Rumination

When I started thinking about adopting a child, my first choice was international adoption. Then, when I started thinking about countries, Guatemala was the first choice. They have young, healthy babies that are raised in foster homes, not orphanages. It made sense. I could get a baby, less than 9 months old, healthy and only have to travel 2 hours by plane. The in-country stay is only 3-5 days. It all made practical sense.

But....something didn't sit right with this decision. I can't explain it. And, I didn't realize it until something inside my head came alive and said, 'heritage.' Immediately I thought of Eastern Europe. Then, once that ruminated in my head for a few days, it started to become clearer. All of a sudden it didn't matter that I get an infant aged child, in foster care. It didn't matter that I would have to travel overseas for 10 plus hours and stay in-country for 4-6 weeks. It didn't matter that the child would be over age 1 and live in a state run orphanage. I have been called to adopt from Eastern Europe.

Next question, which country? I called my Dad and he reminded me my Grandmother's family is from Minsk, Belarus. We can't adopt from there, so I started looking at neighboring countries. Russia, Ukraine, Moldova. Then, Ukraine struck me. I must go with Ukraine. I don't know why - but then I happened upon Everything is Illuminated, and Chernobyl Heart and it became clear. Illumination is exactly right. Heritage is important - and helping a child in an orphanage is even more important. Now, all this resonates in my heart. God led me to this decision. I am not 100% sure why, but I know it will all make sense when I get to Ukraine, and when I see my child for the first time. It will all make sense.

Paperwork Update - Getting Closer!

I received the updated SBI clearance on Saturday! Yeah! Now all I need is my medical evaluation and employement verification and I should be all set to send to Raleigh to be apostilled. This could be a very good week if I get my dossier completed.

Cheers, Susan

Chernobyl Heart

On April 26, 1986, the worst nuclear accident in history occurred when a reactor exploded at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Sixteen years later, award-winning filmmaker Maryann De Leo took her camera to follow the devastating trail this radiation left behind in hospitals, orphanages, mental asylums and evacuated villages. Winner of the Academy Award ® for Best Documentary Short. "
This movie was on HBO recently. Sixteen years after the incident, Maryann De Leo, from Ireland's Chernobyl Children's Project, created this documentary showing the after effects. The highest population affected were the unborn children to parents who were exposed. Ninety-nine percent of Belarus was contaminated. The way the winds blow, and where Chernobyl is located, sent most the reactive materials into Belarus. There is a small area around Chernobyl that was contaminated. Only 15-20% of babies born in Belarus are healthy. Many are born with multiple holes in their hearts, which is now called "Chernobyl Heart." This condition can be fixed by surgery, but the funds are not available.
"The Chernobyl Children's Project has increased the quality of life for thousands of young girls and boys from the heart of the "Chernobyl zone." Since its establishment in 1991, the project has sent more than 30 million euros in aid to the Chernobyl region, and has brought more than 10,000 children to Ireland on recuperative holidays. "

Ukraine Adoption Statistics

As of July 1, 2005, 14,535 children were adopted by foreigners since 1997 (of who 5,611 orphans adopted by U.S. citizens). 3,573 children in total were adopted in 2004, out of which 2,081 were adopted by foreigners and 1,492 by Ukrainians.

(This report was compiled and written by Steven A.Vetterlein, Executive Director of the UOCFP. Much factual information used in this report courtesy of an Assessment written by Konstantin I. Yakubenko, M.A., with statistical information provided by The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine).

The Children’s Life in a Ukrainian Institution

The children sleep in large rooms with 8 to 40 beds in one room. Boys and girls have separate bedrooms from age 7 and up. Very rarely children have their own bedside cabinets, but may have some closet space outside of their common bedroom. Most of the time the children spend together, in class during lessons (for children over 6 or 7), outside near the orphanage facilities walking or running around as there are almost no educational games or quality sports opportunities in most orphanages. They eat together in large canteens and are almost never allowed to participate in cooking. Exception to that is tedious, un-educational work like peeling potatoes and doing all sorts of cleaning that children are asked to do throughout the day. Sometimes, there is one caretaker/teacher for 30 children or more, while the amount of all orphanage staff may reach to one staffer per two children. Children do not know what they deserve or have rights for (let alone general rights of children adopted by the UN). More than frequently, the same teachers indoctrinate children on many subjects, like math, literature, physics, music, etc. due to the lack of qualified staff in any given institution. Children abide by strict rules, stand in line to get their food or receive their bedding after fairly rare linen/clothing washing days. Most institutions don’t even aim to prepare children for future life – very rarely outside of institutions life skills or job skills are taught to children. Showers or baths (if available) are allowed in groups (boys and girls separately) as rarely as once a week or even more rare than that. Frequently, there would be no hot water so special arrangements have to be made to heat the water during the cold season. In summer, most times arrangements to heat the water would not be made and children are "encouraged" to use cool water available in the shower. Majority of orphanage staff are elderly women, some of who have been raised in institutions themselves and have not gone through any training on how to work with at-risk children. In fact there are no university educational programs in the nation that train students to become orphanage teachers or orphanage social workers! Furthermore, there are no educational programs preventing professional burn out for orphanage staff, most of who work with children with special needs just by virtue of their institutional status.

Most facilities would greatly benefit from repairs that have not been funded for years or decades. Frequently, the roof would be leaking in this or that part of the facility (ies). The same applies to institutions’ equipment and supplies. Institutions’ material base is described as "extremely poor". Some are in very critical condition and fail to perform even the most basic functions.

Illumination

One day last month I came across a treasure of a movie on HBO. It's titled Everthing is Illuminated. It's an independant movie based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. It's te story of a young man who goes on a "very rigid search" for the woman who saved his grandfather's life during Nazi invasion. The story takes place in Ukraine. You get a good sense of the scenery (although I just found out they filmed in Prague - very similar countryside) and the culture. Liev Schreiber directed and wrote the screenplay for this gem. Once again, highly recommended. And, the music is great - a mix of folk and gypsy punk. Dyakuyu.

Recognition

I want to thank Marc and Amy Dickman for sharing their adoption blog with me. It inspired me to get cracking on mine! They are adopting from Ethiopia and should be bringing home their little angel soon. My prayers out to them for a safe journey.

October 25, 2008

Is this for real? For those of you who know me, I have been planning to adopt for over a year. Waylayed by breaking my arm and shoulder last Christmas, I am back on track. Anyone you talk to about their adoption journey, whether international or domestic, will have tales to tell that will astound and perplex. It's a roller coaster ride no matter how smooth things go. I will share this ride with you in the blog entries to follow.

So, this is feeling really, really real (in the words of my nephew Ben, really-really.) I received my 'papers' (known in the industry as immigration approval) last week. This is a huge milestone. It means that Department of Homeland Security US Citizenship and Immigration Services has deemed me as "favorable determination concerning application for advance processsing of orphan petition." AKA it has been determined that I am able to furnish proper care to an orphan or orphans as defined by section 101 (b) (1) (f) of the immigration and nationality act. ..... isn't this truly determined by God? You get my drift. So, God and USCIS has approved me for 1 or 2 children, either sex, under age 6 years. And, my visa file is on it's way to Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine. Dyakuyu, dobryden, do zustrichi! (Thank you, hello, goodbye).