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Of the 407 Cambodian children adopted by Americans in 2001, the 405 in 2000, and the fewer since … leaving almost 5 million kids under 14 in the country in whatever circumstance life presented … there may very well have been a child that, left in Cambodia, may have contributed to the good of the people, the culture and the country.
It’s impossible to predict how any one person’s life may end up impacting the world, and it could be the case that with even one international adoption Cambodia has lost something of great future value.
What is a simple matter to see right now, however, is the wide range of contributions toward a better life for all Cambodians that are coming from children who have been adopted.
From the famous to the quietly determined, adoptive families entangle their roots with those of their children and sink them deep into Cambodian soil. Rather than suck the nutrients out, however, they reverse the process and begin an infusion of resources, knowledge, science, education, medicine, caring and love straight into their children’s birth country.
Preserving not only forests and ecosystems, Cambodian culture gets the boost it needs to thrive and grow and teach new generations. Khmer dance, art, music, language, literature, all benefit from the dedication and adoration adoptive families develop for their child’s country of birth.
Angelina Jolie’s WildAid with the Maddox Jolie Pitt program has helped hundreds of families in rural Cambodia through setting up Self Help Groups with the aim of providing livelihoods that won’t destroy the forests of the Samlaut Protected Area so future generations will have something left of that wonderful natural resource.
Kari Grady Grossman, adoptive parent and author of “Bones that Float”, is funding a school in a remote village in the Cardamom Mountains that serves 500 children who had no chance of such an opportunity before. She is also working very hard to protect the neighboring forest, also a national preserve, but like Samlaut under constant assault from illegal loggers.
“No Child Left Out”, an organization dedicated to feeding Cambodian orphans to the tune of 10,000 pounds of rice per month, was set up by Elizabeth Mallory, adoptive mom to two Cambodian-born kids. (They have a terrific online market.
“Tabitha USA”, the organization Gay goes to Cambodia to build houses with, not only provides homes for rural families, they also have micro-credit plans, training programs for women trying to support families and more. This organization, which presently serves 3,500 families in Cambodia, was founded and is run by adoptive parents.
“Stop Exploitation Now!” … yes, also headed by an adoptive parent … provides daycare to young mothers victimized by sex trafficking, trains acid attack victims and other disabled people in skills designed to allow them to make a living and live in some sort of peace, provides clean drinking water, and much more.
These are just a few examples of contributions that improve lives in Cambodia, thereby preserving Cambodian culture … sometimes simply by saving the lives of the people … that are directly linked to international adoption. There are many more, including regular donations from parents to orphanages, support from adoptive families for organizations like those mentioned, and all those ripples that radiate from the pebble that can be one child.
So, the next time someone shouts “Cultural Genocide” anywhere near the same breath that mentions international adoption, you might want to point out that the view fails to take into consideration truths about ‘culture’, about ‘genocide’, and about international adoption.
You may also want to question their motivation.
Good point.
I know of an organization started by an adoptive parent that aids orphanages in Vietnam. It has also become an adoption agency, but its original purpose was as a humanitarian organization — Vietnamese Orphans Relief Fund
http://www.vorf.org/
I think these humanitarian organizations happen much more often than we realize, and they’re often started by adoptive parents who see needs in their children’s home countries. They’re just not publicized a great deal.
Thanks for bringing this up.
When my children I want to adopt grow up I would hope they’d want to return to their country of birth to help their people there. If they do not though, I won’t make them feel guilty, but I’d push to make people’s lives better across the ocean.
I think International adoption does a LOT more good than harm. Do its opponents just want these children to just languish in orphanges or worse? Or the sort of thing that horrifies me so much I cannot think about?
If they really want to limit international adoption, perhaps they should target the conditions that make it an option, such as poverty, gender issues and so many other things and put their money and energy into doing things like fighting AIDS, getting people educated so that their lives improve like some of these agencies are doing.
One factor in choosing an agency for me is choosing one that will help the children left behind. I know why it’s not a good thing to adopt just to help a child, but it’s one of the factors in my decicion making process.
There’s a good way of looking at it. It brings awareness to people here. Some of whom know very little about cultures outside of their own. Most people do not know the plight of other countries, and this way they can learn, though it is not the main reason but an awesome benefit.
What a great series of posts!
Although my son was not born in Kenya, he IS Kenyan/American.
This year our children’s school did a program called “Cows For Kenya” buying several cows for families to help provide income and sustain livelihood there.
I agree if one child’s experience helps direct attention to the country of their heritage, then culture has actually been preserved in a way it might never have been.