A Prayer on the Wind: RFE Request for Further Evidence

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

RFE Request for Further Evidence

I was going to expound on some insights and thoughts, and elaborate on some of my observations, and, well, be a writer today. Instead I am writing to say that New Delhi USCIS issued me an RFE. That is a request for further evidence. I have 87 days to produce some specific things.

I have hired a lawyer as of this morning, so whew! Guess I suspected it was coming.

My orphanage director was disappointing on the documents, and that really bummed me out. These people here just don't have a clue how serious this is. It's maddening at times, but you know, we live in a completely different world than they do. Today I was riding a bike (with Pukar of course) through the rice patties and looking at children playing outside mud huts, watching farmers herding buffalo and cutting crops with crude machetes. It's a step back in time, truly.

So onto the next phase. Battle.

In closing, from my friend Janice today: "Whatever moment we are in--our whole life has prepared us for it, brought us to its threshold--thus, in it, we have all we need, including the power of all future steps."

Bring it.

1 comment:

BrianNovember 25, 2010 at 8:52 PM
Oh yeah, woman!! BRING IT!!!!
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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.