I am so sick and tired of North American celebrities running over to Africa and/or Asia looking for poor, orphaned and disadvantaged children to take home with them. As if Africa didn't already have enough major crises on its hands (i.e. the theft its natural resources, wars and wide spread corruption and poverty), it has to contend this latest wave of 'benevolent' colonialism. Maybe I'm being really cynical about this, but I see this more as a Hollywood trend than an earnest way of help an ailing continent. They have the Christian Louboutin pumps and the latest Bentley Continental GT, why not top the look off with a chubby African baby. 'We've gotta take you out of this dump so we take you to a more civilized and rich culture, like ours! The Western way is the better way!' Why do I feel this way, you ask? Well, first of all, why aren't these celebrities adopting poor disadvantaged children in their own countries? Lord knows there are many. My suspicion is that a local adoption is less sexy or exotic than a foreign one. If my hunch is right, this makes the whole African adoption bonanza all the more disgusting.
Secondly, why don't these celebrities take their wealth, fame and limitless resources and pour it into investing in African infrastructure, the defence of human rights, capacity building, sustainable living initiatives and/or simply lobbying the government and speaking truth to power? To me, this would be a far more effective method of improving the lives of African children and their parents in the long run. People like Bono (although he's become more self-serving than helpful), George Clooney or Sir Bob Geldof didn't adopt any kids, but they are doing their best to speak truth to power. Oprah, although I am not a fan, had the right idea by creating and building a school that would cater to young girls in South Africa. Can you imagine if every celebrity and/or wealthy citizen for that matter, were to do the same? Africa would be on its way! Adoption on a broad scale is nothing more than a Band-Aid.
I guess what put me over the edge with this topic was the headline that Madonna is about to adopt yet another sucker/child from Malawi. She didn't get enough after bamboozling her last adoptive child's biological father into selling his own flesh and blood, so she's going back for more. Now, I'm not judging Madonna's lifestyle- she's a grown woman, but would she or Angelina Jolie while we're at it, ever have been able to adopt if they had the same lifestyle and were making $34,000 annually and working at a Ford plant? Puh-leez! Stop, freeze and put the black boy down!
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Since when is adoption about speaking truth to power? People who adopt want kids/babies; they're not trying to change the world. And any child adopted out of destitute poverty (from anywhere, regardless of skin colour) should not be called a "sucker"; even you have to admit that's a bit harsh, Miss Kim.
How many people wish Madonna would adopt them?! I'll tell you what! LOL!
Unfortunately, I see it as characteristic of the world's horrible inequities that kids whose parents are alive and interested in them are put in orphanages because of poverty. Besides, a lot of people who adopt overseas trans-racially (who have a lot less money than Madonna) often do so because its easier than in North America. And they are mostly adopting Asian babies and Latin American babies. You can't describe this in any way as being some kind of run on black babies.
Anyway, that's my 2p. Good to see you out there with your blog. I can hardly believe it's taken you so long! :-)
It is a much faster process to get a child from a developing world than domestically.
I don't see too many blacks in the west rushing to adopt African children and the number that challenge African governments to be responsible is not noteworthy.
I do agree that infrastructure programs are a good way to go but they're not the only way.
There is the potential that Madonna's adoptive son, growing up with the privileges that he will (education, access to power, etc.) will be able to do more in the long run for Malawi than Madonna could by opening her big mouth. I imagine that Obama's impact on Kenya will be bigger than that in the U.S.
Also, I think if you look a bit closer you might find that the connection that a person like Angelina Jolie gets to a country through the child results in infrastructure improvements to the areas where her children are from.
I can understand your concern but we also have to ask what are we doing ourselves.
Hey it seems like some people have
the wrong view of what Adoption is. It seems like rich people are doing it because well they are all over the news, sometimes it may seem like a gong show and hey it does suck that some people do it for popularity. But the truth is whether or not they are rich and whether or not they are poor, in most countries no matter how much you invest your time, money, and knowledge you would never see the success in seeing things take place. Good for those who have invested in trying or building centers for education, at the same time good for those who could afford to adopt a child. Unless you yourself have gone to these places and noticed the need of adoption. You can't really say too much in this area of what people are doing.
Now when I say this I am not saying if you are doing this for the attention, or popularity, or for profit then it is ok, it's not. But there are people who could make a difference with one person's life due to bringing them into their home and allowing them to be a part of their family. Also due to the poverty in these country there are no way we could reach out to all of the people if we keep the kids in their country, due to health and to their safety. I myself, am a child that has been shifted to hospital, foster care and orphanages with no one to consider to be my parent. At the same time I have had the privalege in being adopted into a family.
Now for those who think it is all about paying just for the sake of buying, most adoption doesn't work that way. Instead it works in a way where most of the money goes to the family that the child is from to help them get back on their feet, and on top of that the kids that are being adopted into the families are kids without a home, or kids who has been abanded, kids who seen their own family members past on, and the list can go on.
If these kids are not adopted or have a place where they could be looked after, then most if not all of the children would die due to hunger, or lack of treatment.
Adoption is a biblical thing to do and we see it at least three times in the Bible.
Jesus Christ the son of God was adopted by Joseph, Moses was adopted by Pharohs daughter, Ester was adopted by her uncle. we see that adoption is something that has been carried out for centuries. I think before you shut down the idea of adoption you need to go to these countries for yourself and do some research. Hopefully and maybe you would have a change of thought about how adoption works.
Again I am not saying every adoption has been done correctly but the truth is if a child has an opportunity to be invested with clean clothes and education and many other things it is saving a childs life.
Please don't take this letter to a place of me tearing your thoughts and opinion down... I just want to clarify that not all adoption is as bad as you claim it to be and what people are doing is awesome. Whether it is building a place for people to be educated in, to the place where people are adopted.
Now about me, maybe you may say "well you are healthy and strong and there is nothing wrong with you." I wish that is true but yet it isn't, I have a learning disability and I am deaf in one side of my ears. when my parents adopted me they were not to sure whether I would have to learn sign language or if I would pass grade 1. School has been difficult for me and at the same time I have seen success in my own life where I have been through all of the post secondary education to the place of being in Bible college.
At the same time I had a lot of health problems that needed to be looked after. if it wasn't for my parents then I most likely wouldn't be alive today.
My sister who was also adopted from the same country as I was was, has a different story. With this my parents found out about her through a nun where she was left in a whole for dead. the nuns never found her family and well they took her in and put her up for adoption. my parents are not rich and yet they had one other child when they adopted my sister, then when they adopted me they had three other kids. after that we had my younger brother.
So as you can see if it wasn't for people who cared about others who needs a home and medical attention, then you would probably hear more deaths in these countries. there is a lot going on in this world and through that many people are being saved and many of us has a second chance to live out our lives to the fullest.
Please stop thinking negatively about this and look at the possitive part of the adoption, before you speak so harshly about this do some homework and see how people are supporting those areas. Africa is one of many countries that needs people to adopt just as much as China and Japan, Haiti and other third world countries. I am not saying to neglect the people in Canada or United States or other healthy countries because they to need some help, and yet I know there are people adopting with in the countries that they are in.
Thank you for your time and I hope this opens up a new way of viewing adoption.
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