of the National Council of Churches, Reverend Aisoli Iuli. 

Last week he called for a response to cases of newborn babies being fatally abandoned such as the provision of safe hatches allowing infants to be abandoned safely.