It makes me mad!

This morning I read this article about the French organization Zoe's Ark that tried to bring 103 Chadian children into France under false pretenses.

I know this is sort of old news. It happened over a month ago and the first few weeks there were articles about it every day. But reading the article today really brought back my anger with the whole situation.

Who do these people think they are?! They literally made these kids look like they had injuries and medical issues by painting bandages to look bloody, and putting (unhooked) IVs on them. Under no circumstances could that ever be ethical. These people were trying to STEAL children! They are no better in my eyes than those in Ghana who buy kids to be fishing slaves. No better.

Ninety-one of the children were living with their parents. These were not orphans. They family/parents hadn't even given their permission for the kids to be placed in an orphanage, let alone snatched out of the country and away from everything they know!

What makes me the most angry is how this reflects on organizations that ARE trying to do what's best for children. This fiasco is seeping down through all of Africa and could negatively affect other organizations that are trying to do right by OVCs (orphans and vulnerable children).

How long is it going to be until the first person in Ghana accuses ethical American agencies of trying to "steal" children? How long is it going to be until a previously pro-adoption judge decides that we must be trafficking these children to harvest their organs or sell them as slaves to rich Americans?

It makes me sick.

The last few weeks in the Ghana adoption world have been so, so difficult. I feel like I'm banging my head against a wall most of the time. Computers down. People out of the office. Death of an important officer. Unknowns with immigration. I spend my days working on it and my nights dreaming about it. Our kids NEED to come home. Our kids NEED international adoption. They don't have other options. I feel so inadequate sometimes. Surely there is no way this could ever be accomplished without God's intervention throughout the process!

Knowing how hard we (not just AAI, but another great organizations well) are working to get things done ethically, it just makes the Zoe's Ark thing sting that much more. These people are making our job so much more difficult. We already have so many hills to climb to education Ghanaians on the loving option of adoption IF no better solution can be found for a child's care.

Okay. I'll get off my soapbox. It's been one of those weeks. I just want our kids home, and our families to feel the joy that will make this topsy turvy wait worth it.

Anita