Addis Ababa: They're Growing Up

The kids living at the Buckner Baby Home in Ethiopia have grown up. A lot.

The last time I came here, I spent about two weeks with David and Amy McDurham (aroundtheworldand2kids.wordpress.com) who were traveling to pick up their daughter Ella. That was November.

When I went to visit the Buckner Baby Home this week, I was shocked at how much the kids had changed. S and B were walking on their own. M was standing up in his crib, laughing. The other M was giggling with one of the older girls – a new arrival at the home. And E (who is now 2 years old) has grown up so much, he’s eating with the big kids.

All of the children living in the Baby Home are available for adoption. Three children have gone home with their families since I was last here, and there are currently two children matched with families, waiting for official paperwork to be completed so they can go and pick them up.

The rest of the children are waiting.

I was surprised to see six new faces at the Baby Home this month. Two new babies, two older girls and two older boys. Two of them are sibling sets. They all speak Oromic, and are from the Oromia region. It was precious to see how they interacted with each other, the babies and their caregivers.

Due to adoption regulations, I cannot show any of the kids’ photos. But believe me – they are all so beautiful. You’ll have to trust me on this one.

As excited as I was to meet these older children, I couldn’t help but have a feeling of panic … and responsibility. It is very hard to recruit families who are willing to adopt older children. Almost all of our families want to adopt babies – and there is nothing wrong with that! – but there is a special need for families who are willing to adopt older children.

These older kids are very aware of what’s happening around them. They see each child go home with their family, and they wonder when their day will come. They all want to know when they’re family is coming to pick them up. I just pray for each of them, and for their future family, that God will provide for them in His perfect timing.

We are doing a lot of work to prevent children from being orphaned or abandoned in Ethiopia. Each of our community programs are designed to support families, empower them to provide and keep children in their homes. But many children are still orphaned, and adoption plays a huge part in the solution. To parent a child, to teach them in your home and provide for their life … it’s the single greatest impact one family can make in the life of a child.

Dillon International, affiliated with Buckner, is ready and eager to answer your questions about these children and tell you more about the process. Please contact them. You can learn more about our adoption options internationally at www.dillonadopt.com and domestically at www.beafamily.org.

You could be the answer for one child.

- Jenny Pope