A little Hope...

Being introduced into the world in the middle of a makeshift refugee camp shared by over 12,000 other people may not be the start in life every mother dreams of. But it was the case of Veronique and her one-week old child, whom I met at the Catholic Mission in Duekoue, western Cote d’Ivoire.

The father, Veronique’s husband, had been killed in the recent conflict that the mother and then unborn child had fled. I found her washing her beautiful newborn assiduously – undoubtedly the cleanest, newest thing and most cared for thing in the Catholic Mission - surrounded by female friends and relatives. She explained that the child had no name yet, and asked if I would suggest one.

The baby girl in question had an unusual start. Devotedly carried for nine months by her Ivorian mother; safely delivered with the assistance and care of a French NGO, Medecins Sans Frontiere, and with MSF; and finally named by a random Geordie who happened to be walking by.

A profound and high pressure moment – how to come up with a name that would do justice to such a sad but extraordinary beginning? And a fairly embarrassing one too, having done absolutely nothing at all to merit the honour.

Luckily for the little one, she won’t have to answer to the name ‘Keegan’ at school – it’s just not a girl’s name, it wouldn’t have been fair. Just a little cheesy, but a choice that seemed appropriate, little ‘Hope’ is healthy and well.