收养机构为肯尼亚孩子寻找领养家庭

AS IT IS 2015-08-17 Group Seeks Adoptive Families for Kenyan Children 收养机构为肯尼亚孩子寻找领养家庭

A 2007 study estimated there were at least 250,000 children living and working in the streets of Kenya. More than 60,000 of them are in Nairobi.  Adoption¹ agencies have tried to reduce those numbers by finding families for children without parents.  But mistaken beliefs about adoption have made it difficult to find homes for children in need.

Kate Irungu has two children, a 10-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl. She and her husband had dreamed of having a family for eight years. After they got married, they tried and failed to have children of their own. Finally they decided² to adopt.

"I think adoption is good because if you cannot get a child, it gives you an opportunity to have one and it gives you the joy of being a parent.  I think Kenyans should embrace adoption."

Many people in Kenya have fears and misunderstandings about adoption. That makes it difficult for children who need homes and the groups trying to help them.

Susan Otuoma is the chief executive³ officer of Little Angels Network, a children's home launched in 2005. Little Angels Network helps families with more than 300 adoptions⁴ every year.  She says many people in Kenya still do not understand the process of adoption.

"One major one is that adoption is meant for infertile⁵ couples, those that are childless who cannot get their own children. It has taken a lot of education to just inform members of the public that even those with their own children can adopt. The other misconception is that adopted children are wayward, it is a belief people just find it mysterious that you can adopt a child not born of yourself."

Ms. Otuoma also dismisses concerns that adoption costs too much for Kenyan families.  For adoptions within the country, the fees are about $400. 

"There has also been a misconception that adoption is very, very expensive here in Kenya and that it is only meant for the rich people, which is not true because the government has highly regulated⁶ the fees and they are highly subsidized."

Kate Irungu says adopted children are not different from other children. Each child brings individual joys and problems to parents.

"It is easier to adopt a young child because you can train his or her character, but I think it is hard when you adopt teenagers or older kids, but all in all adoption has its good side and bad side, just like raising kids in any household whether they are yours or not."

Ms. Otuoma asks families with children of their own to think about adopting. She wants them to open their hearts and homes to more children.

"Our guiding principle is that every child deserves to grow in a family.  As much as the institutions will give the best care to the child, we believe that every child is best taken care of in a family set up."

The Kenyan government has expressed concern about the troubles of homeless children.  But children's activists⁷ say existing programs cannot solve the problems of homeless children. They are the result of larger social problems, such as war, unemployment and poverty, that need to be solved.

In November 2014, the Kenyan Cabinet banned adoption of Kenyan children by foreigners. The action came in response to a United Nations report on human trafficking. The report said Kenya was a source of child trafficking.

In July 2015, the Law Society of Kenya asked the High Court to remove the ban. Law Society of Kenya lawyer Stephen Gitonga said many homeless children were waiting for adoptions that had been in progress last year, when the ban took effect.

Words in This Story

adopt – v. to take a child of other parents legally as your own child

adoption – n. the act or process of adopting someone or something, such as the act or process of adopting a child

infertile – adj. not able to reproduce⁸; not able to produce children

subsidize- – v. to help someone pay for something (often used to refer to government or company aid)

1 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。

4 adoptions   

n.采用，收养( adoption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Adoption agencies are always so open to alternative family adoptions. 领养中介机构永远都对领养家庭敞开。 来自电影对白
• The number of adoptions has grown in the past year. 去年，收养子女的数字增加了。 来自互联网

5 infertile   

adj.不孕的；不肥沃的，贫瘠的

参考例句：

• Plants can't grow well in the infertile land.在贫瘠的土地上庄稼长不好。
• Nobody is willing to till this infertile land.这块薄田没有人愿意耕种。

6 regulated   

控制( regulate的过去式和过去分词 )； 管理； 调整； 调节

参考例句：

• The activities of credit companies are regulated by law. 信贷公司的业务受法律的制约。
• A person's behavior is often regulated by his circumstances. 人的行为常受其所处环境的约束。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 reproduce   

v.生育，繁殖，复制，重做

参考例句：

• The machine can reproduce a key in two minutes.这机器能在两分钟内复制一把钥匙。
• The picture will reproduce well.这照片会印得很清楚。