A Prayer on the Wind: Can't I just buy some pepper?

Monday, December 6, 2010

Can't I just buy some pepper?

Nothing is easy here. My friends and I are all taking turns dropping like flies and heading to the Clinic. Pukar was diagnosed today with rickets to top it all off. I need 4000 IU of Vitamin D a day to treat it which of course is not available in Nepal. Parents who have come and left are reporting going home with parasites. Nice. And all I wanted to buy today was some black pepper.... no such luck. Did I mention it took four different cash machines just to get some money? On the bright side, Pukar and I had a lot of fun today, and spent a lot of time in the sun soaking up the Vitamin D (since I just got the diagnosis, what better to do!). We played in the gardens of a hotel called Shangri-La. I do what I can to make-believe. Nepalis wondered if we were cold? It's like 70 something degrees. All their kids have on full coats and hats in the middle of the day. I know spirits can invade small babies, but wow, they really bundle...and the sun is the devil...fair skin is the way to go. Whatever... my kid needs D and everyone knows I LOVE THE SUN! Bring it. I will get the Vitamin D I need one way or another. And we are another day closer to submitting my RFE. Don't hold your breath, but it is moving forward. Goodnight!

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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.