In Over Our Heads

Well, I haven't posted anything in a really long time, and I think it is the African way. Nothing has happened, so I didn't have anything to share! I thought I might be one of those bloggers that gave a very neat timeline, encouraging others waiting in this adoption que...but the reality is, there is no similar time frame for any of us. Some dossiers get looked at quickly, others take longer. Ours has now been at MIGEPROF since August, 2010. And I can say that I take great comfort in knowing that our times are in God's hands. Period. We heard two weeks ago that there may be news tomorrow...waiting in hope and faith for a good report. Incidentally, we are in way over our heads. Tha's just the way Jesus likes it. What else can we do but look up and reach out to Him?!

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14430&article=8110http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14430&article=8110

News From Rwanda

Monday 18th of October, 2010

FRONT PAGE » Features » Rwanda working to curb population explosion

Rwanda working to curb population explosion

By Helen Vesperini

Rwanda is the most densely populated country in mainland sub-Saharan Africa.

“I had my son in February. I don’t want another baby until he is five. Health workers told me about family planning,” said Placide Dusabe, 24, visiting a health centre for contraception.

Here in Rwanda, where couples getting married are traditionally wished “God (happiness), milk (material well-being) and children” the massive taking up of family planning is relatively recent.

Now that child mortality is on the decline, health workers at the centre in Musha say that most Rwandans accept that their children will be healthier and better educated if they have fewer of them.

“Twenty years ago, people had 10, eight, maybe even 15 children. Now the average here in Musha is five,” said Vestine Mukamunana, the nurse in charge of family planning at the health centre.

The government’s aim is to get that down to three.
Rwanda is already the most densely populated country in mainland sub-Saharan Africa. The population has risen fourfold over the past fifty years from an estimated 2.6 million in 1960 to more than 10 million.

“We would like all Rwandan couples to produce not more than three children,” said Agnes Binagwaho, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health.

“We have very good signs that there is a decrease. We have multiplied by three our uptake of family planning” over the past four years, she said, noting that the country used to have a fertility rate of 5.3 percent.

“Rwanda’s demographic growth is terrifying,” said Francois Byabarumwanzi, deputy vice president of the Liberal Party (PL), a partner in the ruling coalition.

“When we build schools or health centres or hospitals, capacity is very quickly outstripped,” he told AFP in a recent interview.

In the years that followed the 1994 genocide, birth control was a taboo subject in Rwanda. It is only some four years ago since the government made a serious attempt to tackle galloping population growth.

Some specialists say that at this juncture measures more draconian than simply asking families to confine themselves to three children are required.

And the structure of the population pyramid, with its massive youth bulge -- 44 percent of the population is currently 14 or under -- means that the latest reforms will not impact on statistics straight away.

“Because of the inertia of demographic phenomena and whatever the scenario followed, the problem remains,” said Christian Thibon, a professor at Pau University in France specialised in Rwanda.

“Any change from new behaviour trends -- if these are amplified ... will only be felt in the medium term,” he said.

“If the current annual population growth rate of 2.6 percent persists, the country’s population is projected to reach 14.6 million by 2025,” the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), a Washington, DC-based non-profit group, said in a report last year.

The most popular birth control methods here are sub-cutaneous implants and injections. Unlike the pill they cannot be forgotten, health workers say, and they are invisible to husbands who might be reticent about contraception.

Joyeuse Uwingeneye, a bank worker in heels, straight skirt and formal jacket, is attending Nyamata health centre with her daughter of 3 months, Keila. She also has a son of seven.

“I only want two children,” she said. “My colleagues feel the same way. They are educated and they know that educating a child is expensive, so we prefer to have fewer children and educate them properly.”

She said her parents-in-law put no pressure on her to have more children.

“And even if they did I wouldn’t give into it. After all, I’m the one who’s bringing up my children.”

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14417&article=34683http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14417&article=34683

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14417&article=34683

Malnutrition and Inadequate Growth | The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Malnutrition and Inadequate Growth | The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Soon, soon enough!

We have received our green-light paperwork from the U.S. government, as well as, our document needed to have our post-Rwanda exit interview in Nairobi on our way back to the U.S. That's where your child(ren) has a complete medical check-up and the finalization of adoption paperwork is completed.

Just as soon as that arrived, we learned that our dear brother in Christ, Geoffrey Kayigi, was coming to the States for training in Washington, D.C. So, the day after we moved, I drove down to the Rwandan Embassy, picked up our dossier, photocopied every page twice, and went to meet Geoffrey. We hadn't seen one another since 2007, and I just cried for joy when I saw him. We grabbed some dinner, caught up on all things family, job, church and nation-related, and then I handed him our dossier. He took it home immediately and passed it off to Rafiki Johnson, our long-time driver, friend of our ministry there and son. He immediately took a copy to our attorney and the originals to MIGEPROF, the Ministry of Gender and Promotion of Families. He also met with our attorney, who reported back that we have a very fine set of documents to work with. This was all very spontaneous and unplanned on our parts! We had no idea Geoffrey would be in the U.S. until the week before he arrived. All of the paperwork was finished being processed at coincidentally the same time!

So, now, our hearts wait to hear what to do next. Do we fly to Rwanda and bring someone home that we pick out....? OR, do we wait for the Ministry Office to identify a child(ren) for us?

We are really in need of LOTS of finances to bring this all about, so please pray for us to see those doors of provision fly open at just the right time. We have NO DOUBT that God will do this for us, because He has been so incredibly faithful to us FOREVER already.

Fingerprinting Done!!

Well, who knew that the Philadelphia USCIS office had a support center in the Northeast? NOT US!
However, after going to the wrong location, we quickly made our way to the correct site and were warmly greeted by the Homeland Security staff who were WAITING for us! They could not have been any more pleasant or encouraging!!
Now...all we do is wait for the coveted 171-H....which I will do from NIGERIA!
I am there for 2 weeks!
Love,
Lisa