Report from AAI-Ghana

Our Ghana Coordinator, Anita Gillispie, traveled to Ghana for two weeks in June.  It was a very busy trip, with visits to around 15 orphanages and non-profits in 5 regions of Ghana and Togo.  In this part of the world in-person relationships are of the utmost importance.  Culturally, some things must be communicated in person rather than by email or phone.

Thanks to generous donations by AAI families and friends, Anita was able to take over 300 pounds of donations, and give over $2500 in food and supplies to orphanages and non-profits in Ghana.

AAI helped a group foster home receive 12 new mattresses for the children.

Directors of the group foster home choose donated shoes and clothing for their children

  

Earlier this year families raised $5000 for the construction of a new dormitory at Nyame Dua Foster home.  Anita was able to tour the dormitory that is now nearing the end of construction.  When finished, the addition will have a new sitting area, 2 new bedrooms, a western-style restroom, and a storage area.

construction of the Nyame Dua boys dorm

The current restroom facility at Nyame Dua--a new one is planned.

Family Preservation is a significant part of our program in Ghana.  Anita was able to observe these programs in action when she went along to deliver food to vulnerable families and to visit the sponsored children in school.

The trip was very fruitful, in part, thanks to the private vehicle Anita was able to use during her time in Ghana.  Unfortunately, The Ripley Foundation (our primary NGO sponsor in Ghana) is in dire need of vehicles to be able to effectively do their work in Ghana.  Currently, they are borrowing one vehicle (to be returned in August) or using public taxis/buses. Please consider a donation to our Ghana Vehicle Fund to help put this program back on the road.  

The roads are sometimes almost impassable even for a 4X4 SUV, so you can imagine how difficult it is for TRF Humanitarian Director Muna Saeed to do her work hiring public taxis each day.  Many times she can only take a taxi to a certain point before she is left to walk the last few miles on foot (often with donations in hand and her son on her back).  This is, at best, an inefficient way to accomplish the work that must be done on behalf of orphans and vulnerable children. 

 Muna, walking with a mom whose children are sponsored through AAI

Joha, TRF's Director of Development, often takes a public bus from Accra to Bolgatanga--a 17 hour ride--in order to work on adoption cases in the Upper East Region.

 Joha (in brown shirt) settles in for the 17+ hour bus ride

Without access to a dependable SUV, Anita would have been unable to visit at least 5 of the orphanages she visited during the last trip.  The SUV barely made it through the muddy road below.

In the coming months we hope to assist The Ripley Foundation in purchasing two used vehicles--one for city travel and one for "rough" travel.  The organization is doing its best to raise money within Ghana (including their own personal funds) to meet this need, but they ask that we come along side them.  The fact is, at this point, AAI adoption and family preservation work is being inhibited by the transportation problems.

Thank you for your continued support in Ghana.

Anita Gillispie

Adoption Advocates International

AAI needs new vehicles! Can you help??

Children piling in the van for another trip to the doctor's office

If you've visited Layla House in Ethiopia, you have undoubtedly seen and probably ridden in one of our old red vans.  Each day when they are not "in the shop," these vans travel miles and miles with children, staff and visiting parents.   They go to medical and dental clinics, the airport, the U.S. embassy, passport offices, the Mercato for food and supplies, and often to small villages in remote areas.   They carry social workers to visit children in our sponsorship program, adoptive parents to meet birth family, and staff to visit our partner orphanages all over Addis and well beyond.  At this point, they are really on their last legs with engines, bodies, seats and upholstery falling apart.  They are spending more and more time in the repair shop which wreaks havoc on the schedule and prevents us from operating as efficiently as we'd like.  As our staff there informs us, it's finally time to say goodbye to the oldest red Toyota van and to thank it for serving us well all these years!

Although the situation with our present vans has gone from bad to worse these past several months, we have GOOD NEWS to report.  New vehicles are usually very expensive in Ethiopia but because of our recent official agreement with the Ethiopian government to operate and expand Opportunity House, our home for special needs children, we have special permission to import a duty-free vehicle.  That means we will be able to purchase a vehicle for about $10,000, a deal we don't want to pass up but also a cost we don't want to pass on in increased adoption fees.  A generous adoptive family has already come forward with a $5000 challenge grant----if we can raise the other $5000, they will match each donation dollar for dollar.  So every dollar donated to our ETHIOPIA VEHICLE CAMPAIGN, is actually $2! Make your donation count twice.

Abraham, one of our drivers, embarking on yet another trip with a full van of kids

Our Ghana program is also in need of a new vehicle.  The Ripley Foundation, our affiliate in that country, has had no van for months now and families and stuff are increasingly reliant on taxis and public transportation to get around Accra and to travel to other parts of the country.  As our adoption program in that country has grown, we able to do more and more humanitarian work and reach out to more orphanages delivering food and supplies donated by our families and supporters.  The lack of a reliable vehicle is the biggest impediment to improving our work there and to giving visiting families a quality experience in that country.  Anita Gillispie, our Ghana coordinator, is in-country right now and she reports that sometimes it is very difficult to find a taxi big enough to take three or four kids and a staff member to a medical appointment and that without their own van, they are having to forgo many important errands.  So we are also starting a Ghana Vehicle Campaign and welcome any of your donations to get the Ripley Foundation staff moving again!

Update!: Amy made it into the final TWO for her Macy's Makeover!

Wow, AAI mom Amy Ferrell made it into the final two for the Facebook Macy's Million Dollar Makeover.  If you are on Facebook, please head on over and vote for her as many times as your fingertips will let you.   Amy has big plans to help with older child adoption and family preservation in Ghana if she wins.   We are so proud of her.  Be sure to watch the wonderful video about her Leonardo Da Vinci afterschool program as well. 

Recently, Amy's family was the subject of a local newspaper profile and you can read it at this link.

If you missed it, read the earlier blog post about Amy and her family with all the details about the Macy's contest and the link for voting.

Vote early and vote often! 

AAI helps a very special Princess in Ghana....

This post and pictures were submitted by Anita Gillispie, AAI Ghana coordinator.   She worked hard to ensure that this little girl, named Princess, received the care she deserved and now can look forward to a bright future.
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Baby Princess with items brought to her in the hospital by AAI families

In late 2010 I received an out-of-the-blue email from Martha Osborne (from Rainbow Kids).  It's very common for adoption agencies and advocacy groups to be contacted by people in foreign countries who claim sad circumstances for "orphans" who need help.  Most often these emails are scams.  It's easy to become calloused and assume they are all fake situations.  However, Martha received an email that she said she had a feeling about.  She didn't erase it immediately.  She thought there was a possibility it was genuine.  Could AAI check it out?

I responded to Dr. Y, who is a resident at a hospital in Ghana.  Very quickly it was obvious that this was a real situation.  Dr. Y had come to know Baby Princess.  This baby had been abandoned at her hospital.  The hospital had been giving her care, but nothing extra.  Dr. Y arranged for her to receive the life-saving shunt surgery Baby Princess needed.  She went even beyond that, reaching out to those in America that might be able to help find Baby Princess a family.  Babies with this condition in Ghana simply do not have a very good chance at long life.

 Baby Princess with Dr. Y post surgery

Our team in Ghana began to work with Social Welfare, the hospital, and Dr. Y to be able to legally "free" Princess from the hospital.  However, finding care for a baby with her special needs is not an easy task in Ghana.  Princess needed a home with caregivers who understood her special need.  She needed a home with clean surroundings and better-than-average resources for her care.  AAI could provide financially for Princess, but we could not give her the hugs, and tummy time, and developmental challenges she would need to thrive.

I began putting out the word that we were in search of a foster family for a very special little Princess.  For weeks I searched.  People came together and told me of one person, who knew of another person, who might be able to care for Princess.  During that time I made some great connections with people who are able to care for children in Ghana with more severe special needs, but nobody was able to take Princess at that time.  We expected Princess to be released from the hospital "any day."  Where would she go?  I can tell you that during this time it was hard to find sleep at night!

I went to a social networking site, looking for any connection to anybody in Ghana who might be able to give this deserving and precious baby a home.  On a whim I contacted City of Refuge Ministries--an organization that is focused on rescuing children who have become enslaved in the fishing industry in Ghana.  I had heard good things about the home, but didn't "know" them at all.  I sent the email with very low expectations.  However, after a few days I received the email I had been hoping for!  City of Refuge had conducted a board meeting and decided they would be happy to welcome Baby Princess into their home!

What transpired then none of us could have predicted.  All of a sudden the "rush" to find a home for this child was put on hold as red tape kept her from leaving the hospital.  Many weeks passed by.  City of Refuge, Dr. Y, and our team in Ghana continued to advocate for Baby Princess.  Finally, on Friday February 4th, Baby Princess was allowed to leave the hospital and join her new foster family.  Our Princess has found her "castle!"

In the next several months we expect Baby Princess to become available for adoption.  All of us invested in her life so far are waiting in anticipation to see how the rest of her story turns out.  We know that this is a special child, with a special purpose.

 

Akwwaaba Gathering for Ghana adoptees in Freeport, IL

A number of AAI-Ghana families gathered for an "Akwaaba" (means 'welcome' in a principal Ghana language) reunion in Freeport, IL last weekend.  The gathering was not organized by AAI but most of the families in attendance had children who were formerly in AAI's Eban House in Accra.  Anita Gillispie, AAI's Ghana coordinator and mom to two Ghanaians herself, attended the gathering with her family from Tulsa, OK.  She reported that all the children had a wonderful time reconnecting with each other and celebrating Ghanaian culture together with their "obruni" parents and siblings.  Lots of old friendships were renewed and new ones made and the group is already planning for a future event.  To learn more about AAI's Ghana adoption program, contact Anita Gillispie or check out this link.

 Activities included Ghanaian music and games, hair care, drumming and lots of swimming, bubbles and whiffleball.  A very good time was had by all and the event was even covered by a local paper and you can see the article at this link. 


below:  Anita Gillispie playing the Ghana version of "duck, duck goose" with a group of children and parents.

Changes to AAI's Ghana program

 Anita Gillispie, AAI's Ghana Coordinator

giving out a welcome bag from this child's new adoptive parents

Post submitted by Anita Gillispie with photos from her recent trip to Ghana
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AAI established its Ghana program in April 2007 and has united over 60 children with adoptive families since that time. Although the program is small, we have one of the most active and respected Ghana programsin existence today. As Ghana adoptions become a more popular optionfor adoptive families, the authorities in Ghana have taken a hard look at the positives and negatives of the rising numbers. As a result, the program has undergone significant changes in the last few months.  I feel that the changes will, in the end, make for a more transparent adoption process.

meeting adoptive parents for the first time

In the future, one or both parents (depending on the region) will travel to Ghana in order to attend court. After court most families will then wait for the adoption decree to be issued and file immigration paperwork at the US Embassy before heading home. This "first trip" will usually take 2-3 weeks. During this trip parents will have a chance to experience the region of their child's birth and, in most cases, meet biological family members. As a result of this first trip families will have a much deeper understanding of the culture from which their children come.


We expect "2-year Interim Orders" to become more common in this program. Ghana sees a 2-year interim order as a full adoption for two years, but US authorities interpret this decree more like a guardianship. There are other countries (including Thailand) that give guardianship for a certain time-frame until a final order is issued, so this is not unknown in the world of adoption. After the two year interim period, a post adoption report is sent to Ghana. The report is submitted to the courts, which then issue a Full and Final Adoption Decree. Families need not travel back to Ghana at the end of the two years. Within the 2 year interim period most states will allow the adoption to be finalized in the child's home state.






The visa process for adopted children changed as of April 7th. Birth family members will be called into the embassy for interviews. AAI is extremely supportive of the new measures, in fact asking the embassy to consider new procedures that would prevent corruption in adoptions. Interviewing birth families will insure that the family understands what adoption is (permanent) and what it isn't (a long-term sponsorship). The consulate will further be able to verify that birth family members are who they say they are. In some cases DNA matching may be requested by the embassy. While these procedures add time to the over-all process, they also add peace of mind to adoptive families. Families will know without a shadow of a doubt that their children came to them out of true need for an adoptive family.

Lastly, as of April 1st Eban House closed its doors. Eban House was our children's home in Ghana, established in June 2007. Eban House was a safe haven for all of the children adopted through our program, and many who were able to be reunited with their biological families. However, Social Welfare made it clear to us recently that they do not want adoption agencies intimately involved in the running of a children's home (or large group foster home). Out of respect for the proper authorities in Ghana, we made the difficult decision to close Eban's door. Despite this loss of a dream, the closure of Eban House also means that we have new opportunities within Ghana to assist with family preservation. More adoption fees will now go towards projects that will keep families together. Children adopted through our program in the future will either live in small private foster homes or in their "home" orphanage.



Despite these changes to the program we are excited for the future! Ghana continues to be a wonderful option for families hoping to adopt children (single or sibling sets) ages 3 years and older. Families with 5 or fewer children qualify to adopt, as well as some larger families on a (very) case by case basis. Generally parents must be under 50 years to adopt, but when adopting much older or special needs children exceptions may be made. The process from referral to homecoming is generally 6-8 months. We are a very small program, which makes for intimate relationships between our adoptive families.  Our Ghana families are a tight-knit group that often make lifelong friendships during the adoption process!

For more information about AAI's Ghana program, please write to me at anita@adoptionadvocates.org. I look forward to hearing from you!

Anita Gillispie
AAI Ghana Program Coordinator

A Wedding in Ghana

This post was contributed by Anita Gillispie, AAI's Ghana Program Coordinator. Contact Anita by clicking here.

On May 2, 2009 Muna Saeed, our Program Administrator in Ghana, was married. The day was long-anticipated at Eban House! Each staff member at the home was involved in some way. Our Adoption Coordinator, Joha, acted as chauffeur for the Bride and Groom. Our regular driver, Daniel, transported all of the children and staff back and forth in the AAI van. Other staff helped with the food and with child care. Grace, an AAI adoptive parent who attended the wedding said, "For days before, the children were having 'rehearsals' to blow bubbles and for holding the canes." All of Eban House's 36 children participated in the 3 hour long wedding.

(photo: Eban house children waiting patiently for the festivities)

AAI Ghana families also participated in a small way. Months before the big day, adoptive families came together to provide some of the decorations and favors used in the wedding. Wedding bubbles, mini battery operated fans, batteries, invitations, and the signature book were all gifts from the AAI Ghana "family." Even the wedding rings were purchased here in America! Families took turns carrying the items over when they traveled to Ghana. It was a small way that our families chose to show appreciation towards Muna, who has always taken such care with each adoption process.

Only our Ghanaian staff, the children, and one adoptive parent were able to represent AAI at the wedding. Many more wish they could have attended. Grace summed up the wedding by saying, "The sight I wish I could've captured on my camera was the van arriving at the wedding with over 30 children, several staff, plus the wedding cake! It was also a lot of fun to see the Eban House staff and children enjoying themselves and dancing together at the reception."

(photo: Eban House children dance up a storm!)

We wish Muna a long and fruitful marriage, and we welcome her husband Joe into our extended AAI family!

Read more about our Ghana program at this link.