Children need love, affection and parental care especially at their early ages. Unfortunately, some children lose their parents at this age due to natural and man-made factors. And they are forced to grow up in the absence of their biological father and mother.
Researches indicate that children growing without parents are not as vibrant as those that have grown up with parent. The principal cause of the problem is the yearning of the children for their parents due to the biological attachment between the child and his parents, forwards the researches.
Guddifachaa, a term used to refer to adoption, is handing over orphans and children from parents who are inefficient to bring up their children to those who are interested in adoption. This is a common trend among the people of Ethiopia.
In the past, such children had been given to foreign parents. They grew up in an environment which is different from where they were born. Such an adoption had created some negative impacts on the children. Children certainly need parents. The role of a mother in bringing up a child is irreplaceable. However, the children may lose their parents at their early childhood. Thus, they grew up under adoption.
Considering the negative impact, Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs had changed the situation. It has created an opportunity whereby the children are given to Ethiopian parents who are in need of adoption. This could help the ministry look after the condition of the children at the adopter’s home.
Belete Dagne, Children’s Aid and Inspection Directorate at Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs, told The Ethiopian Herald that the principal reason for planning to stop giving Ethiopian children for foreign adoption is due its impact on the children. Children will identify the fact that the adopting parents are not biological mothers and fathers at their later age. Besides, they might have different skin color from their parents. This could lead to identity crisis, as to him.
Belete said it is also hard to look after the condition of the children after sending them abroad with foreign parents. The ministry is responsible for following up the situation of the children after adoption. However, it is almost impossible to follow up the condition of the children adopted by foreign parents.
This is mainly to ensure the psychological and physical safety of the children. The children need parents who could play the role of biological mother and father. They need love, care and affection from the adopters. Thus, the Ministry first examines the background of the parents asking for adoption before giving them the children, he explained.
“We interview the parents on how to bring up the child before giving them the children. The parents are asked on how to treat children. Besides, they need to be economically capable and self-reliant. They need to have enough income so that they could fulfill the demand of the children,” Belete said.
The Director said the process of adoption is made by following legal procedure of the court. The ministry promotes such an adoption for further protection of children’s right. Legal adoption creates ground for taking legal action against adopters that violate the children’s right.
Kibebe Tsehay is a legal children caring center in Addis Ababa under Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs, it gives children in the caring center for adopters because it believes that the children should grow up in a family. They should not grow in camp. And thus, all children in the temporary caring centers are giving out the children to adopting parents based on the required standard.
However, the ministry examines the adopter’s health, economic and social condition. They must also be free from all forms of crime. Parents who fulfill the requirements are authorized for adoption, as to the directorate.
He disclosed that about 1,500 children have benefited from local adoption in Addis Ababa alone. The ministry has centers in the regions as well. All the correspondents in the region are working as per the children’s right. Their right is uncompromising requirement in the process of adopting the children, as to him.
Local adoption is crucial in such a way that it less affects the psychology of the children since they grow up in similar culture and race. The question of dignity will be lesser than growing in Europe, America, or Asia, elaborated the Director.
The Ethiopian Herald November30, 2019
BY GETAHUN LEGESSE
