A Prayer on the Wind: Sleep, sleep and more sleep

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Sleep, sleep and more sleep

In between sleeping and a little internet today (did I say how much I LOVE having internet in my house!!) I managed to get myself together and visit the orphanage in the late afternoon. Nothing quite like that little smile that lights up his whole body when I pull up in the taxi. Apparently he's been saying how much he likes to ride in the car, and whenever they are out walking around and he sees a taxi like ours, he tells his Didi's it's his car. We did our usual playtime with all the kids. I brought balloons that popped one after another, and we ran up and down the dirt road outside the orphanage being fascinated by kites, (of course), dogs and motorcycles. When it was time to leave today, I told him in my best Nepalese that I would be back tomorrow, and he was really upset. The Didi's want me to give him chocolate when this happens, which isn't my favorite idea, but I don't object to their wishes as they take GREAT care of him, and know him far better than I do at this point. It didn't really work today, but I got him calm before I left as I would never be able to leave if he was crying for me (hence the reason I am still in Nepal!). I think this is all a good sign in terms of bonding and attachment. I really don't like that I had to put him back in the orphanage, but I think it's going to be okay.

I took advantage of my home stay and had them cook for me today so I didn't have to leave the house in search of food. What a blessing. It's the best food I've eaten since I've been here, served right in my humble, little room.

Not much to report today other than I have the kindest taxi driver who is exactly what I remember from the Nepal I fell in love with years ago. This gentleness, and real genuine caring nature. The children at the orphanage love him. He even stopped by my house today saying he was 'scared' because I didn't call him as we had planned the day before. It's people like him and the owners of my house that help make this all do-able.

I tried to include some very random shots from the last couple days but they wouldn't upload (bad connection) so maybe next time. Here is a link to an interesting article posted by Cherie, one of the mom's here. It also has two-links on it of radio interview with a couple of the other moms, one on NPR. Cherie's blog

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THE US GOVT WAS WRONG TO SHUT DOWN ADOPTIONS. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

There were 55 families stuck in the Nepal Pipeline because the US Government had 'suspicions' of 'fraud' and 'serious irregularites' based on a poorly conducted 82-day investigation of 62 orphan cases. That's 1 1/2 days per case. Their findings are rampant with errors, cultural insensitivities and blatant incompetence.

IN THE END, EVERY CHILD WAS ABLE TO GO HOME WITH THEIR FAMILY BECAUSE NOT A SINGLE SHRED OF FRAUD WAS FOUND. NOTHING. ZERO.

THE US WAS WRONG.

Children spent an average of 200 extra days languishing in orphanages, and cost families an average of 25K extra dollars for no good reason.

Both Ends Burning, a non-profit international adoption advocacy group has published an investigative report based on a the findings in an extensive review of the 55 investigations US parents were forced to make to prove the orphan status of their children. They studied over 3,000 pages that were compiled by lawyers and private investigators. Their discoveries are shocking. See the full report by cutting a pasting this link: https://bothendsburning.org/help-out/current-initiatives/re-open-nepal/

On June 6, 2014 we travelled to Washington DC along with many other families and Both Ends Burning to meet with our Senators and Congressman and women. Help us keep the momentum by signing our petition: http://www.petition2congress.com/15574/lift-suspension-adoptions-from-nepal/

We are asking our Senators and Representatives to follow-up with these actions:

1. Sponsor a Congressional Resolution to open re-open Nepal for international adoptions

2. Call for a Congressional Hearing to Investigate the closure of Nepal

3. Enter a floor speech on behalf of us and our children to correct the record

Read the blog notes dated June 13, 2014 to see all the videos, news coverage and links to the report. There is also links to the news below in "Jenni in the News".

ABOUT NEPAL:

The status of women is low in the Nepali society, contributing to frequent abuse and abandonment of wives and children. More complicated reasons for abandonment of children include being unwed, the caste system, poverty, the lack of a social system, unequal access to education, and religion. There are no social services and the per capita income of the average household is less than $350 a year.

With adoptions halted, and orphanages either closed or full to capacity, there is nowhere for these abandoned children to go. Some live on the street, many others die.

I have travelled extensively all over the world but never been to a country where the need is so great. With a total population of 28 million people, Nepal is home to approximately one million orphans.