Ugandans Adopt

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adoption The Adoption Panel Uncategorized

KEEPING UP WITH MY TWINKLETOES-RUKH-SHANA ON HER ADOPTION JOURNEY SO FAR

Rukh-shana serves Twinkle toes cake on her third birthday

We asked Rukh-Shana, adoptive mother and Ugandans Adopt heroine, to give us an update on her adoption journey. In her own words, she tells us how Twinkletoes is keeping  her on her toes:

                                KEEPING UP WITH MY TWINKLETOES-RUKH-SHANA

Rukh-Shana serves Twinkle toes cake on her third birthday at a babies home
Rukh-Shana serves Twinkletoes cake on her third birthday at the Babies Home where her birthday was celebrated. .Photo courtsey of Ugandans Adopt

The date is 30th March 2015. It’s 10:30am and I should be dashing for my morning cup of tea but I am stuck at my desk neck deep in routine stuff attempting to pull together a report that should have been submitted the night before. Even as I am propped up behind my desk, my mind racing a mile a minute with all the things I need to get done before the new month, my mind wanders off to a happy place. It is my little girl’s birthday today and we had a tantrum-free morning, can’t quite recall what that felt like, so I am delighted with her. My mind wanders further off to what seems like a distant time.  A time when I prided myself in being nimble and swift on my feet, a busy body with never a dull moment in my life, always colliding with time…then came Twinkletoes, and in the blink of an eye I was a snail dragging my shell on the race track of life alongside this toddler who was suddenly in an insane rush to go places; to see the big beautiful world through her twinkling eyes.  I have since then been trying to keep up with my Twinkletoes.

 

And speaking of the world, my rather controlled world has never been the same since she flung the doors wide open and came waltzing in. Twinkletoes was just four months when we met on that beautiful Monday evening. Well I think it was a Monday because on a Friday I dressed up for my big day with the adoption panel-all butterflies in my belly and with knees of jelly. My prayer was simple that morning, “Lord may Your will be done!”  I still muse at just how our plans can take a twist for the better. Now, when I set on out on my adoption journey in 2012, I had it all figured out. She had to be between 8 and 12months old – young enough to bond quite easily and old enough to fit it into my crazy work schedule.  My life needed to maintain a semblance of sane balance as I knew it…I suppose I was simply being ME – in control. But in came Twinkletoes, a sparkly sunshine, a voluble wind turning my structured world sweetly topsy-turvy. One moment I was grounded and the next, I was knocked off- balance falling flat on my face in a fit of joy with outbursts of tears and the momentary tittering on the brink of insanity.

 

Twinkletoes gives Mum Rukh-Shana a peck
Twinkletoes with Mum. Photo courtesy of Rukh-Shana Namuyimba.

Three years on, ours has been a beautiful journey of watching her grow from this shy, thumb- sucking child to a very persuasive, independent and absolutely crazy thumb-sucking toddler who decided at the age of two that she mostly preferred to wear little dresses instead of the shorts and tees her over bearing mother had filled her closet with. Yes, I was a tom boy after all and I didn’t quite have the luxury of defiantly pouting at my mother if she suggested I wear some hand-me-down boyish shorts. So I was quite taken aback when my Twinkletoes proved to be tenacious in getting what she wanted. My mother says I may not have been a tenacious tot but I most definitely turned out to be as tenacious as they come later in life so I should cut Twinkle some slack. So for the most part I have cut her some slack, perhaps too much, and as a result she does mostly get what she wants. I suppose she has found a soft spot and is quite intent on milking it for what it’s worth.

 

Speaking of soft spots Ma Petite, as I sometimes refer to her has a soft spot for hurting people. I have watched as she has, through the years, blossomed into an expressive and caring little girl especially around other children; quick to offer hugs if that is what it takes to make someone else feel better.

Rukh-shana
On motherhood Rukh-Shana says,”And speaking of the world, my rather controlled world has never been the same since she flung the doors wide open and came waltzing in”. Photo courtesy of Rukh-Shana NamuyimbaT

This morning, as I reflect on the year gone by, my heart swells with pride at the little milestones of awesomeness we have reached together. The day we went shopping for nursery schools and when we finally settled for her current school she was a fit of delight. Every day till the first day of term we fought over her insistence that she wear her uniform at home and carry her little rucksack to the door as I left for work. This would almost always end with a tantrum that quietened down with me promising she would start school the next day (yes I lied but what do you do with a tenacious 2 plus year old who will not take ‘wait a little longer’ for an answer?) …and when we finally showed up on the first day of school, I was a weeping mess and she was only too delighted to mix and mingle with the other little kids. Then came the first time she randomly said, “I love you mummy”. We had just had a ‘fight’ so that totally threw me off balance and I could not hold back the tears, her response was a shocker: “Mummy you’re kwaying (read crying) for nothing.” That was the beginning of my transformation into a crying mummy.

I have since shed a tear or two during her first swimming lesson; her first mumbled prayer with a resounding AMEN; her first Sunday school session; her first attempt at brushing her own teeth; her first bicycle ride.  But the most treasured of our milestones is her learning my full name, probably from watching TV and her daddy’s name. She still cannot say her daddy’s without almost biting her tongue but whenever she does it is with such a sweetness like nothing else really matters in her little world. And perhaps nothing really does to my Twinkletoes and many like her. Nothing really matters but that they have unconditional love and a family to call their own.

The end.

To wrap up this heart warming story, Rukh-Shana talks about her adoption experience and why more Ugandans should consider opening their hearts and homes to Ugandan children in the video below:

Could you be the next Rukh-shana? We would love to hear from yo. Call us on 0776110304/0776110316 or send us an email @ [email protected]

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adoption open day Video

CHRISTIAN CHILDCARE CONFERENCE HELD IN KAMPALA.

On Thursday 19th February, Church leaders and faith based Child Care Institutions were hosted to a one day Christian Childcare Conference at Gaba Community with the theme: “Take this child and nurse him for me”.

The Conference, drew a cross section of church leaders, Directors and Staff from different Churches and Child Care institutions across Kampala and Jinja. The conference was organised by the church as a platform for the Government to talk about the developments in childcare especially in terms of the Orphans and Vulnerable Children(OVC) situation, legal framework and Alternative Care Framework and the operational plan to mobilize the Framework. It also a forum for the churches and faith based organisations to give their views on the Alternative Care framework.

Stella Ogwang Principal Probation Officer at Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development in her presentation urged the participants to focus on family based solutions for children based in institutions and orphanages . Other key note speakers included Jack Matsiko  former Director of Compassion Uganda, Gad Mfitundinda a Police representative who discussed on Child protection and trafficking and the Host Pastor Peter Kasirivu of Gab Community Chuch. The conference also included a panel session with the members sharing personal experiences of success stories and challenges in adoption, running homes and from a donor perspective.

The Panel in session
The Panel Session from Left to Right: Immaculate Atwine (Home Manager, Malaika Babies Home), Josh Caldwell (with microphone, Linelife Ministries USA, Donor representative and International Adopteer), Sarah Kigozi (Head Child Welfare, Watoto), Pastor Mark Kigozi ( Domestic adopter ) and Fred (Moderator, Uganda Christian University )

“We have the heart, we have the people. It is our job, so then what do we need to do? We have the largest network on the earth. “ said Host, Pastor Peter Kasirivu speaking about the Church’s ability to in offer community based solutions as regards to childcare in his closing speech.

The Conference was organized by Gaba Community Church, Africa Renewal Ministries, CARNACC, Child’s i Foundation and Lifeline Ministries. The Conference is planned to become an annual event.

In the video below,  Pastor Peter talks about the  importance of family from the Church’s perspective:

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adoption The Adoption Panel Video

LOVE TRIUMPHS

Recently James a special boy from Ekisa Ministries  went home to love and a family,  thanks to the hard work of the Ekisa Team and  his mother’s unrelenting love.   Ekisa Ministries provides those living with disabilities in Jinja, a place of understanding and assists them in their physical, mental, and spiritual growth. In Luganda, the local language of Uganda, Ekisa means “Grace.” Emily   Ekisa Ministries’s Founder and Director tells us the story below in her own words:

I remember the day we brought James to Ekisa. He was a shy, quiet little boy clearly in need of care. Over the months, we saw James come out of his shell and transform to the feisty, spunky boy he is today. During this time, Rosemary, one of our care takers at Ekisa, was by his side the whole time. She expressed interest in taking on James as her own son, and of course we were excited.

We started to prepare to bring the case to  the Adoption Panel , while Rosemary fell more and more in love with James everyday. Rosemary has a minor physical disability, and has spent much of her free time working on the community level to empower people living with special needs in Uganda. It was a natural step for her to decide to adopt James.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sCUn4xJnuts

Rosemary went to Panel in April 2014, and was approved to proceed in her adoption of James. In August 2014, James officially went to live with Rosemary!  We are so thankful for Rosemary’s heart and her willingness to open her heart and home to James. We pray she may inspire more families to come forward and adopt children with special needs!

James seated on Mum’s laps with his siblings
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adoption open day Video

VIDEO: BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE UGANDANS ADOPT CAMPAIGN

We bring the very first behind-the-scenes video of the Ugandans Adopt campaign through the eyes of our  Communications Officer. For the  first time since the campaign began in 2011,  we are giving our supporters an exclusive  to see first hand the effort that goes into making this  incredible campaign.

 

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adoption The Adoption Panel Uncategorized

OUR LATEST PROJECT: THE POST ADOPTION/ PLACEMENT SUPPORT SERVICE

_MG_9318
Adoption and Fostering in Ugandan families.

Why the Post Placement support service?
In the past, Ugandan families looked after children from within their kinship network and sometimes these children were ‘adopted’. In other circumstances, people took on the care of non-kin children and made these their own. These children were also referred to as ‘adopted’.

As such, there are a good number of Ugandan families who have ‘adopted’ and yet the children have grown up believing they are biological children of their families. Telling a child they are adopted has majorly been considered a taboo, something one cannot and is not permitted to disclose leave alone talk about. More people are becoming aware of formal adoption and many people will or have already started considering the need to tell their child their adoption story or the story could be accidentally be let out by someone else. However, they lack the ‘knowhow’ to do this. This is where the post placement support service comes in.

In addition once a family adopts according to Ugandan law, the family is closely monitored and supported during the 3 years of fostering before adoption. During this period, a family has regular contact with their social worker and placing child care agency. However, we realized that there is a gap in support and service provision after the 3 years period has elapsed. Families will have often felt isolated, abandoned and unsupported. This is likely to create opportunities for placements to break down causing significant emotional damage for both the child and family involved.
What is the Post placement Support Service/Center about?
On behalf of the Government of Uganda (Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development) through the Ugandans Adopt campaign, The Post Placement Support Service is an initiative by  Families For Children (an umbrella of over 150 Ugandan NGOs working with vulnerable children) and Child’s i Foundation through Ugandans Adopt .It is going to be  jointly facilitated Staff members of these two child welfare organizations and the Ugandans Adopt team. Its activities will be  reported to the Ministry of Gender Labour Social Development. The Post placement support Service / Center will begin operations in August 2014

Where we are right now.

The Post Placement Team attends a training by Child Psychologist, Sarah Mirembe .
The Post Placement Team attends a training by Child Psychologist, Sarah Mirembe .

In April and May we held discussions about the service and had meeting with our partners. In June 2014 we had a number of trainings of key staff on specialist areas of support. This month we will have a Workshop with MoGLSD to create awareness and then the service will be launched in August 2014

Through this service we aim to provide ongoing free support and become a ‘one stop shop’ for both fostering and adoptive families and their children in areas of need such as;

  • What next the child is finally home
  • What support to expect from their social workers
  • What support to expect from the probation service
  • Where to go for: counseling, behavioral management, emotional health issues, legal support
  • Family does not get the social work service they deserve or don’t get along with their social workers
  • They are worried about their child
  • Where to get training
  • etc

The service will empower foster and adoptive families with the right information to manage their situation(s).

Who is the service for?

  • A national country wide service
  • Adoptive Parents- local and international
  • Adoptees
  • Relatives/friends of adopters
  • Foster carers
  • Social workers
  • Foster children.
Individual office or home visits

What services are being offered?

  • Support with adoption order application
  • Support with care orders
  • Support finding a good trusted specialist – Lawyer, child psychologist etc
  • Support with Probation Office issues
  • Independent social work support
  • Telling a child they are adopted
  • Telling families and friends about an adoption
  • Life story work and memory book/box
  • Sign posting to Counseling for adoptees
  • Sign posting to Counseling for Adoptive Parents
  • Parenting skills support
  • Behavioral management guidance for parents
  • Link for any issues relating to adoption and fostering
  • A helping hand to navigate the adoption and fostering process
  • The support when agency social work support comes to an end after fostering period
  • Resource centre for information; books; journals?, testimonies, surveys, research etc.

How do I access this service?

  • On the Ugandans Adopt campaign website and Face book page.
  • Post adoption chat room/ask a question online
  • Our hotline: + 256 (0) 776110315/07020606876
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Visit our offices at: 245 Sentema Road Mengo Bulange/ VIVA CRANE behind Namirembe Catherdral.
  • We will make Individual home or office visits upon booking of appointments.
  • Group training, discussions

How will it work?

A child or family in need will make an enquiry through the avenues listed above.

a member of the PPS team will immediately respond to the enquiry.

Our hotline is a dedicated phone line, which will be available, will be answered at any one given time.

There will be a web portal (online resource bank) accessible by all dedicated members of the PPS team for use whilst on duty.

 

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adoption Video

VIDEO: THE GOVERNMENT’S OFFICIAL MESSAGE ON UGANDANS ADOPT.

In this video, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gender,  Labour and Social Development Hon. Pius Bigirimana  explains the importance of  keeping  Ugandan children in Ugandan families . If you would like to find out more about how to become an adoptive parent just like the families featured in the film,

For more information on how you can adopt please call Aidah on 0776110304 or send an email to [email protected].

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adoption

RUKH-SHANA’S INTERVIEW PART 2: RUKH-SHANA ON HOW ADOPTION HAS TRANSFORMED HER AND HER FINAL MESSAGE TO FELLOW UGANDANS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES.

Rukh-shana

Below we bring you the final part of Rukh-shana’s interview in which she discusses  becoming a parent and how it has changed her life . In this part she also gives tips to Ugandan Prospective and adoptive parents.

How is your adoption experience so far? Has the experience been a good one?

3Rukh-shana: It’s been an amazing journey – not just for me and my little girl, but my family too. I have absolutely no regrets. Would we do it again? Absolutely.

How has becoming a parent changed you?

Rukh-shana: I don’t recognize myself anymore. I am more patient and tolerant, and even my family has noticed that I’m less stressed. I guess knowing that there is this little person counting on you to keep it together really helps you keep your head. And she keeps me smiling, so I am feeling – and hopefully looking -younger.

What are some of the changes you have made? 

Rukh-shana: Most were minor lifestyle-related choices, but the major one was connected to my career as a Corporate Relations Practitioner. It’s a profession with irregular working hours, so when I became a mum, I knew I needed to prioritize, and that meant making more time for bonding with my daughter. I swapped full-time formal employment for a more flexible option that gave me more time with her and it has been rewarding in many ways.

What have you learned most in this process? 

Rukh-shana: I have learned that sometimes we think we are changing someone’s life, when actually we are changing our own lives too. We become better people and often growing into our own purpose and destiny without even knowing it. There is no greater reward than that.

What would you like to share with other adoptive parents? 

Rukh-shana: Kudos to you for opening up your hearts and homes to the little ones. Never forget that children are a gift from God. Even when times are tough, stay committed to nurturing them the best way you know and God will honor you.

What would you like to tell Ugandan families or individuals who are thinking of adopting?

Rukh-shana: If you have fears, concerns or anxieties, get information, educate yourself and stop putting it off. There is a child in some home just waiting for you to welcome them into yours. I believe it’s one of the greatest acts of sacrifice, but also the most rewarding.

Finally, what are your last words to every Ugandan individual or family reading this article?

Rukh-shana: Some children come from mummy’s womb and others come from mummy’s heart. And you don’t need to be wealthy to adopt a child; all you need is a big enough heart. If you are reading this, you already want to make a difference. You can’t keep every child out of institution, but saving just one makes a huge difference to that child’s life.

To find out more on how you can adopt or become an adoptive parent like Rukh-shana, please send an email to [email protected] or call Aidah 0776110304

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adoption Uncategorized

RUKH-SHANA’S INTERVIEW PART 1: RUKH-SHANA ON ADOPTION AND WHY SHE JOINED THE UGANDANS ADOPT CAMPAIGN.

Rukh-shana

While Rukh-shana is a familiar face on the Weekend Edition news on NTV Uganda, she is also a doting Mum who is very passionate about her country Uganda . We  recently caught up with her to talk  about what makes her tick , motherhood and why she joined the Ugandans Adopt Campaign. In part 1 of the interview Rukh-shana discusses the Ugandans Adopt Campaign and her adoption journey.

Who is Rukh-shana?

Rukh-shana
Rukh-shana

Rukh-shana: She is a normal young woman who believes life is to be lived with passionate purpose and purposeful passion. Every day presents opportunities to do just that, and she grabs them with both hands.

What is the Ugandans Adopt campaign? 

Rukh-shana: Ugandans Adopt is a multi-media Campaign supported by the Government of Uganda under the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social development. The campaign aims to find Ugandan families and individuals willing and capable of giving Ugandan children a future by opening their homes and heart through adoption. The Ugandans Adopt team also offers guidance, support   and resources before, during and after the adoption process. This is done through constant updates on Facebook, twitter and the Ugandans Adopt website.  In addition to organizing pre and post adoption training sessions, they organize regular coffee mornings and social events for prospective and adoptive parents, most of which I have attended.

Why did you join the Ugandans Adopt Campaign/cause?

Rukh-shana: I joined the cause because I strongly believe that Ugandans can provide loving families and homes for Ugandan children who are forced to spend their lives in institutions. We can’t continue to sit back and watch Western families come and take our children away. These children could very well be our nieces and nephews.

What does adoption mean to you?

Rukh-shana: To me, adoption simply means giving a child of no blood relation a chance at the life I had, with a decent home, a loving family and an identity. What’s more, it’s about the chance to belong, to grow into his or her destiny, and the chance to truly live.

Rukh-shana (highlighted) with fellow adoptive parents at a social event organised by Ugandans Adopt.
Rukh-shana (highlighted) with fellow adoptive parents at a social event organised by Ugandans Adopt.

How did you come to adopt a wonderful little girl?

Rukh-shana:

When I was in my twenties, I knew I always wanted to adopt a baby, even though I plan on having birth children. But I didn’t know much about the processes, and wrongly believed I needed to be rich to afford it. Over three years ago, I watched a talk show which was part of the Ugandans Adopt campaign on adoption and it helped demystify the issue for me. I started by finding out as much as I could about adoption and eventually took the plunge. The rest is history, and I have never looked back.

What advice/tips would you give to other people who are thinking of adopting a child?

Rukh-shana: I think many people know they want to adopt, but find it hard to turn their dreams into action. If you are considering adoption, you need to get enough information for you to feel ready to open your heart and home to a new member of the family. It’s a challenging step, so it is important that you are prepared:  once you take the plunge, there is no turning back.

 

Categories
adoption The Adoption Panel Uncategorized Video

UGANDA ADOPTION STORIES: PASTOR MARK KIGOZI’S FAMILY

Recently Pastor Mark Kigozi  a  renowned motivational speaker and TV presenter with  NBS TV visited us to express his interest in adopting  from us. Below we bring you the real life story of Pastor  Mark  who together with his wife Maureen  have three children, two of whom are adopted.

Pastor Mark and wife Maureen

In 1998, I fell in love with the most wonderful lady, Maureen. I had just made up my mind to follow my dream to become a Youth Pastor at Kampala Pentecostal Church, now Watoto Church. Maureen was the Youth Choir Leader and I was Youth Head, so working together gave us the time to build a solid relationship. It was a great courtship and we were married on 1st May 1999.

Little did we know it would be a long time until we could have a child. After four years of waiting, Maureen suggested we adopt a child. After all, there was no reason why we could not give a child the opportunity of having a place to call home and parents of its own. We were already opening our home to many teenagers who found comfort with us. Our lives were an open book. They spent nights tagging along on mission trips and ministry. We also did our best to be there for them when they needed a listening ear or helping hand.

Yet these teenagers only came to us for what they missed out at home and eventually had to go back. Yet there were many children out there who were rejected, and we knew we could give them a loving home. Our adoption journey saw us visit a number of orphanages until we zeroed in on Sanyu Babies Home.

The choice of picking the first child fell upon me.  I had always longed to have a little girl and so Maureen preferred that I make the final decision. Something drew me to a little baby girl, just three months of age, asleep in the hands of one of the caretakers. Before long she was in our care and we gave her the name Melissa, Kirabo Miracle Kigozi – Kirabo meaning” gift”. It was a delight to see her grow up and call us Daddy and Mummy. She is now 10 years of age.

When Melissa turned two, she decided that she needed a sibling and this time we wanted a boy. Since chemistry works better with opposites, it was Maureen’s turn to make the final decision. She said she had dreamt about this boy and seen his face.

The Kigozi’s : Maureen, Melissa, Pastor Mark, Melody, Eddie ( a friend of the family) and Maxwell

We went back to Sanyu Babies Home and met the little boys there.  After interacting with the little ones, Maureen asked the person in charge if there was any other boy in their care. And there was one little boy playing by himself in the play room. Maureen asked to meet him and it was love at first sight!He was six months old and handsome. We went home with him after a few days and we named him Maxwell. Maxwell is now eight years old and is in P3. Our two children are a source of joy and fulfillment to us; above all, they are such good friends.

About a year and eight months ago, God blessed us with a daughter, Melody. She was an unexpected gift that we received with gratitude. Her siblings, Maxwell and Melissa, had been praying for her and the love her to bits. She is our third born, so we are now a complete family of three!

Our children are all gifts from God and we treat them in order of advent. Many couples fear to adopt due to stigma from society. But we see adoption as a miracle from God and a ministry to children and God. Sometimes we wonder what would have become of our lovely children if we did not have them in our family!

What if each family opened up their hearts and adopted a child? Wouldn’t that solve the problem of parentless and street children in our country? Wouldn’t that be pleasing to God and to the nation? Wouldn’t that be the answer for a rejected, parentless child crying on their own and asking why others have families and they don’t?

 

If you are considering adopting  like Pastor Mark or fostering a child, we are very happy to answer any further questions that you may have. Please call Aidah  on +25676110304 or email [email protected]. For more information and updates, like our Facebook page  and follow us on twitter.

To watch Pastor Mark and Maureen’s adoption story, click on the video below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MGkxjcKD9s&feature=youtu.be