Kigali: The responsibility to support thousands of orphans in the country partly falls with the Rwanda middle class who can adopt some of these largely homeless children, according to a campaign underway by an American adoption organisation.
The Gladney Center for Adoption announced last week the opening of its newest inter-country adoption program for Rwanda under which the organisation will facilitate Americans to adopt Rwandan children. But the organisation says its target is to have most of the children taken up by Rwandans with sufficient incomes.“Gladney’s ultimate goal is to have international adoptions cover a very small percentage of our program”, explains Ms. Jana Jenkins, the Rwanda In-Country Facilitator of the orginisation.
“If you have been blessed with what you have earned, there is no reason for you not to reach out to fellow Rwandans that may need your help.”
Just a few months in Rwanda, the organisation has already engaged some 30 local orphanages providing training to guardians, community-based caregivers, volunteers and local leaders on how best the orphans can be supported.
According to a government commissioned study, Rwanda has some 825.000 orphans with 22 percent experiencing grave challenges that it needs a coordinated and streamlined intervention to support them.
Among the 22 percent orphans having a tough time making ends meet, as the study released in June noted, include street children, those being looked after by fellow children and those that have lost both of their parents.
Forty percent among these are said to be in homes managed by girls - that can barely even support themselves - but are struggling to look after the other child-dependants. The study recommended that activities of all organizations intervening in the problem be “streamlined” with government policy to “avoid duplication”.
Government has also expressed concern with organizations it says come to Rwanda to “take advantage” of the situation for own interests.
Ms. Jenkins says the Gladney Center for Adoption is working with the Ministry of Gender and Family Affairs on its program in the country, “not coming to impose anything”. We are coming in to provide a forum for networking with faith-based organizations and other NGOs, she told RNA Monday.
She added: “Gladney has a 120-year experience and Rwanda has a very good vetting system in place for prospective adoptions – it is unlikely that the children will end up with people who do not deserve them.”
The Center says it has helped placed more than 28,000 children in forever homes and assisted more than 37,000 birth mothers globally. In Africa, the organisation is only operating in Ethiopia. In Rwanda an American family is already working on taking-up some three orphans.
“Our hope is to not only find forever families for the children living in orphanages, but to increase awareness about the need for humanitarian aid for the orphans of Rwanda,” said Scott Brown, the Executive Vice President, in a statement.
The Gladney Center for Adoption is also associated with high-profile individuals including US First Lady Laura Bush, world-renowned boxer Muhammad Ali and Hollywood heavy star Bruce Willis.
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