I have chosen to not disclose the identities of my sources, in order to protect them from possible retaliation. All of the people that I spoke to are children’s rights advocates working in the region. Apart from working as a freelance writer, I also work as a children’s rights advocate in Uganda. In this piece, I’m not sharing any information that hasn’t already been put out there publicly by Alicia Marie Harding herself.

The current situation

After writing about the Melanie Brechlin case a few weeks ago, I was recently informed about another possible adoption case in Zambia, by a children’s rights advocate in my circles. Again, the ‘adoption journey’ in question is being chronicled on a public Instagram profile — as is often the case.

On September 10 2020, Alicia Marie Harding published an Instagram post in which she announced that she and her family would be fostering a pair of newborn twins in Zambia. In an accompanying blog post that she wrote (which can be found here, on her blog girlgoestoafrica.com), Harding — who works as a missionary nurse — told her followers about how she was working at the clinic one day, when she received a call from a medical officer of a nearby district. The medical officer described an emergency situation in which a mother had just given birth to twins. The mother had passed away after giving birth, leaving behind a total of 8 children. There was no capacity for the family to also look after two vulnerable newborns, who had been welcomed into the world at just 36 weeks old.

Harding wrote about how the twins would live with them for the foreseeable future, but immediately stressed that they would want to eventually adopt the children — if the twins’ family would comply.

---------- Forwarded message ---------

From: Arun Dohle

Date: Tue, 4 May 2021 at 13:46

Subject: Re: Reminder: FW: Unicef Netherlands position in Intercountry Adoption ?

To: Kerry Neal

Clifford Chance announces hire of Cecilio Madero, former Deputy Director-General of DG Competition

4 May 2021

Thomas Vinje, Guy Norman

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance today announced that Cecilio Madero will join the firm as Of Counsel based in Brussels this September. The appointment provides a significant boost to the firm's global Antitrust, Corporate, Litigation and Tech client offering.

Cecilio Madero comments: 'It has been a privilege to develop profound knowledge of the global antitrust environment from my enjoyable and fulfilling long career at DG competition, and I am now thoroughly looking forward to continuing my professional development by joining a hugely prestigious firm. Over my career, I have seen Clifford Chance operate with the highest level of integrity and I look forward to this exciting next step.'

Earlier this week, DCPCR appealed to people on social media to call on their helpline number and report cases where children need essential supplies, have lost their parent(s), or are struggling to support themselves due to the illness.

Flooded by requests for adopting children who lost their parents to Covid-19, both online and offline, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) has urged people not to fall for misinformation floating on social media, and advised interested families to follow the due legal process to initiate the adoption process.

Several children have lost their parents to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic -- fourth wave, as per the Delhi government -- in the national capital. Earlier this week, DCPCR appealed to people on social media to call on their helpline number and report cases where children need essential supplies, have lost their parent(s), or are struggling to support themselves due to the illness. Following this, the child rights body said requests for adopting children orphaned amid the pandemic have also started pouring in.

Commission chairperson Anurag Kundu tweeted on Saturday evening: “Do not believe anyone who says he/she can give you the child for adoption. They are either lying or misleading or simply involved in illegal practices. Do reach out to your lawyer friends for advice.”

Kundu said he himself has received around 10 such requests in the last few days. “Besides, I see a lot of posts floating around about child adoption. People need to understand that they have to follow a legal process. Any adoption without it is illegal,” he said.

The adoptive parents of a girl child have moved the Supreme Court challenging a Kerala High Court judgment of April 9, which had set aside the adoption of the child on the ground that a deed of surrender had not been executed by both the biological parents.

A Bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheswhari stayed the judgment of the Kerala High Court after the petitioners pointed out that the High Court had passed its verdict without hearing them.

“Considering the facts and circumstances of this case, in the meanwhile, the operation of the impugned order shall remain stayed,” the Court ordered.

Advocates Liz Mathew, Manisha Singh and Sonali Jain appeared for the petitioners (adoptive parents).

Background

As 17 year olds, Ernst and Tonny Fickweiler (68) gave their baby up for adoption after an unplanned pregnancy. They would never see him again. Or so they thought. "There is a hole somewhere and every time you think about it it makes it very emotional, it is just tangible."

It should be a few A4 pages, briefly describing the family history of the prodigal son. To catch up with him, to make up for the lost years. But it turned into a project that took four years and resulted in a book that turned out to be much more than a family chronicle.

Bomb

Anyone who reads their book feels how the bomb hit the lives of two 17-year-olds. It was a beautiful evening in September 1970. And as so often there was reason for a party, this time with a mutual friend in the attic in their Waddinxveen, where they grew up. Ernst writes about it as a happy memory. And then the song Albatros from Fleetwood Mac was played. ... When I brought Tonny home that evening, we were both happy and deeply in love with each other. Only from that moment on everything would be different, everything would be different. The world upside down. Our young life would change forever.

What followed was a succession of impressive events. As soon as her pregnant belly became visible, Tonny left for a foster home, so that she would not get the scandals in the village. In all loneliness and homesickness she carried her pregnancy there, in order to give birth to her son in the presence of strangers in a clinic. She would never see him, only hear him cry from behind a held up towel: a sound she wouldn't forget for the rest of her life.

The widow and daughter of the Maltese man who died from Covid-19 in India arrived safely in Malta on Sunday evening.

Ivan Barbara, 47, was cremated on the couple’s 19th wedding anniversary after falling ill while in India to adopt their daughter.

He died on Friday after developing complications minutes before he was set to board the air ambulance sent to fly him back to Malta. Reportedly, Barbara’s ashes have been brought to Malta.

Two other Maltese couples who travelled to India to adopt were also flown in safely by Maltese authorities.

Last week

The adoptive parents of a girl child have moved the Supreme Court challenging a Kerala High Court judgment of April 9, which had set aside the adoption of the child on the ground that a deed of surrender had not been executed by both the biological parents.

A Bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheswhari stayed the judgment of the Kerala High Court after the petitioners pointed out that the High Court had passed its verdict without hearing them.

“Considering the facts and circumstances of this case, in the meanwhile, the operation of the impugned order shall remain stayed,” the Court ordered.

Advocates Liz Mathew, Manisha Singh and Sonali Jain appeared for the petitioners (adoptive parents).

Background

Preet Mandir, Pune

From this orphanage, only one child has come to FFIA. As soon as that adoption was complete, FFIA suspended the collaboration for several reasons. On the one hand, the children did not receive the care we were guaranteed, and on the other hand, neither the financial nor the administrative process was handled as promised.

For many years, the orphanage transferred children to other organizations around the world. Many serious social workers and organizations reported the misconduct on Preet Mandir, but it was extremely difficult to get their license revoked due to the organization's contacts in influential circles. See article below for more information.

https://www.brandeis.edu/investigate/adoption/docs/adoption_Dohle_cumb_final.pdf

Noida police, along with the district Childline, has started a helpline to help the children who are stuck alone in a house because of their parents and other family members being hospitalised after testing Covid positive and in need of food and shelter. Cops have said that such children can be provided food, shelter and water in case they require and can also be dropped at a relative’s place in case they need to. The helpline number — 9870395200 — can be contacted in case a neighbour or relative wants to give information about such children needing help.

Satya Prakash, manager, FXB India Suraksha, the NGO that runs Childline for Noida, told TOI that in a discussion with police, the idea was developed and transportation can be arranged for children who need to go to their relative’s place in case they are left alone.

“If someone wants to donate a transportation service for such a child or provide children with food, such Good Samaritans will be welcomed and help be extended to the child in need,” he said.

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