I miss Ellie.
I have to admit that I've had daydreams about Malot and Ellie falling in love some day in the future. They're such beautiful children and I could only imagine what their own children would look like.
I fancied that we'd be able to keep in touch with Ellie's family after we brought both kids home and that, through the years, love would blossom.
Ellie won't be coming home.
Why does this little girl have to be a statistic?
Haiti has the highest child mortality rate in this hemisphere. 1/3 of Haiti's children are severely malnourished.
And it is the politics that prevent these children from escaping the hell that kills them and coming to homes were they can get food, preventative health care, love, families, kisses, playtoys, clean water.
Ironically, for all the good it does to ensure that the world's children get the basics they need, UNICEF is the largest cause of the political delays we experience in international adoption. While they go on the record as supporting international adoption, the first thing they do when they move into a country is "encourage" the local government to keep their children in their country as a means of preparing for a better future. If you aren't familiar with UNICEF, that's the "humanitarian" end of the United Nations. The UN's peacekeepers have occupied Haiti for several years now. You know the old saying, "beggars can't be choosers". If you can't provide for your own it is very easy to be swayed by whomever will try to lead or help you.
One quick place to get information on what's going on in Haiti and a bit of the background on some of the issues that are experienced by international adoptions (particularly in Haiti in the more recent posts) is http://achildsvoiceinternational.blogspot.com/ . The slideshow in the link on her Sunday, May 4 post is particularly chilling. It was compiled by a charity called The Mercy and Sharing Foundation that is trying to help Haiti's children.
2 comments:
Lori,
I am TOTALLY with you on this. UNICEF really disgusts me on this issue. They have caused havoc with adoptions around the world and it is so infuriating!
Regarding that slideshow, the saddest thing about it is that it was done in 2001 and things have gotten exponentially WORSE since then. Worse than those pictures? How can that be? Well, it is. Anyway, sometimes we just have to purge the rage of the injustice that we feel about what is happening to these gorgeous kids. All I can think is that they must be some super choice spirits that are coming down and only having to endure a short while before being taken back to their Lord where they are already promised salvation in the highest kingdom--something that the rest of us will struggle each day to try and earn, but for whatever reason, they were already more than worthy enough. In that regard, we are lucky to know these little ones if even for a short time...
Oh my gosh, I have missed so much. I am so sorry about Lexi and Nathan, but I have to say, that little Malot looks like quite a charmer. I can't wait to hear about your visit.
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