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Gov’t finally acts to stop human trafficking

Friday 14 May 2010 | 10:58 AM

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Gov’t finally acts to stop human trafficking

by Reuben Pitse

14-05-2010

US Embassy Email: Subject: RE: investigation in Ethiopia

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Whitt, Lester E Date: Fri, May 14, 2010 at 12:07 AM Subject: RE: investigation in Ethiopia To: Charissa Urban Dear Charissa, Thank you for your e-mail inquiry, and we would like you to know that we share your concerns about adoption issues in Ethiopia. We have had the chance to review the videos that were presented on the YouTube page. These are the same videos submitted by Sue Hedberg at Celebrate Children International. We have had a chance to review these videos and to review the documentation submitted by the local government entities that accompanied these relinquishments. Two US Embassy Fraud Prevention Assistants watched these videos with the consular officer. We were not able to find any irregularities in either video. Although someone unfamiliar with the adoption process may see these videos as unusual, in fact many adoption agencies in Ethiopia interview the birth parents – on video – as a way to verify the parent’s understanding of the adoption process as well as create a record for the adoptive child to view someday. Perhaps CCI could have used a more professional videographer and a prepared script to prepare the prospective adoptive parents for the shock that this process may cause, thus preventing the level of discomfort that you are feeling. However, we saw no misconduct or irregularities in these videos. The parents who relinquished these children had done so even before the children had been referred to your family. Since then, it appears that your family has sent several friends, as well as media representatives, with the apparent goal of discovering if the families had been coerced into relinquishing these children. From what we understand, the parents have told these people the same story that you can see on the video, that they did indeed mean to relinquish their children. They have told the same story to four different sets of people and each time the story remains the same, that the families legally relinquished their children and the children were placed in an orphanage and referred to the Urban family. The relinquishments are legal, according to the laws of the country of Ethiopia. If you have any additional information that you would like to be reviewed, please feel free to send it. However, please be aware that since visa's are not pending on the children in question, and our preliminary inquiry did not show any criminal fraud/intent, this case will have a lower priority than others. Sincerely, Lester Whitt Special Agent Lester Whitt American Embassy Addis Ababa Assistant Regional Security Officer - Investigator Mobile: 0911-51-17-53 WhittLE@State.Gov

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Blog: While we wait... A subject of confusion (4500 kids to be put in adoption registry)

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010

While we wait... A subject of confusion

I have been a little confused about the way Bulgarian children are entered into the registry and think I finally understand, so I thought I would share.

However, do not write this in stone because it might change next week. Remember things are as clear as mud in the world of international adoption!!

The MOJ plans to register 4500 kids in the next 6-8 months. What this means is that these kids will be entered in the NATIONAL registry. They must remain on this registry for six months before they can be on the INTERNATIONAL registry. In my mind this means even longer waits for the many families including ours waiting for a child. It also means that there are thousands of kids in homes that are not even "adoptable". It is heartbreaking!!!

"Four-day baby" is hidden in a bag sale thousands of miles

http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&u=http://dsm.hebnews.cn/play/2010/0514/ff8080812890a33b012895cbe08023c1.html&ei=vevvS-f-I8K78gb6mfX9Cg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CB4Q7gEwATgK&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%25E9%2580%259A%25E8%25BF%2587%25E8%25B4%25A9%25E5%258D%2596%25E5%25A9%25B4%25E5%2584%25BF%26start%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

"Four-day baby" is hidden in a bag sale thousands of miles

????: ? ? ? ????? 2010/05/14 15:51:09??? ????? Select font size: large in the small print this article 2010/05/14 15:51:09 Source: Hebei News

??????????????????????????????????????????????????? A group of frenzied men and women collude clear division of labor, they just babies as commodities, from Yunnan, the train ride back into the car Shijiazhuang trafficking. ???????????????????????????????????????????? Way afraid of being discovered, they actually hidden in the bag and the children, to leave the young lives in the dark space of hypoxia toilet. ???????????????????????????????? In their view, to reach the destination, as long as the children have bad breath child, you can exchange for a lot of money. ??11?24????????????????????????????? On November 24 last year, when the police handling the case when the child rescued a baby girl almost rotten little ass. ????????????????????“??????????????” A woman police will hold a child in his arms, tears: "What a sin ah! This wretched child!"

????????????????????????????????????????6????????1????2????????????2???????????? Yesterday, the Public Security Bureau, Xinhua Stone have announced nearly six months after police are hard work, and has a total of six suspects arrested, successfully rescued a baby girl, there are two trafficked girls are looking for in two Pursuit suspect to be online.

????2009?11?????????????????“??”? ? Left in November 2009, media attention is the second province of small hospital for treatment, "Xinhua."

??????????????????????? ? The picture shows the suspects involved in trafficking of children holding their babies.

???? ??? ? Photo reporter Zhihua

??????? Bag and possession of infants make money

???????? Buyers capture human trafficking police play

2009?11?24????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? November 24, 2009, three squadrons, Xinhua Shi police have an important clue: a group of people in Shijiazhuang, Ping Shan and other places selling infants and young children, their babies will be born four days hidden in a bag and carry. ????????????“11·24”????????????????????? After receiving the alarm, the police immediately set up a "11.24" task force, and special handling deployed female participation in rescue work of Interpol.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Task force believes that the age of these children are trafficked small, come from the Yunnan area, after several days of turbulence, the child's life may not be protected, traffickers will rush shots, the police decided to contact the buyer's identity and the seller, snake out of its hole, waiting for an opportunity capture and development of many sets of detailed arrest program.

11?24?14???????“??”???????5?“??”???????????? November 24 14 am, has been carefully "dressed" by the police played five "buyers" trade places at the appointed time arrived. ???????“??”??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Liu Shengli squadron leader of "inspection" as an excuse, made to look at children, defenseless human traffickers brought to the scene to a baby girl, opened a bag and saw the baby starving infant in the absence of timely change diapers, Small children have been urine to suppress submerged bottom horrendous.

???6???????“??”????????????????????“??”? After nearly six hours of sapiential, "seller" the final proposal to 17,000 yuan, and paid their dues, required hand "delivery." ??15?30?????????????????????2????????????4?????????? 15:30 the same day, Liu captain gave an order, the public came forward ????? police suspect the two control only 4 days old baby girl was born to be rescued.

??????????????????34?????????????28??????????????????????????????????????????? Interpol team, the suspect Rui (not his real name, female, 34 years old, Pingshan), the range of a (female, 28 years old, Jiangxi Fenyi County seal Town of person) truthful statement of the facts of the crime of trafficking babies, but also confession from the sale of two other babies case.

????????????“??”?????????????????????????????? According to Rui, an accountable way, their "on line" is about to take the train to leave Shijiazhuang, Shijiazhuang, handling police immediately dispatched a group of North Railway Station secrets. ??20?30??????????????????????32???????????????????30????????????????26???????????????? 8:30 p.m. that day, was about to flee the suspect in Yunnan province in Nanning Zhang (male, 32 years old, who Guangnan County of Yunnan Province), Trisha (alias, female, 30 years old, who Guangnan County of Yunnan Province) , Yang (female, 26 years old, who Guangnan County of Yunnan Province) by a police officer arrested.

???????????? Little girl was rescued by well-treated

??11?25?????????????????????????????????????????? On November 25 last year, the reporter with the police handling the case went to provinces and two homes were rescued baby baby placed in a special ward, and has been well-treated. ???????????????????????“??”? Xinhua police during her hospitalization in children from a pleasant name of "Xinhua." ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? We can see, this poor little girl looked pale and matte finish, his head stuck in the IV, wide open black eyes, and the mouth, holding a small fist look, very sympathy and affection. ????????????????? Doctors said the baby's little butt sores can be cured.

??????????12?????????“??”????? Reporters afterwards learned, early in December last year, with treatment, "Xinhua" discharged from injury. ???????????????????“??”???????? Since the parents can not find, the police had to small "Xinhua" sent to the Stone City orphanage. ??????“??”???????? Up to now, little "Xinhua" is still welfare managed.

????????? Baby trafficking suspects into making money

??11?25???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? On November 25 last year, several suspects involved in the trafficking of babies who were temporarily detained at the Xinhua Interpol three squadrons of a room, they all face expressionless, talking people do not understand the dialect. ?????????????????????????????????????? Among them, the arms of a woman clutching a child home, although she has a mother, but still involved in selling other people's children.

?????????????????????????? Police Questioning revealed that this is a well-organized, clear division of labor gangs. ???????????????????2000??3000????????????????14000???????????? Generally suspect Zhang, Trisha in Yunnan, to 2000-3000 yuan price buy newborn, and then sell the baby to 14,000 yuan Li Jui-Ping Shan, Cheng certain. ???????23000??????????????????? Rui Cheng a price of 23,000 yuan then sell the baby, two thousand dollars profit.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? According to the suspect account, Trisha man originally followed a special sale of children in Yunnan province, and later, she felt this was a way to make money, then come out to their own businesses. ?????????????????????“??”????????????????????????????????????? The Hermit Lee Shui-Ping Cheng a, who, before the traffickers in Yunnan is the "client", Trisha, after going it alone, contacted by phone Rui, a process, so they buy Hirayama and other places children gather information. ?“??”????????????????40?????8000????? Small "Xinhua" is by their traffickers from Yunnan, Yang, Yang (male, 40 years old) in the hands spend 8,000 yuan bought.

????? ???????? Deeply case, two of the suspects was the case of online Pursuit

????????????????????“??”???????????????????????????? Suspect also confessed, before there is a baby girl by a man named "2 Ya" who sold the Ping Shan, Chang Division by another baby (not his real name) sold the Jinju. 2010?2?25????????????????????????????????? February 25, 2010, police rushed to Jinju for clues, but ultimately failed arrest, Chang Division Police Cyber Pursuit.

4?28??????????????????“??”? April 28, police rushed to the handling Hirayama looking for another suspect, "2 Ah." ??????????????????????42??????“??”??????? In coordination with local police, a suspected arms trafficking in children (female, 42 years old, the city people, "two Ah," his wife) was arrested. ??????????????2009?11?????????????????“??”??????????? After trial, a military statement, she and her husband in early November 2009, from the way a, Rui Department to a baby girl to find the "next home", but do not know the whereabouts of the baby. ???????????????????????????????????????????????? The case is being further dig deep, the police are actively looking for the whereabouts of the two girls have been trafficked, and the other two suspects Cyber Pursuit.

???? Yunnan trip

?????? Returned, police sad

??12?5????????????????“??”??? December 5 last year, police went to Yunnan, Xinhua three squadrons to find small "Xinhua" parents. ??????????????????10?????????????? Police have rented a pickup truck, the mountain road bumps more than 10 hours to reach Yunnan black fruit branch township. ????????????????????????????????? Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau is located here, most people rely on farming for a living, the economy is developed, information relative occlusion. ?????????????????????? Police handling the case took a lot of trouble, to find the child's birth parents. ???????“??”??????????????????? But the couple said small "Xinhua" is their fourth child born, it can not afford maintenance. “???????????????????????????????????”?“??”??????????????????? "We are considering the future of the children, the children find a good home, than stay in the mountains starve strong ah!" Small "Xinhua" so the parents to explain to the police, so we unexpectedly. ?????“??”????????1000????????????? It is understood that small "Xinhua" is gifted with the parents of newly hatched was sold for 1,000 yuan Yunnan Yang, Yang. ?“??”???????????????????????????????? Small "Xinhua" and parents have suspected of selling babies, but in view of the actual situation in their home, by the local police. ???????????????????? Currently, suspected of selling babies Yang, Yang online police pursuit.

?????????????????“??”???????????????????????????????????????????????? Yunnan trip, make the most sad is that some police, small "Xinhua" attitude was cold on the parents, although aware of the whereabouts of his own children, but not required to hold a child back on the grounds that not make a living. ????????????????????“??”???????????? According to police introduced a similar situation is common ground has a small "Xinhua" can only stay in the Stone City Social Welfare Institute. ???? ??? ??? ??? Reporter Dong Shijie Xie Ling Ling Correspondent

?????????????? Source: Shijiazhuang News Editor: Lisa

Tics common in orphanages, disappear in foster care

Tics common in orphanages, disappear in foster care

EthiopianReview.com | May 13th, 2010 at 8:04 am

The earlier the children were removed from the orphanage and the longer they lived with their foster family, the larger the reduction in tics. Such tics are common in children with autism, but it is unclear whether they are related to brain damage, the authors note.

“These results underscore the need for early placement in home-based care for abandoned children,” they write in the May issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Dr. Charles Nelson, of Children’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues turned to data from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, a study conducted at the invitation of the Romanian government by American investigators of 187 current and formerly institutionalized children.

Children have right to live within family - minister

Children have right to live within family - minister

Video: Mark Zammit Cordina

Children who had no hope of ever being reunited with their natural parents should be given up for adoption because they had the sacrosanct right to live within a family, Family Minister Dolores Cristina said yesterday.

Ms Cristina said she wanted to see the courts exercise more often their right to remove parental rights and give the children up for adoption.

“I would like to see this happening more because I believe that children have the right to live in a family and we have many families who would like to adopt,” she said.

In a report published on Tuesday, outgoing Children’s Commissioner Carmen Zammit said incompetent mothers and fathers who refused to reform should have their parental rights permanently removed.

She echoed the words of the former CEO of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, Joe Gerada, who, in October 2008, insisted that failed parents should be forced to give their children up for adoption rather than condemn them to an institute for years.

Mrs Cristina said the law allowed for children to be permanently taken from their parents and given up for adoption. “Children should have the sacrosanct right to live within a family,” she insisted.

Ms Cristina said that, although fostering was a very good alternative to a natural family, there should also be other alternatives to children who spent many years living in an institution, never knowing what it meant to live in a family.

Time is also of the essence when taking such decisions. “I am not a social worker, a psychologist or an expert on children but they say that, even at a young age, by the time they are a year or 18 months, children would already have felt the absence of living in a family,” Mrs Cristina said.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100513/local/children-have-right-to-live-within-family-minister

 

Orphanage preparing for influx of children

Orphanage preparing for influx of children

12 May 2010 by Tamara Neely - Staff Reporter No Comments 127 views

A Haitian orphanage founded by an Okotoks charity is pushing to construct a new building to accommodate the pending influx of children left homeless by the earthquake that devastated the island in January.

God’s Littlest Angels vice-president Jeff Ryan estimated there are approximately 500,000 orphans currently living in the tent city being managed by the Red Cross. It takes time to determine whether a child has any living relatives, he said.

There are two fundraisers taking place this month to help generate funds needed to expand the existing orphanage sitting on 4.8 acres of land purchased in 2006.

The orphanage directors had been fundraising for the new building prior to the devastating earthquake on Jan. 12. After the earthquake their daily operating costs skyrocketed, including food and water. They also took on the burial and funeral costs for staff and even members of the community. Every one of the 172 orphans and all staff at the facility survived the earthquake, however, staff in their homes perished and others lost family members.

“We didn’t have enough money for our everyday needs, so we put the building on hold,” said Ryan. “You can’t take money from the building fund to buy groceries, but we decided that we need to build this new orphanage and build it quickly while looking after everyday needs.”

Every child who was at the orphanage prior to the earthquake has since been adopted and delivered to their new families in Canada, Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

Now the staff is caring for 69 children from another orphanage destroyed by the earthquake and 11 children who were dropped off.

“Kids are coming all the time,” said Ryan. “We are finding out if there are no living relatives, then we take them in. We’re preparing for an influx of kids.”

Many of the children are suffering malnourishment, in addition to suffering from a lack of human touch and care.

“We took in a boy last week who is a year old and he was five pounds,” said Ryan. “I thought there was a mistake. I thought it was 15 pounds. But he was five pounds. He didn’t have enough strength to eat.”

Four containers of essential goods, including food, tents and medical supplies, were finally released by the Haitian government. After taking four weeks to arrive from Canada the government held onto the containers for another three weeks according to Ryan.

Ryan said the donated tarps, medical supplies, rice and beans will help the whole mountain community where the orphanage is situated, not just the 80 orphans.

“The orphanage is in Peition Ville in the mountains and we’re not getting any aid from Red Cross ourselves, we are the aid,” said Ryan. “So not only is the stuff we’re bringing in the containers for the orphanage, it’s also for the whole community. It’s bad enough that we had the earthquake, but it’s hurricane season next.”

Residents of Okotoks and other foothills communities can help God’s Littlest Angels by supporting the orphanage’s fundraising events this month.

The Deb Grey Ride of Hope for Haiti takes place on Saturday, May 15. The convoy of motorcycles will leave Okotoks at 9:30 a.m. and arrive in Sylvan Lake for lunch at 1 p.m. Entry is $25 and riders are asked to collect $100 in donations.

A fundraiser featuring music by Nashville band High Valley and live and silent auctions takes place in Cochrane on May 28 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.

UAE woman helps expats adopt children

UAE woman helps expats adopt children

For Menon, who is a mother of two with four grandchildren, each of the 1,600-plus stories is a silent feat in itself

By Sharmila Dhal, Senior Reporter Published: 00:00 May 13, 2010Reader comments (0)

Omana Menon says a single home study report can take at least 15 days to complete and involves a lot of paperwork Image Credit: Xpress/ Abdel-Krim Kallouche

Dubai: Omana Menon still recalls the first couple who approached her in 1986. They needed her help in adopting a child.

Familia Clubului Lions Moldova a crescut

Familia Clubului Lions Moldova a crescut

Familia Clubului Lions Moldova a crescut

Familia Clubului Lions Moldova, din Bacau, s-a marit, marti seara, 11 mai, cu inca patru membri. Ei sint Stefan Silochi, Vasile Eftimie, Romel Gutu si Ioan Florin Dimitriu. La ceremonia condusa de presedintele in exercitiu al clubului, Sorin Brasoveanu, au participat, alaturi de membrii organizatiei, Ionel Lupu, viceguvernator II al Districtului 124 Romania, care este si membru al Lions Club Moldova, Nicolae Miclaus, presedinte, si Dorel Tataru, secretar, ai Lions Club “Sf. Gheorghe” Bacau. Au mai fost prezenti si cel care va fi presedinte, de la 1 iulie, al clubului “Sf. Gheorghe”, Marius Nemteanu, impreuna cu decanul de virsta al acestui club, Ioan Micu (Tata Pac), dar si reprezentantii Clubului Leo Phoenix (tinerii de pe linga “veteranii” lions din Clubul Moldova) si ziaristi.

Bataia clopotului Clubului Moldova i-a chemat, marti seara, la supunere pe toti cei prezenti, care au ascultat, pret de citeva minute, imnurile Romaniei, al miscarii internationale lioniste si al celei nationale. Cu sobrietatea ceruta de o asemenea oficiere, Sorin Brasoveanu a facut, mai intii, un scurt excurs in istoria miscarii lioniste internationale si a celei din tara noastra si a amintit citeva dintre realizarile clubului bacauan, infiintat in 1992. “Ii felicit pe noii membri pentru ca au avut curajul sa faca acest pas, pentru ca la nivel international numarul membrilor cluburilor lioniste este in scadere – a spus si Ionel Lupu. Le urez sa-si poarte insignele cu cinste si sa nu uite ca ei fac parte dintr-o elita”. Dupa care, viceguvernatorul a transmis salutul guvernatoarei (asa se pronunta numele functiei supreme in club, la lionezi, in cazul unei femei!) Districtului 124 Romania, Adriana Cazan.
Noii membri au iesit in fata asistentei impreuna cu nasii lor – cei care i-au recomandat pentru a intra in club si care ii vor urmari in activitate permanent. Iar nasii au fost chiar Ionel Lupu si Sorin Brasoveanu. Stefan Silochi are cea mai cunoscuta imagine publica dintre aspiranti, pentru ca a fost primar si viceprimar in Tirgu Ocna, timp de mai multe mandate. Este economist si licientiat in administratie publica, este casatorit, are doi copii si trei nepoti. Romel Gutu este bacauan, este inginer, dar profeseaza ca lichidator la Societatea de Insolventa ca asociat coordonator. Fotografia este principalul sau hobby. Si Ioan Florin Dimitriu este bacauan, economist, revizor contabil, iar in prezent administratorul unei societati de confectii. Este casatorit si are trei fete. Vasile Eftimie (Lalu) este, insa, figura carismatica a clubului. Prezentat de nasul sau, Ionel Lupu, ne-a aparut ca un om de mare sensibilitate, un mare iubitor de arta, antrenant in relatiile cu prietenii si colegii sai. Cum cronicarii l-au portretizat, pe vremuri, pe insusi Stefan cel Mare, si despre Vasile Lupu se poate spune, pastrind proportiile, desigur, ca este un om mic la stat, dar mare fapt si, de ce nu, si ghizdav la faptura.
Noilor membri le-au fost reamintite, in final, scopurile si obiectivele Lions, dar si Codul etic al clubului. Lor li s-a citit Angajamentul de onoare al membrilor Clubului Lions, cel care are ca deviza “We serve” (Noi servim), pe care l-au acceptat public. Astfel, li s-au inminat insignele de membri, iar finii si nasii au primit, depotriva, diplome pentru noile loc calitati intre membrii clubului Moldova. Si Sorin Brasoveanu a primit, la finalul ceremonialului, din partea guvernatoarei Adriana Cazan, un fanion si urarile de bine, pentru ca se asfla la final de mandat in fruntea clubului. Cel care il va urma, pentru un nou an lionistic, va fi Ioan Mocanu.

More Than Just A Number: Harry and Bertha Holt’s Adopted Children

Every time I read an article about the history of Korean adoption I am reminded of Harry and Bertha Holt’s role in jump-starting adoptions from Korea.  Articles often reference the fact that they adopted eight children, but never have I come across any more information about who they are and what they did.

I’ve often wondered what their lives were like growing up being adopted.  What were the family dynamics like in such a large household, and what insights can they share seeing the Korean adoptee community grow through organized non-profits, conferences and the blogosphere?

A few years ago when I first visited Korea, I was told that one of the Holt children committed suicide.  It was something that consumed me for a long time after my trip.  But it had somehow faded away until I was reading another article and it dawned on me that I had never attempted to find out anything about the circumstances of his death, or the other adoptees in the family.

Let’s start with what I’ve been able to find on the Holt KADs.

Harry and Bertha did indeed adopt eight children from Korea.  Here are their names: