“Mummy, does my sister not want to come to Malta?” – children due for adoption remain stuck in India

Two prospective adoptive mothers are waiting day-by-day to be enabled to travel to India to bring back their children, a process that stopped abruptly with the onset of the pandemic. To Television Malta the two mothers stated that for months they have suffered a Calvary because of fears the children may have become ill … or may perhaps perish … because of the virus surge that has brought India down on its knees.

Anamika Farrugia is five-year-old. She was adopted from India three years ago by a Gozitan couple. She is desperately waiting for her adoptive sister to be brought from India as well.

Her mother said that this morning Anamika told her she is going to buy her a present but will not give it to her until her sister Sathvika arrives and then they will give her the present together.

In her innocence Anamika thinks her sister wants to remain In India and does not want to come to Malta.

Her adoptive mother says that Anamika asks her whether Sathvika has changed her mind and does not want to join them. Adoptive mother Angie Farrugia says such a question gives her great consternation.

Anamika and her parents have been waiting on tenterhooks since March but in that month the Indian Government closed its borders because of the pandemic onset.

Angie Farrugia said that Anamika asks her hour by hour when her sister is going to arrive and join them. She said this whole situation has not only highly disturbed her, but also her husband and indeed, the whole family.

Over the last 24 hours India has registered a record number of 69,000 new cases infected by the virus, bringing the total in the country to three million infections. This has engendered further consternation for adoptive parents like Angie and causing them sleepless nights because their proposed adoptive children remain stranded in orphanages in India. She said all she can do is pray and hope.

Another adoptive mother, Svetlana Camilleri, she has deep, deep fears she could end up unable to become an adoptive mother.

Svetlana began her adoption process two years ago to enable her to become a mother. She underwent IVF twice but did not become pregnant. She said being deprived of children is most cruel and hoped that her children will arrive as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the two mothers and their families are awaiting being given permission to travel to India to bring back their children as soon as possible. They thanked the A?enzija Tama (Hope Agency) which is doing all possible to help couples caught in this difficult situation.