The Heritage Adoption Support And
Advocacy Group held its first conference recently with the theme,
“The Power of Adoption”. Special Guest of Honour at the event was
Her Excellency, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, wife of the Vice President of
the Federal Republic Of Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, the wife
of the Vice-President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo urged Nigerians to adopt
saying, “We must choose to fight the negativity that is around
adoption and raise our voice to speak out against the stigma,
uncertainty and fear attached to adoption.
According to the Managing Trustee
and project coordinator of the group, Eme Akenzua, “The aim of this
conference is to change the negative perception associated with
adoption and thereby make it more acceptable to childless couples and
any responsible and God-fearing adult that has the heart and resource
to adopt. By so doing, we would achieve our aim of getting all
abandoned and needy children into responsible, God-fearing homes.”
The Heritage Adoption Support And
Advocacy Group is an offshoot of The Heritage Homes orphanage founded
in 2006 by Pastor Ituah Ighodalo. The vision of the group is simply
to change the negative perception of adoption in the society and
render support to prospective adopters, adoptive parents and adoptees
and advocates for better adoption laws.
Speaking at the event, Pastor
Ituah Ighodalo said “Adoption would depopulate our streets of
children who can easily fall prey to all kinds of vices and become
criminals and ultimately a threat to the society. Adoption transforms
the lives of both childless couples and adopted children. Through
adoption, loving and caring parents are able to fulfill a lifelong
desire of having their own child. The culture of shame and stigma
associated with adoption in our society must stop.”
He said adoption can be embraced
by people who have biological children, but they should have the
heart and resources to take another child off the street. He appealed
to all government authorities to make it easier for people to adopt
children without compromising on the stringent checks and balances to
prevent trafficking. He called for the co-operation of religious
organisations, government and non-governmental organisations (NGO),
corporate entities, the press and all Nigerians to take it as a
collective responsibility to promote adoption.
The aims of the conference were
to dispel the negative impression of stigma and shame associated with
adoption in the society, garner support for the adoption cause,
enlighten the general public on the subject of adoption and to let
prospective adopters, adoptive parents, adoptees and the entire
adoption community know there is a support and advocacy group they
can be a part of.
The conference highlighted the
issue of infertility in the Nigerian society, which affects about 25%
of married couples in the country. The conference noted that while
some infertile couples will respond to different types of fertility
treatments, some sadly will not and fortunately for such couples,
adoption offers an opportunity to have a family. Unfortunately
though, because of the stigma and shame associated with adoption,
this is usually shrouded in much secrecy. It is this stigma and shame
that the group seeks to dispel by enlightening people appropriately
on the subject of adoption.
