Volunteer work: A social service employee helps with adoptions abroad

Bea Garnier-Merz offers members of the Bundeswehr and their families advice and support in social matters. But when the lights go out in your office, your social commitment doesn't fall by the wayside. Because then the employee of the social service of the Bundeswehr in Koblenz gets involved in the association “Help a child eV” registered association ”. This association offers help with adoptions abroad.

Still a little tired from the exhausting journey, Bea Garnier-Merz and her colleague Angela Gönemann review the past few days. The two employees of the social services of the Bundeswehr covered around 17,000 kilometers by air in a short time. The reason: They brought ten children between the ages of three and seven from Haiti to Germany to hand over to new adoptive parents. Both women are involved in the adoption agency “Help a child eV”registered association"

Despite the corona pandemic, the flight to Haiti could be carried out. Without further ado, the association chartered an aircraft with pilots and flight attendants. The machine was on the road for almost three days. Started in Brussels, spent the night in Guadeloupe, then on to Port-au- Prince. A three-hour stay and then back again. Cost: around 100,000 euros. The new parents paid a large part. The remaining amount has been donated for this purpose. “It is an enormous effort, but when we look into the happy faces of the children when we hand them over to the new mums and dads, then that makes up for everything,” says Garnier-Merz.

There was a lot going on on the return flight: excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead.

Many of the children have never seen a plane in their lives, let alone sat in one ",

reports Angela Gönemann. “Now this plane is taking them to a new world, to a new environment, to a new family, to a new, better future.” Many of the children are absorbed in the video messages and photo albums of their new parents. “These little films are particularly important because they help the children develop a relationship with the new family. Some caress the screen with devotion because they can hardly wait to see their new parents again, ”says Garnier-Merz. The first meeting with the children was some time ago, continues Garnier-Merz. Such a project requires extensive help. The German embassy in Haiti is making an extremely important contribution here.

For the children this is the beginning of a new future

Garnier-Merz private

Fate in strange hands

In 2003 Garnier-Merz tried to adopt a Haitian child himself. A lot had gone wrong on the pick-up trip at that time. “I had to take care of permits and passports at short notice in Haiti,” she recalls. The adoption agency had failed to fulfill many tasks, so that Garnier-Merz “nailed it” and without further ado set up its own agency. Since 2005 she has been the honorary chairwoman of “Help a child eVregistered association“, A state-approved adoption agency. Since then, the association has placed around 750 children.

Gönemann looks after twins

Garnier-Merz private

The association informs those willing to adopt about all necessary and formal requirements for the implementation of an adoption. Garnier-Merz: “We advise and help with the compilation of all necessary papers and the dispatch of the documents to the responsible offices of the respective authorities abroad. Following the adoption, we offer assistance in integrating children of foreign origin into our society. We accompany families for up to five years. A close friendship has developed with many of the families. "

Arrived in Germany. Now the new parents are not far away

Garnier-Merz private

Garnier-Merz concluded: “We see it as our task to find parents for abandoned and orphaned children from abroad who are in need of adoption and thus to give them a new family and a loving home. Our main goal is the child's best interests. ''

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