Disturbing Adoption Story From Egypt

From the Associated Press:

Egypt: American couples on trial for adoption
By MAGGIE MICHAEL Associated Press Writer

An American woman who is being tried with her husband on charges of forgery and child trafficking after they adopted twin orphans said Saturday the trial was part of Egypt's "persecution" against Christians.

Iris Botros, a dual Egyptian citizen, spoke from behind the bars of a metal cage in a Cairo courtroom that also held her American husband, Louis Andros, and another couple that is being tried for adopting a newborn in Egypt. The trial is the first of its kind in the Muslim country, where religious tradition and murky laws make adoption nearly impossible.
In the tangle of the country's regulations and customs, even lawyers are unsure whether adoption is allowed. What is known is that Islamic law forbids adoption, and that is the law applied to Muslims in Egypt. The religion emphasizes maintaining clear bloodlines to ensure lines of patrimony and inheritance.

The law is far less clear concerning Egypt's Christian minority to which both couples belong. Adoptions within the Christian community — including by Egyptian Christians living abroad — do take place, usually involving a donation to a Christian orphanage. Proponents say this type of adoption is not explicitly banned, but still faces monumental barriers.
"This whole case came because we are Christians," the 40-year-old Botros told The Associated Press during the court's second session Saturday.
"This is all about the Christians' persecution," said Botros, wearing a white prison robe and breaking into tears as she told her story.
Many government officials are resistant to adoption — believing it is not allowed — and Muslim conservatives are opposed because they fear that Christians will adopt Muslim orphans and raise them as Christians.

Botros said the trial will cost her and her 70-year-old husband their house and the Greek restaurant they own in Durham, N.C., where they live.
After years of trying to have a child or adopt in the U.S., the couple traveled to Cairo in the fall and was put in touch with a Coptic Christian orphanage that was caring for two newborn orphans. The orphanage gave them forged documents to say Botros had given birth to the children, and the couple donated $4,600 to the orphanage, said their lawyer, Aameh Saleh.
But the couple was arrested by Egyptian police after they tried to get American passports for the babies at the U.S. Embassy. They were charged with child trafficking, forging documents and trying to smuggle people out of the country. The two could face up to seven years in prison if convicted.

The couple has denied the charges. Botros told the AP on Saturday she didn't know the documents were forged, saying "this orphanage has a government license so I had no doubts."
Several doctors and orphanage administrators have also been charged.
The second couple — Suzan Hagoulf, an American of Egyptian origin, and her Egyptian husband Medhat Metyas, who have been living in Egypt since 2003 — were also arrested in December after adopting a newborn from the same orphanage almost a year ago.
They were charged with forging documents in their adoption — though not with child trafficking because their donation of about $70 to the orphanage was so much smaller than the other American couple's. Hagoulf denied the forgery charges Saturday, saying the documents were issued by the church.

Brig. Gen. Gamal Abdel-Aal, who led the police investigation of the couples, told the court that they were part of a "criminal mob" involved in child trafficking. The couples have denied the charges.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_EGYPT_ADOPTION?SITE=KING&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Other Ways to help Foster Children

From the Legacy Project in Seminole County:
If you aren't sure about the time commitment, or want to do something else to help foster kids that isn't one on one, there are plenty of options available.

• Teach a SAW session. Incorporate whatever interests you into a class discussion. There are about 20 teens that come to learn skills about living independently weekly.

• Donate items from your home. These kids are moving out on their own without any help from their parents, and a very small budget.

• Teach a driving class. Or donate a driving course from a local business.

• Donate a Service from your office.

• Offer employment to one of our youth.

• Give gift cards to provide to kids for special events or recognition.

• Volunteer to tutor.

• The options are limitless. Just call and we can help find something for you!

407-333-8256 or 407-921-2216

Mentor a Child, Change A Life

The Legacy Project is a mentoring program in Seminole Co. for children in the foster care system and the Independent Living Program. While the project serves children of all ages, the mentoring program is particularly critical for older foster children because they must be able to succeed at the young age of 18 without the help of a family. Statistics show that more than 50% of foster children leave foster care without a high school diploma or a job, 60% will be homeless at some point throughout their lives, and most will live in poverty, and their children are likely to experience abuse if these innocent children are not helped now.

Why Mentor?

Children that are mentored are more likely to graduate from high school, less likely to be arrested, less likely to abuse drugs and more likely to succeed in life. Research shows that if foster children are linked with a caring adult at an early age, many of the challenges the teenage foster children face today would be avoided. That is why it is so important to make sure that every child has a mentor. The gift of your time and love will change the lives of our kids for generations! Further, in the Independent Living Program there are currently two case managers responsible for the futures of nearly 100 teenage foster kids. They can't do it alone, they need your help!

What is the Commitment?

It is asked that you have some type of contact with your child 1 hour a week or 4 hours per month (for at least one year). However, the more time you spend with your child the more meaningful the friendship and relationship become.

The Process

- Complete an IL Mentor Interest Survey (below) and email it to Amanda Annis (amanda.annis@cbcseminole.org) or Keri Flynn (Keri.Flynn@cbcseminole.org ).

- They will then contact you. You will need to complete a packet of information that includes background checks, fingerprints, and DMV screening. You will then go through a short (30 minutes) overview training of what you should know and expect prior to your commitment.

- On June 10, 2009 there will be a Mentor Match Event (something fun like bowling or something similar) to help you connect with a child seeking a mentor. (All children involved have requested a mentor.)

For more information, contact Ms. Flynn at (407) 333 - 8256 or (407) 921-2216 or

Ms. Annis at (407) 688 - 9650 or (407) 694-2892.

URGENT NEED: Forumla Needed for Malnourished Babies in Ethiopia

UPDATE: YOU DID IT! We raised all $12,500 as of this morning. Thanks to everyone who made this happen. We'll keep this post up for now and send you additional details on this project. Thank you Thank you! We can now provide 400 cans of Nutramigen to malnourished babies in Ethiopia.


From Tom Davis' blog -
http://tomdavis.typepad.com/

Famine and poverty are increasing the rates of malnourished infant babies in Ethiopia. Children's HopeChest has worked with the America World Adoption Agency (AWAA) on projects in Ethiopia and Russia over the past five years. This request came to us from their transition home where they are receiving severely malnourished babies into their care. This month, in honor of mother's day, I want to raise $12,500 to provide specialized baby formula to this transition home for these malnourished babies. (Please put "Ethiopia Formula" in the note section of the donate page.]
To kick this off, a friend of Children's HopeChest has offered a matching gift for the first $500 we receive toward this project.

Latest Adoption News

All adoption processing in India will now take place in New Delhi, Russia's Duma passed a resolution to develop a new intercountry adoption agreement with the U.S., prospective adopters are encouraged not to begin applications to Kyrgyzstan, more medical coverage for foster children, and other adoption-related news from Adoptive Families magazine. -
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/news.php

Help a Child Aging Out of the Foster Care System - Become a Mentor!

Mentoring opportunities are available in Seminole Co. This is a great opportunity to help a child and “get your feet wet” without the commitment of fostering or adopting. You do NOT have to live in Seminole County to participate.

For questions or more information contact Keri Flynn, (407) 333-8256.

The Might of Widows

The Bible commands Christians to look after widows, but we can learn from them, too, as this article from Christianity Today emphasizes -
Learning from Widows
Despite being laid off, one woman is committed to supporting three children.
by Timothy C. Morgan - 5/01/2009
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/may/17.7.html

Children that "Age Out" of the Foster Care System are at Risk

The Orlando Sentinel's Darryl E. Owens writes about what happens to kids that are kicked out of the foster care system.
Foster-care grads still need help - http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/columnists/orl-owens-foster-car-grads-050209,0,6680292.column

Notes From the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit in Dallas

Jeff K. attended the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit in Dallas and sent some notes.

Dennis Rainey summary:
Believe God for too much and not for too little!! Leverage off other organization's strengths -- the orphan issue is too big to tackle alone!!! Unleash the power of young people and adults who WANT to make a difference in the lives of orphans!! It is a privilege for us to care for orphans in the name of God!! Finally -- We are never closer to the heart of Jesus than when we care for someone who has nothing to give back.

Elizabeth Styffe from Saddleback Church summary:
We absolutely need to CONNECT emotionally with the orphans (locally and globally)! That is the difference between Christians caring for orphans and the world caring for orphans. Physical needs can get met, but there needs to be a connection! Every believer CAN do some type of orphan care. We need to partner with the CHURCH in our ministries. Let the church get the credit and the glory!!! The world needs to see that the church is helping care for orphans, not just organizations. People come to Christ through the church and not through organizations. Let the church get the PR. We need to align ourselves together and work in the same direction and not in different ones. Do you see an orphan as God sees you? We are all orphans! We do what we do but we leave the impossible to God.

Brandi M. is Blogging from Uganda

Read Brandi's heart-breaking posts as she writes about her experiences with Uganda's children.
http://www.brandisthoughts.com/