7 February 2008
editorial
THE LATE PRESIDENT William Richard Tolbert described children as his 'precious jewels' and future leaders of the nation, endeavoring by so doing to drive home the idea that today's children are tomorrow's adults with the challenging responsibility to shoulder the affairs of the country. Some of the children of Tolbert's days are obviously today's ministers, directors, doctors, lawyers, rights' advocates to name a few.
IN ESSENCE, THE late President saw the strength of the nation in terms of the quality and quantity of its young people, whose development he considered as underpinning all calculations of national development planning and humanitarian endeavors. But current practice, especially, as an outgrowth of the war era, is the criminal enterprise of child abduction euphemistically camouflaged as adoption. In Liberia today, so called humanitarian workers including religious workers acting on catalogue orders of crafty child-seekers, come to the country under the name of benevolent institutions and establish what are referred to as orphanages. From these institutions, the good-doers capture en masse children of poverty stricken families and quickly fly them to childless couples abroad, who in turn defray their criminal deeds with mouthwatering financial rewards.
WHILE THE ATTITUDE of these child seekers is dangerous to the consistent retention of the population, parents who are easily conceding to the carrying out of these criminal designs must be blamed on the same scale. There is demand and supply that is fueling the evil transaction. But government institutions responsible for monitoring such charitable institutions cannot be spared from the same blame game because the organizations involved in these activities secure the necessary backings before going ahead. It would not be a mistake to say that these officials, not content with their wages as usual are financially trapped against using their best wisdom of nationalism to stem this practice. Like mindless shepherds, they widely open the gates for lions, leopards and other predators to devour their animals. What a shameful dilemma for the innocent children, the gifts of the Creator to both the parents and the country?
WHERE THEN IS the future of the country? What stakes have the country in these children that are carted away without future report about their wellbeing or social progress? In this way, we waste the future of our country without any national consideration of the devastating consequence this will pose for the country. We must learn to keep our children here and secure means of educating them to shoulder the future of the nation with capable leadership. In some ways, there is a similarity of slavery to the current practice of abduction now called adoption. Our ancestors, according to history were captured in the hinterland, herded to the coast and then stockpiled in the holds of ships and taken abroad to provide various forms of backbreaking agricultural supports. Instead of adults, as the current practice is, our younger ones, the tender children, Tolbert's 'Precious Jewels' are taken away in the 21st Century without public outcry or questioning by even 'authorities'.
A RECENT NEWS that provoked this analysis has it that some child adoption groups are now directly engaged in child trafficking. The disturbing news has it that two child adoption agencies Addy's Hope Adoption Agency based in Texas, USA, and Greater Love Children's Home in Liberia are at the center of controversy in this trafficking. According to the news, the two groups have succeeded in taking seven of ten children out of Liberia under the same scheme.
WE BELIEVE THAT this news is a dangerous signal of the extent to which this sad practice in our national history has evolved.
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What a disturbing piece of info this is? Just reading it few minutes ago, makes my flesh creep at how wicked people can be for a few dollars! Have we forgotten so quickly about the slave trade, and, the devasting effects it continues to have on us today? There are still a lot of people that today, are called "congor-people" in Liberia; and, "Aliens" in the United States; as a result of that era. Have we forgotten so early? Some of us can not forget, as, we have been called both of those names in… [Read Full Text]
Child trafficking is a terrible thing and anyone participating in this crime should be prosecuted. However, we have adopted two of Liberia's precious jewels and we offer them education, shelter and food that was not so readily available in Liberia. Parents who are trying to do the best thing for their children, loving them enough to send them on to another country while Liberia is trying to rebuild a stronger nation, should not be scared by such horrendous articles. Our children came as teenagers to a family that was not "childless" only called by God to help Africa's precious jewels… [Read Full Text]
While it may be nice to think that all the unregulated "adoption agencies" are simply sending these children to bring joy to rich childless couple in the developed world, it seems unlikely that this is the fate for the majority.
Many, I very much fear, are ending up exploited and prostituted.
We are an American family hoping to adopt a child and we are far from rich. We are just trying to follow God in caring for the orphans, the widows, and the strangers. We love children and will treat an adopted child as we do our own. It is hard for me to believe that any American families that go through extensive home-studies and background checks before adopting would be considered child-traffickers. It disturbs me to read an accusatory article of this nature, without all of the facts. Did the agency in question, simply misunderstand something… [Read Full Text]
I also wanted to add the article I found on Addy's Hope website concerning this news. Somewhat of the other side of the story.
First I would like to say that despite the unethical and illegal treatment we received by the Deputy Minister while in Liberia, we met many more wonderful Liberian people and government officials. Liberia is a wonderful country filled with mainly good, hard working, dedicated individuals. The politicians we worked with including the Honorable Representative Dr. Murray and the Liberian Speaker of the House were extremely compassionate to our plight while in Liberia and worked diligently… [Read Full Text]
I did some research on The Analyst ( the Liberian newspaper that originally printed the accusations of child trafficking, etc ). It seems to me that this paper does not have a reputation of reliable reporting in Liberia and was even shut down by the government for a period of time. If that is true - then why are these other papers so quick to print this story without any independent research of the facts. I believe the innocent people of Liberia have become victims of these lies that are being reported! Is there anyone in Liberia with the courage… [Read Full Text]
We adopted two children from Liberia via an accredited agency. I consider it a solemn honor and a grave responsibility to raise my children as best I can. I love Liberia. I love the country and I love the people. Liberia is important to me because it is important to my children. It is my hope that my children will return to Liberia as adults, with the education they've received in the US... opportunities that we in the US take for granted... and use this to help better life in Liberia.
We are also grateful for the… [Read Full Text]
The children of Liberia are most definitely precious jewels! And I agree that once Liberia is able to care for their children that it would be best for the children to remain in their birth country. But, as long as there are children starving, children without parents, children without any chance for education, there is something wrong and Liberia needs to admit that they need help. Hopefully social programs will develop to make international adoption a thing of the past. However, right now international adoption is the only chance many Liberian children have to simply live… [Read Full Text]