Jayanti Zwanenburg uit India (Jayanti Zwanenburg from India)

Relinquished

Jayanti was born in 1995 in Nagpur, a city in India. Jayanti's mother was only 21 years old when she got her. She then gave her up because she was unmarried and in India you are only allowed to have children if you are married. Furthermore, Jayanti has very little information about her biological mother and nothing about her biological father at all, because he probably doesn't even know about her existence. Jayanti was first taken to the children's home in Nagpur. Here she also got her name from a social worker. The name Jayanti means: Victorious.

Adoption

As soon as there was talk of adoption, Jayanti was taken to the Bal Anand children's home in Bombay. When she was 1.5 years old, she flew to the Netherlands together with three other girls. This was done under the supervision of two Wereldkinderen employees. Jayanti was adopted by Sjaak and Astrid. Jayanti: “These are two incredibly sweet and caring people who I really see as my parents.” After a while, Jayanti's parents separated and her father got a new wife and her mother got a new husband. She also got a sister. The divorce was difficult for Jayanti at times, but she can't imagine never meeting them.

Journey to native

Jayanti doesn't remember anything about India. She actually likes that, because if she would have known more about it, she would have suffered more from it later. “But you never know that in advance,” says Jayanti. Jayanti has not yet returned to her native country, but at the moment she is planning her trip. Jayanti: “Hopefully the trip will take place next year. I'm very excited about it, but I have to admit that it makes me nervous."So much is coming at you. This is where I come from. Jayanti goes to her hometown to see where she comes from. She also goes to her two children's homes. The rest is more of a holiday. Jayanti doesn't go there to look for her biological parents. Suppose she gets information there, then she wouldn't start looking. “It is also very difficult to find your biological parents in India and if you do find them, you also have to ask yourself whether you are not turning the lives of your biological parents upside down,” says Jayanti. Jayanti: “What do you find? Are your parents still alive at all? The search for those answers is not worth it to me at all.”

I am so 'cheesy' or westernized.

Western culture

Jayanti: “I only notice that if someone asks me about the culture or dish, I am westernized. I have no idea, I always say. I am so 'cheesy' or westernized.” Jayanti: "It may sound very harsh, but the only reason I would want to find my biological family is to know if there are certain diseases in the family." Jayanti still finds it difficult that she does not know such things. Jayanti: “Unlike other adopted children, I have no desire to get to know my parents. I don't want to live between those two worlds of my parents here and there.”Jayanti has enough of her parents here and in terms of character she often hears that she has that from her mother or father. Upbringing has such an influence that she has become the person she is today. Character is always there, but how it is handled really makes who you are. Jayanti : “My parents mean everything to me, my family and friends here are the ones I really bond with.”

Future

Jayanti's parents have always been open about the adoption. She could discuss everything with them. There was also an adoption group that they always went to. This was very nice. Jayanti: "You now know people who understand you just more than people who have not been adopted." Suppose, in the future, Jayanti's biological mother would go looking for her, then Jayanti would never reject her, but open herself to it. It's more that Jayanti wouldn't search herself, because of the safety of her biological mother and the fact that she is then between two worlds. Jayanti: “But if she herself were to look for me, I would set my principle aside; but those two worlds. She is looking for me for a reason and it seems incredibly difficult to give up a child.”

Jayanti really calls “my parents here” her parents instead of adoptive parents. For her, the term adoptive parents is a term she would not readily use, as they are more than adoptive parents to her. Jayanti: “I have no problem at all with the fact that I was given up, in fact: I am grateful to my biological parents for that. Otherwise I would never have had such a fantastic life!” Jayanti had a great childhood and sees a fantastic future for her as well. She is really grateful to her parents, friends and family for this.

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