Discussion Forum

To adopt an African child or not to adopt;
On sponsoring an adult African female as foreign domestic help …

A piece of correspondence with Ms. Veronica who says, “Africa seems to have called to me my whole life, but I am unsure whether I will truly be helping an African child by pulling her/him from their culture and immersing them here.”

From: Veronica
Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 3:32 PM
To: info@africawecare.org
Subject: a couple of questions...

Greetings!

I have two questions for you. I became aware of your organization when I drove past it in the west end some time ago, and I spoke to someone at the office shortly after about 1 year ago about sponsoring an adult to come here. I am interested in hearing the details of sponsorship, like how long it takes, how much the pay is, and how long the contract is.

On another subject, I would like to ask an opinion from you. I feel a desire in my heart to adopt a child. I have looked into adoption here, and see it as an option. I have also thought a lot about adopting an African child. Africa seems to have called to me my whole life, but I am unsure whether I will truly be helping an African child by pulling her/him from their culture and immersing them here. I have been reading about the subject in Melissa Fey Greene's book called, "There Is No Me Without You", the life story of an Ethiopian woman who opens her home to those affected by AIDS (mostly orphans). The message is that although adoption is appreciated, it does not begin to touch the problems there, and that other solutions are needed. My perception is that your organization is doing it's best to empower Africans with the projects you have set up. My question to you then is, "What is your viewpoint on a Canadian family adopting an Ethiopian child?" I would love to hear your thoughts.

Finally, I have just put together a donation for your organization, and would like to become a yearly donor. I know when the time is right (I have two 9 month old babies) I will get involved in your organization if possible. Keep up the great work.

Yours truly,

Veronica

May we see change in Africa in our lifetime.

(below is my response)

Dear Veronica:

Thank you very kindly for your inquiries. I don’t know if you are the lady I had spoken with a long time ago who was interested in an African nanny live-in or live-out care-giver. I am not sure if it might be you going by the age of your babies – 9 months. Because I had spoken to her a little over nine months ago.

In any case, your inquiries are most welcome. And I will attempt to address them as best I can with the attachment above that would eloquently speak in favour of your motivation, aspiration and desire to help Africa in the most effective way. There are these sayings which I know you have heard many times over:

• The best way to help a poor person is not to give him/her of your wealth, but to show him/her the way to accumulate his/her own wealth;
• If you give a beggar a fish you feed him/her for a day; but if you teach him/her how to fish you shall have fed him/her a life time.

When you sponsor an African man or woman to a better life in Canada, you are killing many birds with one lob of the stone as they say. You will not only be giving one person a chance to a better life; you will be empowering a whole village in Africa. Believe me, I know what I am talking about.

On the issue of adoption; I have mixed feelings about that. But if that’s what one can do for now; I guess that is okay too. After all, half a loaf is better than no bread at all. You know, the problem in Africa is not with the children of Africa. Even though that’s what we are made to think and believe by vested interests. The sorry plight of the children of Africa is only the thick bellowing smoke. And that’s what they make us see. The real fire that produces the smoke is the parents, the grown-up adult African men and women who from year to year have not, and are not able to earn a dollar through any gainful productive economic activities. The jobs are not there. There are no factories, no industries; hence unemployment is at 75% to 80%. Throughout the history of man, commerce and industry have been sine qua non in the development of any country or region. Look at Southeast Asia today, all products imaginable come to us made in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. Invariably, they are the Canadian, American and European companies and multi-nationals that have set up the manufacturing shops in these countries giving employment to their nationals. If you make an 800 phone call to your utility or insurance company today it is likely to be answered by a service representative in India, The Philippines or Bangladesh.

There are 54 countries in Africa. Search around in department stores and supermarkets you will be hard pressed to find any product made in an African country. Africa has got both the natural and human resources to make it a formidable economic giant. Instead of the resources (natural and human) being to the advantage of Africa, they have been viciously exploited by outside forces who have left nothing behind but misery, suffering and privation.

I am not saying that there are not African children in need of adoption. Yes, there are, especially, the children orphaned by AIDS / HIV killing off their parents living only aged grandparents to cope with impossible situations. Where as there is no welfare or medical care systems to talk about in Africa extended families are left to their own devices. I do agonize with you in your quandary as to “whether I will truly be helping an African child by pulling her/him from their culture and immersing them here.” The case of Madonna, the legendry entertainer comes to mind. Perhaps she meant well, I don’t know, by paying $3 million dollars to the President of Malawi to “adopt” one child. But the truth about the matter is that this child, his mother having died in child birth (one in 5 African women die in child birth) was left with a father who could not look after him because he had not worked in years and job prospects were nil. Rather than watch his son whose mother has just died giving birth to him die as well, this man had no choice but to leave his son at the gates of an overcrowded orphanage.

In my humble opinion, I believe that Madonna could have used her money in a more beneficial way. And there are so many ways ranging from setting up an orphanage herself there in Malawi with that $3 million dollars as an endowment, to setting up some factory or industry to employ African people including this little boy’s father. In so doing she would possibly have restored their basic human dignity; made it possible for them to take charge of their lives, and take care of their families; and at the same time she would have empowered a whole country. Madonna can do it. She has the means to make a real difference.

I am grateful that you are listening to “Africa (that) seems to have called (you your) whole life”. I am equally, and eternally grateful to you in thinking about Africa We Care as to “have just put together a donation for (our) organization, and would like to become a yearly donor.” I know that you have both hands full with two 9 months old babies; and I thank God for the double blessings He has bestowed on you and your family. I feel it very strongly that you will be a wonderful part of this Vision, Mission, and Cause of Africa We Care.

May God continue to bless you and your family. I hope I did not write too much, nor stepped out of the bounds of propriety in writing as passionately as I feel.

Sincerely,

Chukwuemeka Obiajunwa
Executive Director
Africa We Care