Hi All,
As many other adoptive parents do, we left Kazakhstan with our boys in our arms wishing that we could take all of those sweet babies home with us. I felt that way when we brought Rinat home but this time the feeling was so much stronger. My heart just ached as I walked out the door with Aibek in my arms. With Rinat we just saw his Kaz friends in passing as we picked him up or dropped him off in his room for visitation. With Aibek we spent 4 hours a day in the same room with Aibek’s group mates. We got to know their favorite toys, their cries and their giggles. We saw them sick and sad with no one to hold them until they felt better, no one to kiss away their tears (but good gosh did I want to). I spent weeks trying my very hardest to get one little girl to laugh and finally succeeded only to leave a few days later and never see her again. We got to know a little bit about their life stories and why they would never know the love of a family- they had medical issues, there was mental illness in the family, there was a grandmother that visited once a year (yes, once still takes them out of the running for adoption). There are many reasons. But none of them make it OK for them to have that kind of life. I know that I can’t adopt them all, but if there is just one thing that I can do to just make one day of their lives better, I want to do it. If you would also like to help, please take a look at these very worthy organizations below. Buy one fewer Starbucks and instead use the money to help one little life. Maybe it will help one of ‘our’ little ones that we left behind.
www.twoheartsforhope.org
This organization was started by two adoptive moms and supports the orphans in Kaz wherever and however they see a need. They are working on a water filtration system for one baby house (aka orphanage), completed a new playground at another, trying to raise money to fix the windows at another, funded heart surgery for a sweet little girl in need, held a Nauryz (Persian new year) celebration at another place, will be building new beds at another… The list goes on. I am saving up money and hope to join the mission trip next year, wherever in Kaz needs help from Two Hearts.
www.spoonfoundation.org
Too many orphans around the world are lacking the nutrition that they need to support their growth both physically and cognitively. This organization is studying orphan, foster, and post adoption nutrition and are currently doing a study (I heard our sweet Aibek was in the program before he came home with us!) on the effects of vitamins on children in Kazakhstan. Watch the video, it will amaze you how much one little change in nutrition can change the life of a child. Make sure you have tissues nearby- it’s a weeper (with a happy ending for one sweet little girl).
www.jointcouncil.org
This organization supports and advocates for children all over the world and believes that every child deserves to grow up as part of a family. They are the voice for those who are too young to speak for themselves. They are amazing and I have been lucky enough to meet the director Tom DiFilipo I am in awe of his tireless dedication to the cause.
If you know of any other organizations that deserve a mention, please comment below and I will be sure to add them to my list. And please stop and take a moment today to realize how truly, amazingly lucky we all are to be surrounded by loving families, a bounty of food, shelter over our heads, and all of the opportunities that our lives have afforded us. I wish every person on earth could be as lucky.
Much love, -m
