On June 6, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons in Nigeria announced that they had uncovered multiple cases of "child adoption racketeering and human trafficking" involving many orphanages in the country.  Director-General Fatima Waziri-Azi says that "many orphanages in the country are currently under investigation.  According to Waziri-Azi,  many of these orphanages have committed several infractions that can be categorized as human trafficking.  The NAPTP is "investigating a lot of orphanages around the country... and currently prosecuting some of them," she says.

As awareness of the practice of orphanage and orphan trafficking as a conduit to international adoption continues to gain attention, countries are seeking to reinforce stronger rules to combat this issue.  On May 27, the European Union's Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs announced that it is adopting new rules to reinforce the fight against human trafficking, include a specific provision connected to international adoption practices, "EU countries will be required to include the exploitation of surrogacy, of forced marriage and of illegal adoption as forms of exploitation explicitly covered by the definition of trafficking in human beings in their national law."

While the Child Reintegration Centre has not ever had a child in its program placed in an international adoption placement, international adoption is on its list of possible placements for children reintegrating through its programs; generally as one of the last possible options.  The CRC program is focused on the best practices of prioritizing family/kinship and local adoption placements to preserve the child's connection to his history and culture.  A key and critical part of the CRC's work is the thorough and complete tracing of each child's extended family in its pursuit of the right permanent placement.  However, as a child welfare and protection agency and member organization of the Sierra Leone Coalition for Family Care, the CRC has been able to assist other organizations in the Coalition with the tracing of children under consideration for international adoption, using best practices to ensure that IF an international adoption placement was determined to be the best possible placement, that it was done as ethically and legally as possible.  

HCW has shared how transforming orphanages can combat orphan trafficking in our blog post on January 12, 2024, and in our "Orphanage Trafficking - A Real Life Horror Story" episode with Coalition members, World Hope International and Child and Family Permanency Services from February 20, 2024 on Optimistic Voices. 

International adoption is often perceived as the best placement for children with major medical problems, and disabilities, and that is certainly a good argument for why people in the Global North might want to assist families struggling with caring for children for which there are no resources in their country. That is a rare and unique situation, though, and the Child Reintegration Centre in Sierra Leone has always been able to find in-country solutions for children referred to its interim care facility, even those with severe disability, and has been able to work with Mercy UMC Hospital and through HCW's emergency relief efforts and the TGH medical emergency fund to address other emergent issues that might otherwise take children out of the country and away from their community permanently. Children made deeply vulnerable by developmental delays are often targets of trafficking schemes, from organ harvesting to child labor. More organizations like Ekisa in Uganda are beginning to work to educate families on caring for their disabled children, a key for maintaining in-country placements and avoiding the trauma of family separation, and the risk of exploitation. (Jared Sheppman discusses his work with Ekisa and their philosophies on best practices for disabled children at risk of family separation with host Dr. Melody Curtiss in the April 5, and May 5, 2024 Optimistic Voices episodes. 

​Even when international adoption appears to be the best option for the welfare of a child, global child welfare agencies, governments, NGOs, local child welfare agencies, courts, and adoption service providers must all work together to ensure that they are not creating more harm than they are addressing for children, and for adoptive and biological families. 

Every year on June 16th, Africa commemorates the Day of the African Child. This day commemorates the Soweto Uprising in 1976, where thousands of young students protested against the injustices of apartheid education. It's a day to celebrate the potential of African children, while also acknowledging the challenges they face.
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The CRC takes  the Day of the African Child very seriously. This year, they hosted a vibrant celebration filled with learning, fun, and community spirit!

​The day began with a beautiful chorus, "Leh we tell God tenki" (Let us thank God), sung by CRC child Blessing Aruna. After a prayer and a warm welcome from the Education Manager. The Director then delivered a powerful speech centered on the theme for this year – "Education for All Children in Africa: The Time is Now." This sparked a lively discussion among the children, who actively participated by asking questions and sharing their thoughts.

Following the insightful discussions, the day shifted to a fun-filled football match! The children were divided into two teams, "Family A" sporting blue jerseys and "Family B" in white jerseys, referred by CRC Alumni and Employee Johanse Baun. The game was a display of pure enthusiasm and friendly competition. After a thrilling match, Family B emerged victorious with a score of 4 goals to 1! The celebration wasn't just for the children – 22 families, totaling 50 people, were invited to join the festivities. The entire day fostered a sense of community and belonging for all involved.

The Day of the African Child is a powerful reminder of the importance of education and empowerment for all African children. At the CRC, we are committed to providing these children with the resources and support they need to reach their full potential. As the theme states, the time for action is now!
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Let's continue to work together to ensure a brighter future for all African children!