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Originally Posted By Puzzled

Why is Africa the only continent which has its own category "Adoptions from Africa"? Isn't Africa, like most other continents, made up of individual countries?

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Originally Posted By Linda-an adoptive parent

I actually asked for a catergory for "Africa" to be started (and also for Sierre Leone.) The reason is we were researching adopting from Africa. What we found is that first , there seemed to be very few African countries with adotpion programs and very few agencies with programs there. We also did not know anyone that had adopted from any African country .Because of those reasons, I thought it would be helpful for now to group "Africa" for people like me wondering what was available . (Since we were also considering Sierre Leone, I asked for a board for that country.) I now have been finding several agencies and programs that work in South Africa so am wondering if a board for them should be set up too. I hope the "Africa" board will spark interest in others considering adoption to look into an Afican country because there is a great need there and so few adoptions done. Perhaps as more country specific boards get set up for individual African countries, we can delete the general Africa category. If you want to add any specific country just email the boards and they will. The info I have gained has helped alot. Hope this clarifies the reasons.

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Originally Posted By No longer puzzled

ok -- sounds reasonable.

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Originally Posted By Cheryl Carter-Shotts

Probably the continent of Africa has been lumped together because there are few African countries that allow adoption and few agencies processing African adoptions. Americans For African Adoptions, Inc. (AFAA) has been a licensed, non-profit, international adoption agency working in East and West Africa since 1986. We previously placed from Sierra Leone but pulled out with 18 orphans in 1997. We decided not to return until the Sierra Leone government changes their adoption regulations so families do not get caught in the difficulties of adoption versus guardianship, etc. According to the adoption laws of SL adopting families must live with the child, in SL, for 6 months. Some SL judges have been issuing adoption decrees and US Immigration and US Embassies realize that families have not lived with the children which then causes the US authorities to view the SL adoption as fraudalent. When AFAA worked in SL it was a rebel government and they set the rules as they wished. When President Kabbah was democratically elected he insisted that all laws are followed, thus the requirement to live with the child, in SL, for 6 months, in order to get a true adoption decree.

AFAA is a member of JCICS (Joint Council on International Children's Services) - our programs are presently in Ethiopia, East Africa and Liberia, West Africa. We previously placed from Mali and Sierra Leone, West Africa and we were able to place three orphans from Mogadishu, Somalia, East Africa Our Ethiopian program has been working very well since 1987 and we are one of two American agencies that the Government of Ethiopia allows to process adoptions for American citizens. Our Liberian program took much time to set up and began July 1996. If anyone has questions about our programs much info is at our website: www.africanadoptions.org