Adoption of Tsunami Orphans

Thanks for posting. There are so many ways to help these children - church groups, international children's organizations, etc. Even in non-chaotic times, adoption of children from Indonesia by foreigners is quite restrictive - requiring a two-year in-country residency, for one. And applications made for orphan visas for children over the age of 16 ( from any country) to come to the U.S. for adoption are not routinely granted (immigration law).

Hi Nancy, I totally agree with you that there are so many other ways to help the children without uprooting them. Calling to mind are those old TV ads with Sally Struthers to "feed the world" where you are shown pictures of a hungry child that you can adopt and will receive in the future that child's letters and pictures... but I have stayed away from most aid agencies (other than the Red Cross which has my complete trust) because of unethical misappropriation of funds (like trustees flying first class for "seminars")... I know people have good hearts and want to reach out and open their homes... for myself, while I have a full house, I can make room, and felt able to offer fostering a child or young Indonesian student. But I kind of knew it would be unlikely to fulfil that desire to help because the Indonesian culture is truly family-centric. I don't think foster homes or welfare even exists there. And from what I recall, it's also a matriarchal community, so (and not to knock men down) with all the women around in leadership seats (mostly in the homes), I trust that Indonesia will be able to rebuild faster than people here in America can imagine. And for a last point, which is the point that saddens me the most, I think most of the victims killed by the Tsunami were children because they were not able to swim or strong enough to hold onto trees, etc... Given the ratio of childrens' lives lost to those of adults who've lost their children, I think there will be plenty of suddenly amputated parents only too eager to heal by adopting a child whose parents perished. I just cry thinking about this. In my heart, and I know yours, too, if we had the opportunity to love and care for those with a hands on approach, we would, but because we need to let go and let the certified agencies do their work, the best we can do is financially sponsor them... and from my experience with 9/11, having seen what happened at the World Trade Center through the eyes of a charitable organization, all the cleaning, sorting, organizing, required a strong heart because it's a thankless job, and the only people who can do such work are those who are "outside" of the situation, like foreign aid... from what my friends and I experienced with 9/11, we needed outside people to help us return order to the community, but we needed one another to get through it on an emotional level... thus, I think what the Sri Lankans, Somolians, Indonesians, Maldivians, need are outside agencies to help clean up and reorganize, then, let things be for the survivors to gather together and heal (of course plenty of therapy will be needed!). Ah, so maybe there's the ticket... in most cases, post traumatic stress always follows disaster. As the Indonesian culture is not very psychotherapy-reliant but more faith based, perhaps the best route to offer aid is through the already established churches... this way the churches and temples are accessible and can help the devotees/parionshers get back on their feet.

After making a small donation to the Red Cross, I felt so helpless as to how to help. Then on the my local news this morning there was a Subway Sandwich Shop in my area that was donating 50% of their profits to Tsunami victims in their hometowns. The owner is from India and 2 of the empolyees are from Sri Lanka. They have lost family members and one said that his whole village and family were wiped out. So, I called to verify and spoke with the owner and he explained what happened and was so appreciative when I told him that my entire family would be there for dinner tonight. While I realize that it is only a few sandwiches, but it's the least I can do. I have called everyone that I know and a lot of my extended family, coworkers and neighbors will also be picking up lunch or dinner from there. It feels good to help out and I have been so touched by the millions of people that have come to the aid of the victims there. It is heartbreaking to watch the sadness there and many still seem to be in shock or haven't eaten. I pray for them daily. kllee

That's just terriffic, Kllee. You're not only helping the residents of Sri Lanka but also their families in the States. Just seeing your support by bringing your whole family in for a meal emotionally helps those left behind. Maybe this sounds like a crazy idea, but what if you and your friends got so many people that the store would have a line going out into the parking lot and around the whole building? You can call the news team for a follow up.

We went tonight and ordered 6 footlong meals with cookies!!!!! Everyone was very upbeat. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't as crowded as I would have liked but I was happy to find out that they are doing it until the end of the month so I have challenged my friends and family members to "Eat Fresh" as much as we can until the end of the month. They said that the news team is coming back then to find out how much was raised. The owner and the workers were very nice and appreciative of everyone who showed up! It really felt good. Now.........what to order tomorrow? :D

I know, I know-- a hot veggieburger sandwich... those are very tastey and healthy. My husband's company announced that it will match employee contributions to the International Red Cross relief fund, so our donation will double in value. I just have to wonder how money donations are going for the general public when the need has occured A) right after Christmas, B) property tax is due this month, C) April tax time is around the corner. While my hubby says we can only donate so much because of what's available in our bank, I'm thinking... hm, my son's piggy banks are looking very fat... I wonder if my husband would be willing to bring those to work -- or -- will I have to ambush him and put the piggy banks in his outbox with our check. I'll go shake those banks, brb...

One of my favorite stories of help being sent is [URL=http://lds.org/newsroom/showrelease/0,15503,3881-1-20751,00.html]Muslims and Mormons Flying Aid to Southern Asia[/URL]. One of the things they're sending are hygiene kits - which are so very important in this area right now. They're very easy to make (see below). If you aren't a member of the LDS church and want to make one or more, you can drop them off at a church near you: Hygiene Kits 2 Unbreakable combs (no sharp handles) 4 Toothbrushes (packaged) 1 tube of toothpaste (68 oz., no pumps) 2 bars of soap (approximately 4 to 5 oz.) 2 hand towels (see hand towel guidelines below) Place items in a heavy-duty, one-gallon sealable bag. Remove air before sealing. Hand Towels (for Hygene Kits) Use new 15-inch by 25-inch hand towels. Please do not use dish towels or washcloths. Hand towels may also be sewn. To sew towels, use terry cloth to make 15-inch by 25-inch hand towels. Serge or zigzag edges securely to prevent fraying.

Thanks, Nancy. That is certainly something else that others can do and I will go this weekend and pick up some items. I am also thinking of doing a get together with friends and we all bring in items to package everthing together. We did this for 3 shelters in our area in which each of us chose a category (man, woman, boy, girl) and then brought in items to make baskets. There were 6 of us but we ended up making about 20 large baskets to the point where we had to use several cars to get them to the shelters! I think this is something doable. Sometimes we think that we don't have a huge amount to donate but I believe that every little bit can count. And when 5 or so people get together and buy a little bit, then we can accomplish much more together than alone! LibertyArk: The veggieburger it is! Here I come! ;)

I'm thinking of calling the Subway sandiwch store in your area to thank them for their creative way of raising money. Also, there's an LDS around the corner from my home. I have plenty of old linens and towels which I've boxed, along with a box full of old clothes in excellent condition. I have heard that clothes aren't needed at this time, but you never know... so I have it all ready in case, but now I know where to send my old towels, handtowels and linens-- the LDS. I'll also solicit my local dentists for spare toothbrushes and toothpastes... Incidentally, for coupon clippers, I can normally get free toothpaste by using coupons where supermarkets double off the value-- so tip for the day-- check ALL hygenic coupons for those DOLLAR OFF values, whether babycare, shampoo, toothpaste. Nancy, another brilliant idea on the hygenic kits... coupons here I come.

Just wanted to follow up on how fun and easy it was to make the kits. Using these instructions, I went to the DOLLAR STORE and was able to get premium items on the cheap. I was going to wait until I clipped coupons, and was even thinking that I could use my old linens, but these are hygiene kits, so everything needs to be fresh and sanitary. At the dollar store, I found a package of Sassy straight hair combs that I could get three pairs of combs per package; 3 bars of Dove Anti-bacterial soap; the Ritz terrycloth hand towels @ 15X25"; 7 oz tube of Aim toothpaste; a package of 5 soft toothbrushes with travelling cases... and once everything was combined, the items fit perfectly into the gallon-sized plastic bag. THEN, I zipped up the bag but inserted a soda straw into the corner, then sucked out the remaining air to make the package airtight. Wish I could jpeg you a copy, but once everything was together, it all made sense. I was able to make 7 kits for $35. So each kit was about $5. After the kits were made, I just swung by my LDS genealogy family history center, and the staff knew what to do.

Thanks Nancy, I am thinking about Adopting English Speaking Asian "Tsunami" Child, soon.

Hi Sam. This is LibertyArk, not Nancy, but just wanted to jump in and ask if you're in the consideration phase or the close to adopting phase. If the latter, wow, I want some of that. I've offered a personal friend in Jakarta the invitation for friends or family he has surviving in Band Aceh, but he indicated that no international fostering or adoption is available. And like Nancy's previous post says, there may even be a two-year in-residency requirement for foreigners. Best of luck in your pursuit. Louise

Sam's proposal isn't realistic IMO Louise. He is a single 55 yr old man according to his post on the India adoption forum, and is seeking financial support to adopt an English-speaking tsunami orphan! Where do I start to outline the various issues here...! Julia

What the heck? Sam, if this is true, you should probably consider doing only charity work in your local community. It's not reasonable to seek financial contributions to acquire a foreign child who speaks your language. You're not really serious about this, are you? :eek:

Can anyone advise me of what the position would be in adopting an orphan from the tsunami