| The Chinese Orphans: Children need hope. | | | | are a real person. A real person with rights and the |
| | | | | ability to enter school...let alone other problems. |
| I am in China teaching and along with some other | | | | Their chances of normal lives is minimal when you |
| friends we decided to take a little bike ride through | | | | consider the fact that most will spend their childhoods |
| the country during this coming summer. We thought | | | | in this facility. |
| that since we spend most of our time working that | | | | |
| we really never get to see much of the country or | | | | Some people might think that's not so bad, right? |
| people outside of the city we work. | | | | Maybe some people have grown up this way in |
| | | | | western countries and think it is just one of those |
| While talking about all this, I contacted a friend of | | | | struggles which you get through and once you |
| mine who runs a foster home for babies. This isn't | | | | become a young adult everything is ok. You can still |
| like a normal foster home in the sense that these | | | | go to school, still find work, still get a bank account |
| children are waiting for adoption; it is a foster home | | | | and all the other things that everyone else can do. |
| for babies who possibly will never be adopted. | | | | The problem is that this isn't how it works for these |
| | | | | children. |
| In China, children and babies brought to the | | | | |
| orphanage normally do not get adopted; it is not | | | | Without an identity, they cannot go to school or |
| common for Chinese people to adopt children. On | | | | register. Most people in China use relationships to |
| that note, Foreigners adopt most, and the Chinese | | | | build their lives around them. It's whom you know. |
| Government sets the rate or cost. Presently that | | | | In other countries we have legislation, or methods by |
| cost is around $5000 USD, not including any costs to | | | | which a person, a child has rights, has identity, has |
| and from China, or administrative fees. | | | | something to give them a mode to enter school, find |
| | | | | work and be treated with equality. In China, without |
| What some people should know is that when these | | | | relationships, without contacts to people like family |
| children are brought to the Orphanage, it is likely they | | | | and friends, you have virtually no chance to build a |
| will spend their childhoods in these places. One in | | | | life or be given the same opportunities. |
| particular, has around 600 children at the moment. | | | | |
| The foster home run by my friend has 30 babies at | | | | We are running a Charity Campaign.....to help raise |
| the moment in which she is caring for, but these | | | | money for the Starfish Foster Home in Xi'an. There |
| particular babies all need some sort of extra care. | | | | are 30 babies from the local orphanage are be cared |
| Most have cleft palates and without operations and | | | | for here, and need help from you and I...... |
| care to resolve the cleft palate the babies will go | | | | If you are in a western country please also visit site |
| un-adopted. | | | | will give you an opportunity to donate by buying a |
| | | | | tile on the board...the tiles are only $40 USD, or go to |
| In China, when a child is brought to the orphanage, | | | | on the charity page at the bottom is also a method |
| they are primarily non-entities, in the sense that they | | | | through Paypal, with donating a minimum of $5 |
| have no identity. Without an identity, which is | | | | USD......everything helps.....please take time to |
| basically an identity card stating who you are, or your | | | | remember that these children have a hard beginning, |
| family identity, you have nothing to indicate that you | | | | we are trying to make life a little more positive. |