a raindrop in a hurricane
So, yeah, adoption is the new black. It's hip, it's trendy, it's popular with celebrities. But it's not nearly popular enough.
The current rate of adoption is so small that's its like a raindrop of the hurricane of the orphan crisis. According to a study by the United Nations, it would require 60 times the number of adoptions now taking place to absorb all the orphans needing homes in the world. (thanks to Kate for posting about the study.)
Africa has it the worst. Africa has more "double" orphans - children who have lost both parents - than anywhere else in the world. According to the UN study, in many sub-Saharan African countries, double orphans make up 3 percent or more of the under-18 population.
It would take 2,000 times the current number of adoptions to find families for the 7.7 million children in Africa who have no parents.
These data make me especially appalled at those people who argue against international adoptions on the basis that the children of the third world are being ripped away by imperialistic Americans who are depriving the children of their heritage. What a load of crap.
It is indisputable that children would be better served by an adoption within their own culture and country. It is also indisputable that there are not enough people in Ethiopia to adopt all these kids. In the meantime, the majority of Ethiopian orphans will die, or will survive for some time in poverty, disease, and hunger.
A tiny fraction of these orphans will get adopted by people from other countries, and will miss out on their Ethiopian culture. This is indeed a significant loss, and a life away from one's homeland and biological family is definitely a life compromised.
But it's a whole lot better than no life at all.
7 comments:
Here here!!! And I HATE when people keep asking 'why don't you adopt domestically?' There are so many reasons why that question is stupid including the fact that I don't think Canadian children in care are dying by the millions every year!!
wow it kind of puts our lives in perspective in a big fat hurry thanks for the post...
did you see I posted about that too (mon I think)? how strange!
...puh-lease, it is way worse of a fate to be adopted by an imperialist American pig then to grow up in a life of poverty, hunger, possibly die of malaria, or be sold into a life of slavery.
Obviously you don't have your head screwed on tight...
This has been on my mind quite a bit. Then, yesterday I read an alarming article about all the toxic chemical load we Americans have in our bodies due to all the 'advances' in our culture - and I thought, hey, isn't there some way to move some clean businesses and willing, energetic Americans to Africa itself, where we could adopt kids and let both them and us have the benefit of a great ancient culture? Maybe give us all a chance to develop modern conveniences in a green way and not have weird cancers in old age? Can I get Bill Gates to give me a few mill for this?
Well said...sing it!
fatwonkid I assume you are joking! ? hw
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