AnuvaBlog

Im sorry to deviate so much from the topic of wine, but as I learn more about what my parents, and many other adoptive families went through to get these orphans out of Haiti, I feel compelled to share:

The process of adoption for most of these families started in 2006, almost 4 years ago. All of the paperwork had been done as of middle of 2007 for the vast majority, and the only thing that was holding up the process, was a decree by the Haitian president, that no orphans were to be adopted out of the country. This decree ostensibly served to protect children from being illegally trafficked into prostitution or labor rings around the world. In reality, however, many think that this decree was made to keep orphans in the country so as to be able to claim the need for more aid from the international relief funds. The president and his cronies would then abscond with the funds once they entered the country.

There were no less than 20 families that we know directly that had been trying to get kids out of Haiti since 2006 or earlier. Many of these families had been to visit their adopted children in Haiti, at the orphanage, to establish a connection, teach, and give hope. Many of these parents also put these kids into a private school that teaches English so as to begin the process of assimilation to the U.S.I will write a few more accounts over the following days about the actual events that took place from the day of the earthquake moving forward that allowed these kids to finally get out of the country.