Offenburg worked for adoption for years

It took Heike Kramer and her husband 3.5 years and overcame many hurdles to adopt their first child from India. She is also involved in the Federal Association for Parents of Foreign Adopted Children.

Offenburg-Zunsweier. India - many people think of magnificent temples and Ayurveda cures, bright colors, exotic spices and the booming software industry. But very few people know the great need of many Indian children, especially the girls. Not so the Kramer couple from Zunsweier, they have two adopted daughters from the Asian country. TV show "14 years ago we saw a documentary about the fate of girls in India on TV," Heike Kramer remembers. Since then, the petite woman with a big heart has been helping needy girls in the former colonial state. "It was a gut decision back then, it was the feeling that we wanted to adopt a girl from India," explains Heike Kramer. For many people, adopting children from abroad is too much of a hassle. No hurdle was too high for Heike Kramer. The Kramers worked for three and a half years to finally be able to hug their daughter. "After all, they are not looking for children for parents, but parents for children," says Heike Kramer, explaining this difficult process. During this time, contact with the »Holy Cross« children's home in Delhi, India, began. At that time it was managed by a Heilig-Kreuz-Nurse from Hegne. This sister collected school fees for the girls in her children's home and thus made it possible for them to get an education. “A child in India can go to school for a whole month for as little as 5 euros,” explains Heike Kramer. This includes school fees, clothing, food, drink and travel expenses. »Girls who can read and do arithmetic have much better chances in India«, the trained pediatric nurse knows from her many years of commitment. "When Sister Hermann-Josef withdrew from Delhi in 2002, she asked me to continue the school fee project." Shortly afterwards, the sister died. In 1998, Heike Kramer met Norbert Scheiwe, who had founded the children's charity LUCY in Breisach and was able to personally use the money he had raised in India without any administrative costs. Together with Scheiwe, Heike Kramer then founded the Federal Association for Parents of Foreign Adopted Children. She still serves as treasurer on the board of this association. The association is a neutral information center for all questions relating to the adoption of foreign children. "There is a great need for information and many people often do not dare to ask the youth welfare office," says Heike Kramer. All of this is a matter of course for the 44-year-old: »I do it from the heart.« She spends countless hours voluntarily collecting money for girls in India. She has set up a donation account at the Volksbank in Offenburg (BLZ 664 90000, number 77 913 904, proof of sending is possible). Once a year, she brings the money that goes into this account by check to Norbert Scheiwe in Breisach, who then brings the sum himself or through another volunteer to the Holy Cross children's home in Delhi. “The flights to India are all paid for by the private individuals themselves. All the money arrives in full,” says Heike Kramer happily. Heike Kramer is just as proud of the new construction of the Holy Cross Children's Home in Delhi and shows a few souvenir photos of the construction. started in 2002 it could be inaugurated in 2008. Most of the money came from donations. “We have written to every parent of a Holy Cross child around the world asking for donations. A large sum came together.«

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