Orphanage: Succour to barren parents
Orphanage: Succour to barren parents
Written by Kunle Awosiyan Thursday, 09 September 2010
In this report by Kunle Awosiyan, infertile couples are no longer crying as adoption of children in orphanages becomes more attractive.
THE joy of every couple is to have a child at least. In this part of the world, it is mandatory for a wife to produce a baby for her husband even if he is not fertile. Many people, including some elite, still see a barren woman as victim of a particular curse or spell, irrespective of her medical fitness.While procreation is the key factor for marriage in this part of the world, it is not so in the Western world where couples may decide to adopt a child even when they are medically fit to produce their own.
To those who believe that couples must have children of their own, barrenness goes beyond biological calculations; it could be inflicted on any of the spouses for reasons best known to the evil doer. However, there had been cases where the barren had been made to give birth through orthodox or traditional medicine.
Yet, there are cases when barren couples have resolved to live together forever in “tears” and “molestation” because their predicament has defiled all solutions.
But while some couples drink their tears day in, day out for not having their own children, there are those who, because they do not want their babies, throw them away at dumpsites.
These days, most children at orphanages were found at dumpsites. Some have even become grown ups with nobody to claim them. For those who are lucky, they hve been adopted and can always bear the names of their adoption parents.
It is noteworthy that the number of couples who parade orphanages to adopt babies has been on the increase in the recent time. The Nigerian Tribune visited some orphanages where it was gathered that many infertile couples have since gone ahead to adopt children instead of labouring themselves with medical prescriptions.
According to the President of Orphanage Towers in Lagos, Mr. Kayode Okanrende, not less than 20 couples visit the orphanage daily to adopt a baby that could be named after them. He told Nigerian Tribune that about 200 children would have been adopted in Lagos orphanages in the last two years.
He stated further that the number of adopted orphans ought to have grown more than what it is now but the process of adoption puts many intending couples off.
Okanrede explained that it was always difficult for a couple to adopt without legal procedures, adding that no registered orphanage would give out a child without the consent of Lagos State Government.
He told the Nigerian Tribune that there were over 300 registered orphanages across the country and that each of them would not release a child to a single father or mother, but a couple who have agreed to adopt a baby.
“Before a child can be released to a couple, we will have to visit the couple’s home. We will have to know their relatives, especially those who can stand as guarantors, so that the child can always be monitored,” he said.
He stated that officials of the orphanages visit the homes of the couples with adopted babies regularly to see how the baby is being taken care of.
“We don’t want a situation where couples will adopt children for evil purposes; that is why we monitor the children until they become theirs permanently. We want couples to treat these adopted children like their biological offsprings,” he advised.
Corroborating Okanrede’s submissions, the coordinator of “Orphan and You,” Mr. Femi Egbesola, sympathised with infertile couples attributing their predicament to stress in the metropolis. He said that men really contribute to infertility due to their low sperm count resulting from daily Lagos stress.
He, however, said that while supporting couples to adopt children, they should endeavour to see them as their biological children. “Orphans are not the architect of their own plight, but they are victims of life’s misfortunes and circumstances. They have the right to education, healthcare and protection like other children.”
Okanrede who advocated better life for orphans in the society, called on the Federal Government to use the 50th Independence anniversary to remember the special children.
He said, “It’s quite unfortunate that orphans are rarely remembered during our yearly independence anniversaries, which is bad, indeed. There is no provision for orphans in the country’s annual budget. That is why we have chosen October to make a case for this set of people in our society.”
He used the opportunity to announce that the group would be organising an event to be sponsored by the Orphanage Towers in collaboration with Ota-Agbara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ado-Odo/Ota and Ifo Local Government Areas to remember the orphans and make them feel human.
While advocating for social security fund for orphans, Egbesola urged the government to look in the direction of the special children, stating that most orphanages in the country lacked the basic amenities to provide good standard of living for the children.
“I think orphans should not be neglected. They must be carried along to enjoy the candour, glamour, elegance, fascination and glitz of the coming independence anniversary,” he stated.
He explained that the involvement of orphans in the anniversary could be an irresistible urge to save a life. “We must be seen to be providing succour to our numerous orphans,” he added.
Meanwhile, during the annual ministerial news conference by the state Ministry of Women and Poverty Alleviation, the Commissioner, Mrs. Joke Orelope Adefulire, posited that the government was being careful about adoption of orphans, adding that most couples lacked the love to care for adopted children.
She confirmed an increased number of those willing to adopt children, but added that they had to follow due process before they could have access to the babies they longed for.