Okay, some may kill me here but it's not about my adoption :) Unfortunately. However, while I've been impatiently waiting to bring Beamluk home I've been doing A LOT of work!! My job is to develop programs for orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa - from Duluth, MN. Yes, amazing isn't it :) While it's not as satisfying as working and living there, I'm very blessed to be able to do the work that I do from Duluth, MN while I wait to bring my princess home.
So the big news???? Lutheran Social Service of MN is now recruiting families for children in need of homes from GHANA! That's right! GHANA! And my first program is finally up and running! I can't tell you just how amazing and frustrating this ride has been! But let me sum it up for you :)
I began working for Lutheran Social Service of MN in July of last year - to begin a new program in Ethiopia for orphaned and vulnerable children. However, just as we had all our materials ready for the government's approval - the government stopped accepting new adoption related NGO applications. It was thought that the wait wouldn't be very long, however, still now, the suspension is being upheld. This program would have allowed me to return to Ethiopia often and perhaps even give me the opportunity to live there until the adoption process was complete. But it wasn't meant to be - for some reason - that I still cannot understand. Mostly, this wait has been so difficult because I truly didn't believe I would be here (in the US) that long. But boy was I wrong.
While Ethiopia has been at a standstill I've been working tirelessly to get other programs started in African countries as this is where my passion and strengths are and luckily my Director understands this. Well FINALLY Ghana has begun! What does this mean? I get to finally return to the continent - and perhaps even to Ethiopia depending on long the wait looks like it is going to be (so if anyone has extra Sheba miles that they won't be using (Ethiopian Air) please let me know and I'd be more than grateful to use them up to visit Beamluk and the rest of the Kechene clan)!
I couldn't be more excited about the possibility of finding homes for Ghanaian children and also supporting programs in anti-trafficking and maternal and child health! I'll have to explain more later :)
But anyway, we are looking for families for our Ghana Pilot Program! So please, spread the word! We'll be updating our severely outdated website soon to reflect this amazing development!
Children in need of families:
Children 2 years and older, with many sibling groups needing to be placed together
Parent requirements:
Ghanaian law requires that parents are married (for no specified length of time); are between the ages of 25-50 and at least 21 years older than the child/ren they are adopting; Ghana has extremely flexible requirements (except the marriage requirement which may be possible in the future but we're remaining cautious as the Head of the Department is not currently in support of adoptions by single parents) :(
If you are truly interested in learning more about this program please just let me know and I can forward you the details :)
And a sigh of relief... even though the work is truly just beginning!
Oh and the estimated date of travel: mid October!!!! Perhaps adding detours to Ethiopia and another country that is making progress in developing programs!
