On the eve of our 4 months of waiting mark, I wanted to share with you more details on the reasons behind America World's Fee increases. Duni, one of AW's family coordinators, sent an email explaining the various reasons that AW had to make such a substantial increase. It all makes sense and it's all worthwhile. Before reading about all the details, though, I thought you might best understand some of Ethiopia's situation by seeing the video at this link regarding Ethiopia's Green Famine: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2008/aug/01/green.famine
Ethiopia's food shortage is grim and it is impacting the health of their children in major ways. When America World chooses a child to be referred to a waiting family, that ET child is moved from the orphanage into what is called a "transitional home". This is where the child is kept and sometimes nursed back to health while paperwork is processed for referral and waiting families wait for their paperwork to make it through the ET court system and as the families wait to travel. Read below to see AW's explanation for how this and other factors have affected their budget and therefore the fees we need to pay.
TRANSITIONAL HOME COSTS: Our role as an agency in Ethiopia is quite different than any of our other programs in many ways. One is that we care for the children we are to place in homes. These children come from difficult situations. Some are malnourished and many get sick with common cold, pneumonia or parasites. We don't want to merely "keep" the children until families come for them but deem it our responsibility to give them the best treatment and care we possibly could. Medical care of children, especially when they first arrive in our home is quite high. We also try our best to involve families in the child's life long before they meet them. We send updates with snippets of their children's milestones and pictures. We hire qualified nurses and have a lower nannies to children ratio so that the children can get a more personalized care than they would at an orphanage. We also provide transitional services such as hiring English teachers and an American Social worker to help the children adjust better. All of these things involve significant financial undertaking. We have also found that diapers and Formulas cost quite a lot more than what we projected. This is also due to inflation in the past year and weakening of the dollar.
NEW CAPACITY BUILDING FEE BY MOWA : After many complaints by us (adoption agencies as a whole) of lower productivity by MOWA in completing adoptions, MOWA has mandated a capacity building fee so they can hire more social workers and purchase computers to process adoptions.
TRANSLATION AND AUTHENTICATION OF DOCUMENTS: The cost of dossier translation and authentication both at the department of state and Ministry of Foreign affairs in Ethiopia have gone up.
POST PLACEMENT : The Ethiopian government requires 3 post placement reports the first year of the adoption and one self report per year until the child turns 18. As the agency that facilitated your adoption, we are required to follow up with families to make sure that reports are submitted and on time. We will be charging a one time minimal post placement administration fee to cover the administrative cost.
For these reasons we have been unable to cover the cost with the current fee schedule. I recognize that this is difficult news for families, and that the increase in the cost of your adoption will impact each of you in significant ways. The fiscal situation facing the program is a critical one, and these increases are essential in order to maintain our commitment to offering you and the children you adopt the best care and services possible.
Hopefully that gives you a better idea of what is going on. I completely trust AW and believe that they are doing everything they can to provide the best care of these orphans. Any increase in fees is a tough pill to swallow, especially when the process already costs a total of around $30,000. So please continue to pray for us and other families as we all trust God to provide in the midst of what can already be an emotional and difficult journey.Another note to make: Tom Davis - author of "Red Letters" and "Fields of the Fatherless" (and who will also be the keynote speaker at the AWAA San Antonio Gala) is currently in Ethiopia searching for orphanges that churches in the US can partner with. Following his journey is quite impacting and offers some amazing perspective and... conviction. Please visit http://tomdavis.typepad.com/ to follow Tom through Ethiopia over the next many days. To get an idea of what you'll find there, I cut and pasted one of his latest entries below:
Ethiopia Day 2 and 3
Oh how I wish you were here! Let me share a few highlights with you. Ethiopia Cultural Experiences: 1. At an Ethiopian restaurant I was shocked to notice everyone was eating meat. Apparently that's quite the luxury, but the shock wasn't the meat, it was the fact that it was all raw. Yep, you got it. Delicacy of the day: Raw goat meat. Not wanting to take home a pet amoeba, I choose to have it cooked well done.
2. Tonight we were invited to a home for a coffee ceremony. The family was unbelievable. Poor, but filled with so many riches. There are 10 kids, and all of them are very close. We were greeted with three kisses on the cheek and treated like we were family. Their hospitality was something to be desired. One of the things I've come to discover is that the poor have so much to treat us regarding what it means to love, share, and give. I'm convicted.
3. Have I mentioned the coffee?! From one coffee lover to another, you have never tasted coffee like this! Apparently, coffee was originated here in a city called Kaffe centuries ago. They serve macchiatos that will knock your socks off. Sugar, milk, espresso and froth that Starbucks couldn't touch with a ten foot pole. And yes, that's Simon's belly.
3. Public transportation. In a mini-van seating 12, we managed to pack in 20! At least it was cheap. A whopping .20 cents each for a 30 minute trip.
Orphanages:VERY IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY: We will have one orphanage ready for sponsorship immediately. I can't say enough about how moved I was by being with these children. Their situation is desperate. I know there are at least 100 of you keeping with this trip and involved in helping us launch Ethiopia. If you are ready to have your church, business or organization sponsor this awesome place called Kechene, email me ASAP at: tdavis@hopechest.org. I would like this orphanage sponsored right out of the gate. There are 87 children there, very poor, half are orphaned because of AIDS. There is a phenomenal staff in place, acting as teaching, role models, and providing the nurture they need to grow up healthy. First come, first serve!
Please go to his site (linked above) and follow his journey. If your church is interested in orphan ministry - now is the time and the opportunity to get involved. Tom is spelling it out for you! Just read and allow your heart to fully engage.
Lulu, this adoption is teaching me so much. Your culture and the challenges your people face are changing me. I long to hold you, baby girl. I long to know your face and touch your hair and make you smile. I long to look you in the eye and see you soul to soul. We are praying for your biological mom to have everything she needs while she carries you in her womb. We are praying that God miraculously provides for her and that she will KNOW that you are a special baby, chosen by Him. We pray that she will be strong in these difficult days and somehow, somehow she will have a sense of peace and comfort as God prepares her heart to let you go - I don't know how that is possible, but we are praying -praying for her to have some hope in the midst of her despair and grieving. May she be well fed and protected in the night. May the light that breaks in the morning carry hope in it's warmth. May the Lord give her dreams and visions in the night that reveal Himself to her and may He provide miracles by day to affirm His love for her, so that she will know that He sees her, He hears her and He is close to her. And may you, Lulu, be aware of His presence even there in her womb because you already belong to Him. To the spirits of rejection and abandonment we declare that you have no place in our Lulu. She belongs to the King of Kings and from before time began this was His plan - that she would be born in Ethiopia and she would live with us. No lie you have to whisper shall prosper in Lulu's heart, soul, mind. The belt of truth is wrapped around Lulu with great care. Lord Jesus, protect our baby girl while she is away from our reach. Set her guardian angels guard over her body, soul, spirit, mind and heart. Sing and dance over her in the night. As you form her, mold her heart into the heart of a lioness of God - a passionate heart for the advancement of Your Kingdom - a heart that desires to put an end to injustice, darkness and bring peace, love in the sweet name of Christ. Make her gentle but strong, kind but honest. Give her deep thoughts on the things of You and an even deeper desire to know You and make You known. Give her big eyes that both radiate with Your joy but also portray Your unfailing compassion. May her eyes be full of peace and passion. May her smile be illuminating and contagious. May her voice be gentle and yet bold when used for Your glory. May she love to please you more than man. May her beauty be exquisite both inside and out. May Libby and Lulu have a miraculous and deep bond and may they truly love one another selflessly. May Lulu's life be fueled by the desire for Your name to be known among all peoples because Your name is the one to whom she has eternal belonging. Amen.
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