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"I don't paint things. I only paint the difference between things." - Henri
Matisse
Adoption as a Tsunami
Strategy
In our current Exchange Insta-Poll (http://mail.ccie.com/go/eed/0517)
many of you have shared your ideas on how early childhood professionals can
help the victims of the Tsunami. The World Forum Foundation
is talking to a number of its World Forum Alliance members about
ways to implement some of your suggestions. We will be in touch soon with
some ideas.
In the mean time, we received this message from former World Forum International
Organizing Committee member Vijaya Murthy from Mumbai, India, sharing
some stories and questions about adoption as a solution for Tsumani orphans:
"With thousands of children being orphaned, there are discussions whether
adoption can be one option. But I am concerned about adoption. Since in
such disasters there are many who take advantage of the victims, I am wondering
whether adoption should be allowed. People who trade on children would
be most happy to take children in the guise of adoption. I don't know; I am
being very cynical but need some assurance from a person who has experienced
them. Here are some stories from my country:
"In Gujarat , following the devastating Kutch earthquake, the government
speedily issued an order totally banning the adoption of children. It was a
blanket ban, and it worked because it was backed by the strong family ties of
rural Gujarati households. Here, no one would dream of allowing a child to be
taken away by strangers if family members were available. So uncles, aunts and
grandparents took the orphans into their homes. It is the pride of Kutch that
not a single child left the district for adoption.
"In Orissa, there was a different problem; entire families were wiped out.
When word got out that orphans were being sold, Saroj Jha, an exceptional IAS
officer, issued a government order prohibiting the removal of children from
villages. ActionAid India set up Mamta Grihas, or
houses of love. Women who were left widowed and alone were given charge of the
orphaned children.
"Saroj Dash and Manas, two veterans of the Orissa cyclone, offered their
expertise in setting up similar systems for the tsunami orphans and commented:
'Experts have proved that it is far better for the children to remain
within the community. Already, attempts are being made to arrange adoptions.
For a traumatised child, to be taken away to a strange environment where there
are different customs, language, food and possibly foreign parents, would be
extremely unsettling. It would further disturb an already traumatised child.
In Orissa, we encouraged the formation of Mamta Grihas within
the village context. We did not separate siblings or families. Instead, we built
houses for the widows and orphans within the villages they came from. We also
provided livelihood support for the women and psyco-social support through counsellors.
In one village, a 12-year-old girl was left with her two young brothers. They
were terrified of being separated. We allowed them to live together in a house
we constructed. It was a child-headed household. But they wanted it that way.
We can bring volunteers with special experience to help with a similar set-up,
and to deal with connecting families.'
"Barely a week after the disaster, questions were being asked about adoption
procedures at the government-NGO interface. They are being handled by the Social
Welfare Board, but it is imperative that the dangers of adoption are
pointed out. However well-meaning people are, it is proved that a child flourishes
best in the cultural context he/she has grown up in. To assume that mere affluence
gives them a better deal is a predictable but erroneous assumption. Let us look
for options for these orphaned children, options that are kind, humane and like
the ones their parents would have provided. They have suffered enough already.
Are we right?"
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Viet Nam
05/08/2009 03:05 am
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01/08/2008 7:05 pm
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12/14/2007 8:49 pm
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11/17/2007 00:54 am
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11/17/2007 00:54 am
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Hanoi, Hanoi, Viet Nam
11/17/2007 00:53 am
Halong Bay - Vietnam
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Hanoi, Hanoi, Viet Nam
11/17/2007 00:53 am
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Its waters are host to a great diversity of ecosystems including offshore coral reefs, freshwater swamp forests, mangrove forests, small freshwater lakes, and sandy beaches. The folk tale has it that the dragons descended from heaven to help locals by spitting jewels and jade to the sea, forming a natural fortress against invaders; these precious stones are represented by the lush green outcrops. Several islands boast beautiful grottos and caves with contiguous chambers, hidden ponds and peculiar stone formations.
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Halong Bay Tours
Hanoi, Hanoi, Viet Nam
11/17/2007 00:52 am
Halong Bay - Vietnam
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Its waters are host to a great diversity of ecosystems including offshore coral reefs, freshwater swamp forests, mangrove forests, small freshwater lakes, and sandy beaches. The folk tale has it that the dragons descended from heaven to help locals by spitting jewels and jade to the sea, forming a natural fortress against invaders; these precious stones are represented by the lush green outcrops. Several islands boast beautiful grottos and caves with contiguous chambers, hidden ponds and peculiar stone formations.
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Hanoi, Hanoi, Viet Nam
11/17/2007 00:52 am
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Its waters are host to a great diversity of ecosystems including offshore coral reefs, freshwater swamp forests, mangrove forests, small freshwater lakes, and sandy beaches. The folk tale has it that the dragons descended from heaven to help locals by spitting jewels and jade to the sea, forming a natural fortress against invaders; these precious stones are represented by the lush green outcrops. Several islands boast beautiful grottos and caves with contiguous chambers, hidden ponds and peculiar stone formations.
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Hanoi, Hanoi, Viet Nam
11/17/2007 00:51 am
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Its waters are host to a great diversity of ecosystems including offshore coral reefs, freshwater swamp forests, mangrove forests, small freshwater lakes, and sandy beaches. The folk tale has it that the dragons descended from heaven to help locals by spitting jewels and jade to the sea, forming a natural fortress against invaders; these precious stones are represented by the lush green outcrops. Several islands boast beautiful grottos and caves with contiguous chambers, hidden ponds and peculiar stone formations.
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Hanoi, Hanoi, Viet Nam
11/17/2007 00:51 am
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11/17/2007 00:50 am
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Its waters are host to a great diversity of ecosystems including offshore coral reefs, freshwater swamp forests, mangrove forests, small freshwater lakes, and sandy beaches. The folk tale has it that the dragons descended from heaven to help locals by spitting jewels and jade to the sea, forming a natural fortress against invaders; these precious stones are represented by the lush green outcrops. Several islands boast beautiful grottos and caves with contiguous chambers, hidden ponds and peculiar stone formations.
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Baltimore, MD, United States
04/26/2005 4:06 pm
I find I am becoming more and more aware of the pro's and con's of adoption in all cases. Especially in the case of disasters, I completely agree that there may be community for these children right where they are and that we could continue to support some of the better organizations--like Save the Children--to do the relief work in those countries.
In general, it's hard to change one's mindset, I'm sure, that children adopted into this country have the best life and should be eternally grateful for being saved from poverty, but is it our desire to fill empty nests more than our understanding of the children? Who's to say that living in the "lap of luxury," in the country that uses more than its share of natural resources, that teaches most of its citizens to consume, is the good life, the life that brings fulfillment?
Mount Royal College
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
04/26/2005 4:06 pm
I agree that caution should be used when adoption is a possible solution to homeless children. But her in the Western world there are many families that would welcome the opportunity to welcome a child into their lives. Wouldn't this be a better option to poverty and starvation?
United States
04/26/2005 4:06 pm
You are right as rain! What thought and consideration!
Travis Air Force Base, California, United States
04/26/2005 4:06 pm
I have to agree with you, just as long as there is enough people and individuals in those countries to take the children in and care for them. This is a very large scale disaster and if those countries involved are able to care for those children then I totally agreeing with the written statement below. This of course would be the best for the children. I believe that is what truly matters the most.
United States
04/26/2005 4:06 pm
I am so thankful for this article. Adoption seems so humane, and would have been an option for me. This article changed my mind! It would be so much better to help the local government with funding to enable these children to stay in their normal environment. What about "adopting" a child financially (like sponsoring)?
The University of the South Pacific
Fiji
04/26/2005 4:06 pm
Thank you for sharing some thoughts on the question of adoption for the unfortunateTsunami children. I agree wholeheartedly with the train of thought that we keep the traumatised children in their own community as moving them to a completely new and foreign environment will be detrimental to their social as well as emotional well-being. Besides, how do we know that these adoptive parents are genuine? Perhaps we can assist in the following ways:
1. Financial assistance towards construction of houses for orphans and relatives to be able to stay together, as well as for food etc. to be coordinated during the Montreal World Forum in May.
2. Donations of toys, educational materials [exercise books, pencils, pens and other stationery] on a regular basis to be organised into sectors or associations, or countries.
3. Basic counselling workshops to be conducted for selected community member who will be living with or closely in contact with these orphans in their community.
High/Scope Educational Research Foundation
Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States
04/26/2005 4:06 pm
To some extent I agree with keeping the children within their own country and culture because ultimately that is what is best and that is what they know especially those children who are older. We definitely do not want these children to get into the hands of harmful evil people who would only use them for money and I commend the governments for interceding and taking control of the situation. However, we as early childhood educators and infant-toddler specialists know that children especially the youngest need to be touched, held, talked with, showed special attention, need one on one interactions, etc. All that we have been taught and know about forming strong attachments is through close bonding with the adults who care for them. If these orphanages or Mamta Grihas become housing institutions where there are more children than adults who care for them, then these children will continue to suffer. Yes, they are in their culture but is it really kind, humane and like what their parents would have provided or even wanted for their children?
As one who is desiring to adopt whether it be a child from one of these countries, another country, or the United States, it would be my responsibility as a parent to provide the best that I can concerning that child's culture. Yes, we are all naive about what that really means in the real world. What would be ideal in any adoption situation would be for the government or an adoption agency to work with prospective parents to provide them with knowledge and understanding about that child's culture and even the parent's or community/village's culture. Of course there will be obvious differences and ones that can't be helped such as food but it is the heritage that is most important. This is an overwhelming task and whether it is feasible or not, I don't know because it would mean working together to provide the best for the child. In actuality we already trying to promote multi-culturalism in our settings since children from many different cultural backgrounds attend these settings. For adoption, this would be where the home and country culture work together so that the child can still benefit from their home culture but still be able to thrive in a home where they don't have to compete for an adult's love. These are just my thoughts and in the real world we know that everything is much more complicated.
Jo Ann's Child Care Center
Wilson, North Carolina, United States
04/26/2005 4:06 pm
Please pass on my thanks to Vijaya Murthy for sharing insight into a culture that we could only hope to imitate one day in our country! What a powerful message that sends. Perhaps CCIE could instead let us know where we could send donations to assist with the building and operations of one of the Mamta Grihas? Thank you for sharing that touching narrative with us!
West Family Day Care
Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
04/26/2005 4:06 pm
Thank you so much for this perspective. I am moved to tears. It feels rare to hear this sort of cultural perspective directly from an expert who is a member the group who could potentially be harmed. I feel privileged to be connected to the larger world of early childhood professionals through ExchangeEveryDay. This is one more case where my perspective has been enriched. Thank you.