Rwanda Orphanage Statistics and Push for Domestic Adoption

With a 2009 estimate of 4.9 million children under age 18 in Rwanda, how many do you think live in orphanages?

While there are many estimates of how many children are single or double-orphaned, affected or not by HIV/AIDS, the number in orphanages is…3,000. No zeros are missing. Remember that the next time you see an ad from an adoption agency for Rwanda.

“The Prime Minister, over the weekend, called on the public to embrace the culture of adoption so that children in orphanages get to grow up in a family setting.

According to the Ministry of Gender and Family promotion, there are 3,000 children living in 33 orphanages, across the country.

This is not a large number and as a country that has successfully implemented homegrown solutions to the various challenges, collectively, new homes can be found for the children and there will no longer be need for orphanages.

For the children, foster homes will give them a new lease of life. There is no doubt that being brought up in a loving family setting greatly contributes towards shaping a descent future for children.

However, as the campaign to encourage adoption gains momentum, a strict follow-up mechanism should be put in place to make sure that the children are catered for appropriately and are not abused.

It has been established that some of the children in the orphanages have at least a parent, but were forced to leave their homes due to various reasons, including neglect, mistreatment and other forms of child abuse.

It is a collective responsibility to keep watch of the children, to ensure that they are protected and receive the necessary upbringing to mould them into responsible citizens>’

Rwanda: Strict Follow-Up Mechanism Required for Adopted Children
[All Africa 12/20/11]

Reformatina brings the adoption follow-up reform completely into focus: “Pretty amazing a country with so many social/economic problems is recognizing the risk of abuse when the US doesn’t give a hoot.”

REFORM Puzzle Piece