Ugandans Adopt

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adoption The Adoption Panel Uncategorized

WORKING WITH THE CHURCH TO FIND LOVING FAMILIES FOR ABANDONED CHILDREN: GABA COMMUNITY CHURCH.

Pastor Peter Kasisrivu of Gaba Community Church preaching.

GABA COMMUNITY CHURCH ANSWERS THE CALL TO PLACE CHILDREN IN FAMILIES.

Why we place children in Families.

We’ve always known that children thrive in a loving family, be that with their own relatives, traced, resettled and supported by our social workers, or with a new adoptive family. At Ugandans Adopt , we’re ambitious, and we believe family care is all a child should ever know. Through the love of a parent, a child learns to form bonds and healthy attachments. The amazing thing is that if a child learns this with a foster carer, this bond can be passed on to a mother or father when reunited, or to an adoptive parent. What’s important is that the child hasn’t missed out on learning this, which can happen as the result of time spend in institutional care during the formative months and years.

Gaba Community Church

We’ve just launched an exciting partnership with Gaba Community Church in Uganda. This partnership is a result of the Pastors’ Conference that we co-organised with Gaba Community Church, CARNAC , and Lifeline Children’s Service on February 19th  2015.

As a result the church community have made a commitment to foster abandoned children while we trace for their families. The children will experience the love of a family, as well as the community support of the extended family of the church.

Pastor Peter Kasisrivu of Gaba Community Church preaching.
“Some of you are the fathers these children need, some of you are the mothers these children need. Are you willing to open your home to life?”, Pastor Peter Kasirivu, Gaba Community Church

On Sunday 28th June , the church organised a Children’s Sunday themed ‘Children in families’  to encourage the congregation to open their hearts and their homes. Pastor Peter Kasirivu the Senior pastor at Gaba Community Church, a part of African Renewal Ministries and a strong advocate of children in loving families asked his congregation: “Some of you are the fathers these children need, some of you are the mothers these children need. Are you willing to open your home to life?”

He later explained his commitment to family care for children:

“As a Christian, I know I was adopted by God. Because I was helped, I want to help. Institutions cannot provide what a family can. There are thousands of children who need help, so I hope that my congregation open up. But I also hope that other churches see what we have done, that they may also up. I believe what we have done here can be done by many churches. I feel like we can be an example, a catalyst for what can be done amongst other church bodies in the country of Uganda. I really believe that with the families we have in this country, there is no reason why a child should be on the street.”

One lady in the congregation was very moved by the call to action and said that she often cares for

Congregation of Gaba Community Church
Congregation of Gaba Community Church

children within the church community on an ad hoc basis, and sees fostering as an extension of the way that the church community already works: “The children I have been looking after have parents who can afford to care for them, I am definitely happy to foster a child who has no family”.

At the end of the service, the congregation was encouraged to visit the information point which they did in big numbers. A number of families and individuals filled out Expressions of interest forms to either foster or adopt the children from Loving Hearts’ Babies Home, a home run by the church.

 

We are proud of the  great start to our pilot partnership with Gaba Community Church. We look forward to partnering with more Ugandan churches. If you or your church is interested in having us present or partnering with us on a similar project please call us on 0776110304 or email us at [email protected] . We look forward to hearing from you.

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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

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

THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENTS IN ADOPTION

We talked to Maureen Orogot, a senior Adoption Practitioner, about adoption assessments. Maureen, who has worked in adoption for over three years, explains why thorough assessments represent a critical part of the adoption process.

What is a pre-adoption assessment?

Every prospective adoptive parent has to go through a formal assessment process. It is a crucial step in the ten steps of adoption. The Social Worker assigned to a prospective adoptive parent is responsible for the assessment, including a home study. They visit the parent at home to discuss and explore why they want to adopt, the kind of child you would best be able to care for, and your overall suitability. References are followed up and checks are made as part of the assessment process.

What does the assessment process involve?

A Social Worker and a Prospective Adoptive Parent having a discussion during an assessment

The process involves the assigned Social Worker meeting with and   interviewing the prospective adoptive parent. It also involves observation, monitoring and evaluation on the Social Worker’s part.   This is the perfect chance for the two parties to get to know and understand each other. It is a great opportunity to build rapport and trust.

Are other parties /friends/family members consulted during the assessment?

All parties ‘who will be directly involved in the upbringing of the child are consulted and interviewed at this point. This may include immediate and distant family, family or personal friends, neighbors, local council leaders, chairpersons, children in the home. Anyone else who will have contact with the child is also interviewed during the assessment.

Why is it important to thoroughly assess prospective adoptive parents?

We carry out thorough assessments to mitigate any child protection risks. They are also important for getting to know the family the child is going into. A strong support network is vital and crucial in the child’s life given that most of these children have suffered loss and rejection. As a result, experiencing rejection or abandonment again could prove traumatic and harmful to the child.

How do you ensure that an assessment is not biased or incorrect?

During the assessments, confidentiality is very important – not just for the parents, but also for the children’s safety. We also carry out second-opinion assessments to avoid any bias or incorrect information. These second opinions, which include follow-up interviews, are done by an independent social worker. This Social Worker evaluates the actions of the assigned social worker and writes a report. During the second-opinion evaluation, the emphasis is on honesty and truth. This stage usually represents the first time that the parent meets the independent social worker. These reports are presented before the Adoption Panel.

What is the role of the probation Officer in the assessment process? Are there costs incurred in relation to the Probation Officer’s involvement in the assessment process. 

The Adoption Panel reading through the assesment reports
The Adoption Panel reading through the assessment reports

We work together with the Probation Officers who also carry out independent family assessments. The involvement of the area Probation Office is vital in the assessment process. To assess the family’s ability to adopt a child, the area Probation Officer carries out an independent assessment of the family, including their history, home structure and support system.

The Probation Officer then generates an independent report on the capability of the family to adopt a child. Depending on the Probation Officer, there may also be some costs involved in carrying this assessment. In some cases, the family has to facilitate the probation officer to carry out the assessment. The facilitation will go towards covering transport and /or other costs incurred during the assessment process.

 An as Adoption Practitioner, why do you emphasize thorough assessments?

Everything we do is in the best interest of the child.
Everything we do is in the best interest of the child.

Assessments prepare the prospective parent(s) for the adoption process – both psychologically and physically. Together with their social workers, parents work through any issues that may be standing in the way of their adoption process. In most cases, it is the perfect opportunity for us to counsel and encourage parents who might want to adopt, but are either still grieving or going through a hard time. It helps them to support the child when the placement eventually happens.

We are also responsible for ensuring the child is being placed in a safe place by identifying and limiting any child protection risks, establishing how we can best support the child during and after the placement and getting to know the family. At the end of the day, the child is our number one priority and everything we do is in the best interest of the child.

 

For more information on adoption, please call us on 0776110304 or send an email to [email protected]