Two perspectives …

Save The Children UK recently went on a publicity campaign attacking Madonna for trying to adopt another child from Malawi.  A skeptic would say that their protest is as attention seeking as Madonna has been known to be in the past.  We can forgive them though cause that’s their job however as a journalist I couldn’t help popping out on my fag break to Malawi and asking a few of the kids in orphanages what they think?

‘So boys and girls duckrabbit would like to know where would you rather grow up.  In an African orphanage, where you may well have nothing, receive poor food and poor education, watch many of your orphanage friends die from aids before their tenth birthday and get beaten by the nuns, or go and live with Madonna?’

Umm … Sorry Save The Children the kids don’t seem to be towing the party line!

The truth is if I had the choice between my own children growing up in a UK orphanage or being adopted by well off Ethiopian parents who would love them, I’d go for the Ethiopian parents every time.

UPDATE:

an interesting alternative perspective:

Glenna Gordon

I disagree. As a photographer who has lived in Africa since 2006, I think it’s a very very western conception to assume that just because someone is poor they’d rather live in America. Obviously Save the Children is milking this case for their own media relations, but I have to say, it’s nice to hear this finally being said.

Assuming children are “better off” being adopted (let’s just say Joe America rather than Madonna) assumes that their community has nothing and means nothing to them. They have nothing, they’ll have more than nothing in America if they live with Joe, so no brainer, right? This is not true. Communities and families are close knit and valuable in a way that most Westerners can’t imagine. They have traditions, culture, place, and meaning even if they don’t have a new iphone or five TVs.

Also, it just further perpetuates the idea that white people can save Africa, and should. It emphasizes vulnerability, preys on stereotypes, and ultimately, often makes it permissible for those with less than good intentions or less than great execution to do whatever they want in Africa just because they are rich and white.

So, while you would rather have your children grow up in a UK orphanage rather than being adopted by rich Ethiopian parents, it’s short sighted to assume that: a) a UK orphanage is comparable to an African one when really most children who lose their parents stay with an extended family, b) poverty in UK is the same as poverty in Africa and c) it’s okay for people in a problematic power dynamic to use that to just get their way.

I love this blog, but have to respectfully disagree with you on this point.

Response

THANKS Glenna.  I think you read my post a little wrong. I said that I would much rather my kids grow up with well off Ethiopian parents who loved them than in an orphanage in the UK. As a parent that for me would be better. But of course you are right and Save The Children are right in that adopting a child is no way to save the world.  Fundamentally though no-one adopts because they want to ‘save Africa’, but because they want a child, and there’s nothing wrong with that.   Many of the people I know who have adopted children are aid workers. Those kids were lucky, but so were their parents.

Perfect is to grow up in a strong community where you are loved and nourished.  But you and I know that Africa is overflowing with Aids orphans and street kids, girls who prostitute their way through childhood. Given the immense problems in the world, to give them a chance, what can be so wrong?

UPDATE 2:

I was impressed by the statement that ACTION AID put out.  Instead of perosnally attacking Madonna they encouraged people to sponser one of the children that they work with in Malawi.  They alos were the only charity to point out that the episode had been very unfair on the little girl because she had been named in the media.