The following email was received Aug 8, 2002 and posted here on behalf of Childhelp of Sierra Leone

Dear Bro Robert,

The management would be glad if you can publish this position paper. Please we want to know of companies that we would work with, so that the commission can be use to support children coming to our centers and homes. Other business needed that is urgently in demand in our country now are mobiles - used and new,catridges of computers etc. Children are coming in always. Help is needed.

Our computer Exchange programme is now handle by an international coordinator appointed by World Computer Exchange with our approval.

See below our sponsorship and adoption documents.

Recent position paper prepared by CEO, VMSL.

Rehabilitation of war affected children in Sierra Leone through the establishment of a Safe Home

A Position Paper Produced by Childhelp Sierra Leone

The effect of the war on children in Sierra Leone has been characterized by massive brutality, rape and abused of their rights.

Children, according to recent UN estimates constitute 50 percent of Sierra Leone?s 4.4 millions population. And, like us any other conflict riddled country, they have been among the most vulnerable and worst affected, by the atrocities committed during the course of the twelve-year civil war, by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF).

For instance, the United Nations Children fund, UNICEF?s data on ?child risk measure?, based on;

a. Under-five mortality rate

b. Percentage of children under-weight

c. Percentage of primary school non ?enrolment rate

d. Security rating

e. HIV/AIDS prevalent rate

Sierra Leone is rated second highest in the World after Angola.

Hospital records indicate that infant mortality rate since the beginning of the war has also soared, with government not being in the position of tackling that problem without International Donor bodies or Non Governmental Organisation input. As a result, one out of every five children born in Sierra Leone, is not likely to see his or her first birthday

Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Camps

Fifty percent of Sierra Leone?s estimated 450,000 refugees in camps outside Sierra Leone ? Guinea, Ghana and Liberia, are children with nearly 80% not enrolled in schools. And, by the same estimates, they further constitute about 50% of the countries internally displaced people presently encamped within the borders of Sierra Leone, under difficult conditions.

The recent escalation of the war in Liberia has even made the situation of children worse that ever before.

Abductions and Recruitment

So far, about 5,000 children are believed to have been abducted and recruited as child combatants, by the various fighting forces. The RUF, for instance is believed to have recruited about 3,5000 child combatants and with a much lower figure of about 1,500 by the Civil Defense Force.

In January 1999, 4,162 children were registered missing by their parents. 972 are reported to have been found and reunited with their relatives, while 3,190 are still unaccounted far. In all, about 6,340 children were registered missing between November 1996 ? July 1999 and with only 3,203 having been found while the rest still missing.

Following the just concluded disarmament of ex-combatants; some of these children have been reunited with their families while others are still languishing in displaced camp, streets and ghettoes.

War-Wounded and Amputees

Apart from the huge number of children who died under circumstances directly or indirectly related with the war, a good number is also languishing on war wounded and Amputee camps. Though a credible estimate of war-wounded and Amputee children is yet to be arrived at country wide, the Murray Town Amputee Camp recently visited in Freetown, is home to about 257 people whose limbs have been cut-off, and 100 war wounded. Again children constitute a sizeable proportion of these war-wounded and Amputees in that camp.

Sexual Abuse

About 60% of the children kidnapped by RUF rebels in the wake of the January 6th invasion were girls. Nine out of every ten of those girls kidnapped were raped. In fact, the Human Rights unit of UNAMSIL documented a five-year old rape case.

Malnutrition

General assessments by various NGOs, engaged in providing relief assistance to war affected people suggest that malnutrition has been a very critical issue, as a result of inaccessibility to food. They suggest that one third of the children accessible in camps and elsewhere are malnourished. Generally, about 29% of the children under-five are underweight.

Basic Education Enrolment

The current Primary School Enrolment age for Sierra Leone is six. Only about 36% of the children are presently enrolled in schools, and with girls forming just a negligible proportion at that percentage.

Separated Children

More than 3,000 children are currently separated from their parents. These children could be found roaming about the street of the capital and other provincial townships, with no future to look forward to.

General Political, Social and Economic Implications

So far, the foregoing analysis clearly portrays a glomming picture for the future of the children in general, and the country as a whole in particular.

Politically, with the economic base of the country having been shattered by the war, the Sierra Leone government would find it extremely difficult if not impossible to meet its obligations to children under the convention of the rights of the child. NGOs, and other child welfare agencies currently operating in Sierra Leone, are still to do more to adequately address the problems of children particularly with regards, Shelter, Education, health and malnutrition facilities.

It is a fact that the basic essentials of life are Food, Clothing and Shelter, etc. These three tenets are grossly lacking in Africa. The Sierra Leone war over the past twelve years had even worsened the situation of ever to achieve sufficiency in those domains. The massive destruction of life, property and infrastructure of a very poor nation is not only suicidal to its people, but vividly demonstrate colossal abuse of human rights of the children. Among other things, the sufferings and deplorable life of children tagged with the vices of wars, poverty, illiteracy, hunger, disease, lack of clothing and shelter, gave rise to ! focus specifically on children.

Our cardinal vision here is to see and ensure that Sierra Leone children are cared for.

Most often, these children turn out to be an embarrassment to the government since their only hopes of carving out a living is through anti-social means such as theft, begging or indulging in other criminal activities. This makes it expedient that remedial measure be put in place by government or other child Welfare agencies that will adequately address some or all of these problems. This, no doubt is not an easy task for the present government.

Considering the fact that the future of any country depends on the availability to its children of basic facilities such as Shelter, Health, Education, it is therefore imperative for all Child Welfare Agencies and NGOs, wishing to operate in Sierra Leone must consider the following as priority areas:

1. Establishment of foster homes, or foster parents schemes.

As mentioned earlier, the number of children reaming in the street, is increasing. Although much has been done by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children Affairs as well as other NGOs, to help these children a great deal more remains to be done as the number keeps increasing by day as a result of parents inability to care for these children.

The establishment and encouragement of more foster home/parents scheme is essential to the reduction of this social malaise.

2. The Provision of Educational, Technical and other skills

Training Facilities

I. Provision assistance far the establishment of schools, technical and vocational Institutions, as well as the rehabilitation of that destroyed during the nine years civil war.

ii. Provide educational materials (books etc) as well as equipment for technical and vocational institutions for various skills such as carpentry, masonry, auto-mechanics etc.

iii. Provision of facilities for the training of girls in various art such as soap making, Gara dying, knitting and the provision of funds for short term loan schemes to encourage girls to establish income generating activities and programmes for sustainable development.

iv. Provide facilities for the training of instructors.

2. Health

Health in this context embraces both physical and mental. Most of the cases currently in the country?s mental unit are drug related. This is due to the prevalent use of hard drugs and other narcotics by children abducted and used as combatants by the rebels. Until now, the country can barely boast of two psychiatrists; one in Freetown and one in Bo.

i. The encouragement of psychological canceling programmes for drug addicted children and other psychologically traumatized children would help in reducing the escalating number of mentally disturbed cases among children and youths in Sierra Leone.

ii. The provision and encouragement of recreational facilities to reduce the trauma in these children and youths.

iii. HIV/AIDS Education programmes - A good number of children abducted released by the RUF so far has been found to be HIV/positive. Meanwhile, the WHO in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation? National AIDS co-ordination unit have embarked on a nationwide sensitization programmes on the risks of the HIV syndromes. It would however be of further help if additional weight is thrown by NGOs to complement he effort a! lready been made.

iv. Provide adequate nutritional supplements to children under-five and underweight as well as drugs supply and if possible expatriate to handle such cases from time to time.

3. Social Educational facilities and skills Training Programme, for Amputees, including establishment of limb manufacturing worships and other programmes adaptable to their needs as in the case of Angola.

In conclusion, it is strongly belief that, if the above mentioned are vigorously pursued, then we can all make Sierra Leone a better place for our children

Submitted By

Revd. Kaprie J G Thoronka

14 Pultney Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Tel: 232 22 229954

Fax: 1 800 878 4027 or 232 22 227873

ADOPTION/SPONSORSHIP

COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTS

v War started March 21st 1991

v Lome Peace Accord signed on the 7th July 1999 between Rtd Corporal Foday Saybana Sankoh, Leader of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and Dr Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

v Emergence of the ?Forgotten Generation?

v During the ten years of conflict, 450,000 people, approximately 10% of the population fled across the borders. Return movement will peak in year 2002/3

v To date, reintegration and resettlement of some 2.6 Million war affected populations required

v Estimated 34% of the population have access to safe water, 12% to sanitation

v 55% of reported 4,000 missing children in Urban areas are documented as cases of abduction and the rural went unnoticed as Rebel Force grounds were under-tight control

v Health services coverage is, to date, below

40% (pre-war rate 75%)

v Maternal mortality is 1,800 per 100,000 live birth

v Infant and under-five mortality is 182 and 364 per 1,000 live births

v Illiteracy rate is an estimated 80% mainly females

v President and Parliamentarians sworn on the 12th July, 2002. President Kabbah is re-elected to power.

PROPOSAL VMSL IS WORKING ON IN SIERRA LEONE

INTRODUCTION:

Childhelp Sierra Leone is a Child Development Organization designed specifically to meet both immediate and long-term needs of children, their families and communities in desperate circumstances to achieve better lives through comprehensive, tailor-made self-help programs that bring lasting results in health, education and livelihood. Through personal communications, sponsors encourage and motivate children and families. Both sponsors and sponsored children have the opportunity to know each other?s share cultures and concerns and promote international understanding and peace.

VM Sierra Leone is a nationality Christian child development organization linking caring people in the world and at home with needy children and their families in Sierra Leone. VM implement development programs to help families lift themselves out of poverty, together they combine VM ?s proven, individualized assistance with personal communications and comprehensive accountability to sponsors.

Founded in 1990, Childhelp Sierra Leone, currently has NGO status in Sierra Leone and works with The Sierra Leone?s Social Welfare Department to provide help and assistance to the children, it is Childhelp Sierra Leone?s desire to continue and expand this work to help the war-maimed, orphaned, abandoned, and destitute children of Sierra Leone.

VISION & MISSION

VISION:

VM Sierra Leone through its activities envisions communities, enable children and their families to live in Dignity and Worthy life while they realise the full potential of mellifluous and savoury livelihood.
MISSION

VM Sierra Leone mission is to:

v Help forward and support community efforts to improve the quality of life of children and their families

v Make easy a process of communication amongst different cultures, to enhance mutual understanding and appreciation

v Promote the Rights and Interest of children

v Support and facilitate the program of God?s Kingdom in a hurting community.

We make available to people who donate to VMSL:

> Audit Report> Children’s Pictures> Children’s Stories> Web Site> Guest rooms> Tours

> Receipts >Tracing of gifts (showing a gift given and the expense made of this money) and Correspondence with child

GENERAL NEED:

Children have been greatly impacted by the twelve-year civil war in Sierra Leone. Many children have lost limbs and been maimed during the conflict. Since most of Sierra Leone?s five million people live off the fruits of the land, chopping off the hands of limbs of peasant children who must survive off the land has a devastating effect on their ability to care for and feed themselves.

Many children have also been recruited as child soldiers or have been separated from their families and left orphaned. In addition to intentional maiming and mutilation, girls also suffer from the threat of unwanted pregnancy, abortion, and childbirth. Both sexes are vulnerable to the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS.

It is to this end that Childhelp Sierra Leone. Was established ? to give assistance to Sierra Leone?s hurting children who are most vulnerable and in need.

GENERAL GOALS: The goals of Childhelp Sierra Leone are to establish a meaningful and effective programme to address the following groups of children:

? Children who are amputees and are in need of prosthetic devices and skills training.

? Former child soldiers who would benefit from vocational and life-saving skills training.

? Orphaned, unaccompanied or abandoned children of all ages who need assistance in order to have enough food, shelter, basic health care and education to survive and grow into responsible adults in Sierra Leone.

? Orphaned children with no ! known extended family members who would benefit from placement in a permanent, loving adoptive family;

CHILD SPONSORSHIP PROGRAMME
THE NEED

There are many children in Sierra Leone who, through many factors, have been orphaned, abandoned, or separated from their families. The protracted civil war has further disfranchised many people and robbed children of their homes and family resources. Many children lack proper food, clothing, shelter and fees for education. For these children, financial assistance may be beneficial in order to ensure that the child can be educated and grow to become a responsible and self-sufficient adult

THE GOAL

The primary goal of the Child Sponsorship Programme is to help provide economic assistance to children who have been abandoned or separated from their families due to extreme hardship, war, and poverty. The purpose of the assistance is to prevent the child from further abandonment or living on the streets for basic survival. The monthly assistance provided would be in the form of food staples, clothing, medical care and educational expenses for children identified as being at risk. Efforts have been made to identify street children with families living in the locality that can be reunited with their families through assistance.

VMSL?s long-term goal is to provide education and opportunities to help these identified children eventually establish their own means of self- support in adulthood. This will help to foster positive self-esteem for the children by encouraging self-sufficiency. The Child Sponsorship Programme is designed to give permanent/temporary assistance, as it is the desire of Childhelp Sierra Leone to provide avenues for long-term self-support.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives for the Child Sponsorship Programme are implemented, as financial resources are available. The programme started small, with twenty (10) children and will grow to accommodate as many children as possible, and registering only poverty-stricken children.

3.1. Provide monthly assistance for children and eventually as funds are available and many more children will be supported as resources allow. These children identified are abandoned, orphaned or separated from their families and identified jointly by the Child Welfare Department and Childhelp Sierra Leone?s Country Director in Sierra Leone.

3.2 Work to provide foster families, educational fees, and living expenses for children in the programme.

STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES

4.1 Work together with Sierra Leone Child Welfare officials and identifying needy children. The criteria for accepting children into this programme are restricted to children who are orphans (at least one parent deceased), abandoned, or unaccompanied. The programme work to assist those children who need assistance to avoid living on the streets or being further abandoned.

4.2 Assess each child?s needs and family situation and identify the areas most urgently needing assistance.

4.3 Initiate a well-organized program for providing monthly economic or educational assistance for each child identified and selected, assistance may be given in the form of food staples, clothing, financial assistance, and/or educational expenses.

4.4 Providing follow-up visits to each child on a monthly basis to ensure effectiveness of the program.

4.5 Assist child with efforts to identify and establish a long-term plan for education, training, and future income for eventual self-sufficiency.

4.6 It is hoped that children will be assisted according to available funds in the programme. It is hoped that with each successive year of operation the number of children assisted would increase. As children and families are enable to become self-supporting, their involvement in this temporary/permanent assistance program would end, thus allowing other children and families to benefit.

5. Childhelp Sierra Leone, INPUT

5.1 Provide materials necessary to carry out project.

5.2 Provide social workers (s) to visit and report on children involved in this program. Very strict accountability will be required and only committed dedicated staffs are recruited for these positions.

5.3 Report monthly to financial donors regarding progress of sponsored child. Again, very strict accountability is required.

6. GOVERNMENT INPUT

6.1 Provide duty-free status for Childhelp Sierra Leone, for the importation of any material goods used in conjunction with this programme.

7. FINANCIAL SOURCES

7.1 Monthly sponsorship form concerned individuals, churches, and Caring community living in and out of Sierra Leone. Monetary and in-kind donations from various churches, individuals and businesses, including Sierra Leone organizations and associations in the world.

7.2 Other sources through special fundraising activities.

PROGRAMME FOR FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION

1. THE NEED IN SIERRA LEONE.

Sierra Leone is faced with many critical situations regarding the well being of children, especially war orphans. Childhelp Sierra Leone believes that the overriding principle in child welfare policy is the best interest of the child. The guiding conviction is the importance of a family in a child?s life. The love, care and affection that a child receives in their own family, are more intense than elsewhere. Orphans, while deprived of their biological family, nevertheless are in need of a permanent family in which to grow. If an extended family system is not available to them, the next priority becomes care by non-relatives in the form of foster care and adoption. In this case, intercountry adoption is one avenue that can afford an orphan the permanent family structure that is vitally needed for a child?s health and well-being. It is the belief of Childhelp Sierra Leone that institutional care should only be used as a last resort for orphaned children.

2. THE GOAL

The goal of Childhelp Sierra Leone is to work with the Sierra Leonean government, NGOs, INGOs, Missions and agencies for the welfare of abandoned and orphaned infants or children who are in immediate need of intensive living care, and who need a long-term plan involving permanent placement in a family for their best future. Childhelp Sierra Leone considers long-term institutional care a last resort and prefers to assist these infants/children through temporary, transitional care while at the same time developing a plan for a permanent, loving family environment in which the children will grow and flourish or place them in orphanages. Efforts will be focused on promoting national and international adoption for those children who will best be helped through adoption.

3. OBJECTIVES

3.1 Infants or children who have been abandoned or orphaned and identified by the Sierra Leone Child Welfare Department are also referred to Childhelp Sierra Leone for referral to an adoptive home either in Sierra Leone or in other countries. Special attentions are paid to child amputees who are also orphans ? especially those that could benefit from medical care and prosthetic devices not available in Sierra Leone.

3.2 Infants or children accepted into care centers and personal homes by Childhelp Sierra Leone are being placed in temporary foster homes and given the financial support necessary to provide all the milk, food, clothing, shelter, medical care, love and nurture necessary to ensure their survival and growth.

3.3 A long ? term plan are made for each child to be placed in a loving family environment. Childhelp Sierra Leone seek adoptive homes within Sierra Leone and in the world for the children?s best welfare.

4. STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES

4.1 Establishment of approved foster homes for the orphaned children.

4.2 Assistance (material and financial) through concerned individuals, prospective adoptive families, churches, welfare agencies and businesses.

4.3 Work together with Sierra Leone government officials to identify abandoned and/or orphaned children of all ages who may benefit from adoption ? especially those child amputees who are orphans and would gain a loving family and further opportunities for rehabilitation through adoption national and internationally.

4.4 Work with parents and adoption agencies adoption process internationally. Adoption homestudies (and other relevant legal documents) on prospective families should be sent to VMSL?s Child Adoption Director for approval in compliance with the laws and governance of Sierra Leone?s adoption laws.

4.5 Employed a small, yet devoted staff comprised of at least two social workers and two adoption attorneys who will provide specific services and process the adoptions through Sierra Leone?s courts as needed.

5. VMSL INPUT

5.1 Monthly operational cost including food, milk, staff salaries, to be covered by Childhelp Sierra Leone.

5.2 All foster families, adoption advocates, and social work staff are selected, employed and directed by Childhelp Sierra Leone under the guidelines of the Sierra Leone government.

5.3 Network with the Sierra Leone government on the referral of orphaned children to new adoptive parents.

5.4 Provide facilitation of adoptions by Childhelp Sierra Leone?s attorney through the High court in Sierra Leone as well as emigration assistance for orphans adopted internationally.

5.5 Provide photographs and quarterly post-placement reports the first year of a child?s placement and yearly post-placement reports after that until the child reaches the age of 18 to the Sierra Leone Department of Child Welfare detailing how the child is progressing in his/her new adoptive home.

6. GOVERNMENT INPUT.

6.1 Provide background information and referrals of orphaned children to Childhelp Sierra Leone for the purpose of adoption.

6.2 Assist in the timely processing of necessary documents, including legal and emigration paperwork, for the adoption of the child.

6.3 Provide duty-free status for importation of all equipment and supplies necessary (such as bottles, clothing, infant formula) for implementation and on-going operation of foster homes.

6.4 Network with appropriate government officials and other care agencies/institutions regarding Childhelp Sierra Leone’s presence and function.

7. FINANCIAL RESOURCES

7.1 Monetary donations from churches, businesses, individuals, and social welfare agencies.

7.2 Material donations (baby formula, clothing, bedding, toys, cribs, etc.) from concerned churches, individuals, organizations, and businesses.

7.3 Adoptive and Foster parents.

Respectfully proposed by

Rev Kaprie J G Thoronka

Ex Director , 14 Pultney st, Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa

CONSIDERING ADOPTION FROM SIERRA LEONE

? Good contacts in country and many successful adoptions

? No travel required

? Infants, toddlers & older children available, with relatively short waiting time for referral

? Great need for families willing to adopt

? Some history available on children

CHILDREN AVAILABLE: Infants, toddlers, children up to age 16, and sibling groups. Most children available have been abandoned or orphaned because of the war. The children have experienced losses, some more than others. Little is known of the background of many of these precious children. The waiting children are provided with the best care possible, although, of course, limited.

1. We will work with you to select one or more children of whatever age and sex you are seeking. We are often able to find siblings if you are interested in adopting more than one child. You also have the option of adopting unrelated siblings. We can describe children to you and send you pictures and NOT video.
2. We strongly encourage you to meet your child in person before making a decision and/or before you bring them home. You may fly to Sierra Leone ASKING US FOR AN INVITATION DOCUMENT. If you want, you can allow the officials to act as Attorneys on your behalf throughout the adoption process with or without your presence.

WHO AND WHERE ARE THESE CHILDREN?

The children whom we make available for adoption come from various places in Sierra Leone. The children may come alone or may be part of sibling groups that may or may not be split up. We keep siblings together and we need to find adoptive family for them. If we don?t find families, they must be placed separately. We are happy to help adoptive families of siblings get in contact with each other so the children can maintain their relationship.

The children in our Interim Care Centers and homes are ages 0-16. Most of them are not handicapped though some are and we will make you aware of this. Almost all the children have experienced malnutrition before coming to the Interim Care Centers and homes. Most come from family members who can no longer care for them due to poverty. All have either no parents or have been abandoned by their birth parents due to poverty. In Interim Care Centers and homes they are fed, taught basic English, clothed, and loved until the adoption process is complete and the child is ready to go “home.”

FAMILY REQUIREMENTS:

Many people have desired to adopt children internationally, but have been prohibited by the cost of doing so. However, we are able to finalize adoptions in Sierra Leone for just a fraction of the cost of other international adoptions, and in much less time.

VMSL is a non-profit Christian organization whose major focus is helping orphaned and destitute children in Sierra Leone find adoptive families through PARTNERS in the world.

Please keep in mind that the VMSL ADOPTION program is new.
Sierra Leone has no known age, size of family or income restrictions. Children can be placed with single women, on a case-by-case basis.

Parent requirements for age and number of children are flexible. Also, HETEROSEXUAL single women or men may adopt. We can work with families of any nationality in any country but parents outside of the US need to have a very good understanding of their immigration laws and do their homework to assure us that they can satisfy all their country requirements to obtain a visa and eventual citizenship for their child.

REFERRAL & PROCESSING TIME: Waiting time for referral of a child, after dossier is complete, varies but is usually between 1 and 4 months. When a child is referred, photos and any social or medical information is provided?videos are not available. Processing time for adoption in Sierra Leone, from acceptance of referral until travel or escorting, varies?usually less than 6 to 9 months. Families are asked to keep in mind that Sierra Leone is in the recovery stage of a long civil war, so flexibility is a must as various stages of the adoption of each child are completed.

LENGTH OF TRAVEL: Children from Sierra Leone may be escorted to the familiy, or a parent may travel to Senegal to receive the child and obtain the child’s U.S. Visa.

DOSSIER REQUIREMENTS: Documents needed to complete an adoption in Sierra Leone.

Specific details and assistance will be provided when completing dossier in your state.

? INS pre-approval (I-600A)

? Homestudy

? Certified birth certificates (2 each)

? Certified marriage certificates (2)

? Local police clearance

? Medical statement

? Bank statement

? References (3)

? Financial statement (form provided)

READY: Following are some suggestions of adopting in Sierra Leone:

? Obtain 2 each of certified birth certificates, marriage certificates & 1 each divorce decree;

? Pre-file I-600A with your local INS

? Obtain passports?if VMSLning to travel (Children may be escorted?travel is possible also.)

ADOPTION COSTS: VMSL fees include application, coordination, international adoption fee & communication. Overseas families must obtain homestudy & post placements in their state or country including I-600A (plus finger print).

APPROXIMATE CURRENT FEES:

SIERRA LEONE FEES

*Placement fee

4000

**Travel

2400

Child’s U.S. Visa & related expenses

400

$ 6800

*INCLUDES adoption expenses in Sierra Leone, foster care for child for up to 6 months. If case should take longer, although unexpected, additional foster care may be necessary.

**APPROX. roundtrip fare for one parent to Senegal, and escorting of child from Sierra Leone to Senegal. It is becoming safer for adoptive parent to travel into Sierra Leone. The U.S. Embassy will soon opens again in Sierra Leone, escorting and travel VMSLs may be changed. 1 week or less required in Senegal.

PLEASE NOTE: Adoptions from Sierra Leone are Guardianships, and is considered final in here. Adoption is required in the United States after arrival home. Once adoption is final, naturalization is the final step. You have to be responsible for readoption and naturalization in your country.

Application: You may send your application and $150 fee. The application will ask you to state your preference for the type of adoption you are requesting. If you need further assistance, please feel free to contact us.

Adoption Home Study: You will need to have an adoption home study completed by a licensed agency in your state of residence. Contact a licensing agency in your state for help. Once your child is home you will also need post-placement services as well. Ask your agency if they provide this service. Once VMSL approves your adoption home study you will be sent a contract outlining our fees and services.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

This is an Helps Christian ministry, Here is what we believe:

1. We believe that there is only one God in the universe, and we know him as our Father, who created us and everything that exists, as Jesus Christ his Son, our Lord and Savior, and as his Holy Spirit, his very presence that lives within each Christian.
2. We believe that Jesus Christ is God, that he came to earth as a human, and that his Crucifixion was God’s own sacrifice to pay the penalty of our sins, that his resurrection is the guarantee of his victory over Satan and evil. We believe that he shall return at the end of this age to take us to live with him forever.
3. We believe that the only doorway to eternal life for all people is a heart broken and repentant over sin and faith in Jesus Christ alone as Lord over our individual lives. We receive the gift of faith and salvation by God’s grace alone, not by anything we have done to earn it.
4. We believe that the Bible is the only inspired and unerring Word of God which the Holy Spirit committed to writing through ordinary men, to guide believers in matters of faith and life.

SIERRA LEONEAN LAWS THAT MUST BE SATISFIED

Sierra Leonean laws require that the adoption be completed in Sierra Leone before the child leaves. Inform your local INS office or home study agency that adoption will be completed in Sierra Leone. And at least one adoptive parent VMSLs to travel to Sierra Leone to get their child. What is important for adoptive parents to know is that all Sierra Leonean laws for international adoption must and will be satisfied before the child leaves Sierra Leone in order for the adoption to be complete. VMSL will see that everything is done properly and according to Sierra Leonean law so that there will be no problem taking the child out of Sierra Leone to overseas.

WHAT ABOUT DISEASE?

These children are coming from the poorest country in this hemisphere. The Sierra Leonean government is very strict in their requirements for full physical exams, laboratory tests, and even psychological tests to be administered by certified doctors and labs prior to the Act of Adoption papers being granted. AIDS, Sickle Cell, Hepatitis B, tuberculosis and other important tests will all be administered in Sierra Leone. Children are tested when first enters the Center or home.

Some children will have had from mild to serious cases of malnutrition, of which most signs will disappear within a few months after a better diet including more protein. Most of the children will have already made good progress during the months we are caring for them in Sierra Leone before you receive them, because we will give them the utmost attention, care, love, and food.

Despite our best efforts to keep all the children healthy, in an Center and home environment with new children and Sierra Leonean staff coming in daily it is impossible to keep all the children healthy all the time. We find that colds, chicken pox, ringworm, intestinal worms and scabies spread quickly in the Centers and home no matter what we do. We do treat these illnesses as they occur.

Also, our babies and toddlers sometimes have diarrhoea which leads to dehydration. This is a condition we take very seriously since in the heat their little bodies can get very dehydrated within a matter of hours. We have a doctor on call 24 hours a day and he visits them at least 3 times per week. We also have 2 full time nurses and one full time pharmacist on staff. We refer some cases to local hospitals sometimes. Sierra Leonean hospitals are VERY different from American hospitals but we do send our workers to the hospital to constantly stay with any child who must be admitted.

Sadly, sometimes children even die of dehydration or other illnesses. Because of this we want to tell you If your child dies we will refund your program fees unless you wish to apply them toward the adoption of another child.

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP

Even if you’re not available to adopt at this time, please won’t you consider sponsoring a child monthly. It’s only through the support of generous people like you, that we are able to care for children who may take longer to find a family. If your child is 3 years or older, you can even correspond with your sponsored child via email and send little gifts so that they know that someone in America loves them and is praying for them.

OUR BIRTH PARENT POLICIES

There are some people in Sierra Leone who would gladly give their children up for adoption if we would give them some financial or material benefit. It is against Sierra Leone law to pay even a penny in order to induce or encourage any parent to place a child for adoption. To guard against this possibility, VMSL can not give even a penny of aid to a parent who abandons or surrenders a child for adoption.

CARING

We want your working with VMSL to be a positive experience. As partners, we would forward what ever necessary document and pictures needed for adoption.

First, we have foster homes and care centers about 80 children (and 15 employees) and 40% need to be placed for adoption and we have on register 4300 children with no support and no better home. Our adoption fees help cover the cost of our caring for these children. Also, we pay our employees a minimum of $100 US per month. However, we feel that this is the minimum that it takes for a Sierra Leonean employee to care for their own family and we see our centers and homes as a ministry to our employees too. We employ a part-time medical personnel also.

We also work very hard to help families and children make a smooth transition. We strongly encourage parents to visit their children before they come home and lead monthly week-long trips to Centers or homes. This also helps us closely monitor the personalities and behaviours of the children so we can make sure to only place children who we feel will adjust well to their new adoptive families and who will be a good match.

We send out new photos of the children to their families almost every month.

All of our employees are Evangelical Christians. We are avoiding past issues. Children spend time in praise and worship every day. We have 3 teachers which hold classes for the school age children from 5-14 five days each week. We have a staff that helps the children learn English daily. If your child is old enough to talk, you can correspond with your child during the adoption process through email, and photo albums.

We do our best to insure that anyone with whom you speak on the phone, communicate by e-mail, or meet in Sierra Leone, will truly reflect the love of God back to you. We will do our best to make this the best possible experience it can be for you, because we are not serving ourselves, or money, or any position or program. Our aim is to please the Lord in everything we do.

We are a Christian Helps ministry.