Foreign Correspondent ABC News Online Investigative Unit

Australians caught in Ethiopian adoption nightmare

By Cassie White

Updated March 16, 2010 09:03:00

An Ethiopian girl wraps herself in a shawl

Corruption allegations: A young girl in Ethiopia (AFP: Roberto Schmidt, file photo)

Australian families have made serious allegations of corruption within Australia's inter-country adoption program with Ethiopia.

The ABC has spoken to several families who claim they have been lied to in the course of their adoption process.

They have told heartbreaking stories of their time in Ethiopia - from witnessing their new baby choking on vomit, to a young boy being kept in a bucket to stop him from moving about. One family had to pay a bribe and others found their paperwork falsified with their child's age dramatically altered.

The families say the Federal Government has been slow to act and has not fully investigated the allegations.

When Jody was holding her baby son in her arms, she was distraught to witness an Ethiopian mother discover she had lost hers forever.

"When I was walking [out of the women's centre] a lady screamed and yelled and cried and fell to the ground," she said.

"This mother had come back to the women's shelter [where] she'd placed her baby for adoption. She changed her mind and came back to get it within a couple of days - but it was already gone.

"That was just heart-wrenching and I felt sick."

She added that she thought the process was far too quick to have gone through the proper channels.

Last year Foreign Correspondent revealed corruption within US-Ethiopia adoptions, and more families have spoken out as a result.

It seems some Australians are not protected from corruption despite it being an Australian Government-run program.

The person in charge of the program is Ato Lakew Gebeyehu. ABC News Online made a number of attempts to contact Mr Gebeyehu, but was unable to do so.

Mr Gebeyehu is responsible for Koala House, a transition home for children going to be adopted by Australian families. This home, which is part of the Australian government program, is accused of not properly feeding the children and maintaining their health.

The office of Attorney-General Robert McClelland says a recent review found issues of concern within the program and is working to restructure the program.

ABC News Online has been told by a spokesman for Mr McClelland that Australia will sign a new agreement with Ethiopia, however whether Mr Gebeyehu remains in his position is still to be decided.

But the ABC has obtained documents showing the Howard government knew of serious concerns about the program in 2005 and that the Rudd government was warned again in 2008 by Brussels-based human rights organisation Against Child Trafficking.

Koala House

The families interviewed by the ABC have had their names changed because of fears they may lose their children and concerns that life will be made hard for surviving biological relatives in Ethiopia.

Australian parents pay thousands of dollars in fees, donations and aid for the care of their children in Koala House.

But all three families say their children were handed to them with a range of problems including severe malnutrition and pneumonia.

Sarah, who has adopted three Ethiopian children, believes the money she paid to care for her children never reached them.

"In our first adoption we took over about 80 kilos of aid. The majority of that was formula, and because we had a baby we also paid the formula fee for her," she said.

"We were also asked to replace all of the formula she would have consumed during her time she was at Koala House ... and it turned out she was actually fed cow's milk and was lactose intolerant.

"She was massively malnourished when we got her. She had full-blown pneumonia because she'd been swallowing her own vomit."

Sarah's older daughter later explained that she was hardly fed.

"She'd get given rice and carrot mixed together as a meal of porridge for breakfast. Except for when the Australian families came ... [they] would put on a big party ... and when that happened, there would be so much food. But when those families went, then it'd be carrot and rice," she said.

Jody says it was a similar story when she and her husband were in Ethiopia to collect their son from Koala House.

"Our son has attachment issues, but he was never held or cuddled until we got him. He was just picked up to be changed or had a bottle propped up on a pillow," she said.

"We were told when we picked him up that they used to sit him in a bucket so he couldn't learn to move around much. He'd worn all the hair off the back of his head from it rubbing against the bucket.

"A friend of ours had an older child who says they only get one meal a day, which was concerning because the amount of money that we raised for the centre. I raised thousands and thousands."

Program reinstated

Earlier this month Mr McClelland announced he will lift a temporary suspension of the adoption program, after concerns of possible breaches of the Hague Convention on inter-country adoption.

The convention is in place to ensure the welfare of children is the priority and that international adoptions are used only as a last resort. Australia is a signatory to the convention but Ethiopia is not.

It will resume operating on April 6 with some changes made, but it appears Mr Gebeyehu will stay in charge.

Against Child Trafficking spokeswoman Roelie Post says Mr Gebeyehu was arrested in Ethiopia and held for 12 days on suspicion of trafficking children to Austria in 2008.

Ms Post says her organisation received little response from the Australian Government after alerting it to this and other alleged concerning practices.

"The children are not orphans. The paperwork is often faked. Parents are declared dead who are not dead and children are given the wrong ages," she said.

"Our organisation sent a letter to the Australian Government with 1,600 pages attached to it with evidence of trafficking in adoptions relating to Australia and India.

"Also we alerted the Australian authorities to Ethiopia, especially to the Ethiopian representative whose name was mentioned in a trafficking case in Austria."

Ms Post does not accept the Australian Government's explanation that Mr Gebeyehu's arrest was just a case of mistaken identity. She thinks there are serious issues that need to be investigated and that the case was mishandled.

"The children come from the same pool, therefore the situation [in Australia] is comparable to adoptions in the US or the Netherlands or any other country."

Sarah says she is aware of older adoptive children recognising each other from Ethiopia and while she stops short of calling it child trafficking, she says it is "on the fringes".

"I have heard that has happened in Australia, where children have known each other prior to coming under Lakew's care - that's a very big coincidence," she said.

Blocked

All families interviewed by the ABC claim they were not supplied with paperwork and vital information about their children and were blocked by officials from finding information on biological families.

When Anne and her husband adopted their daughter, they say almost all the information about their child's origin was falsified.

They were told she was abandoned, but when through their own search they tracked down the biological parents, they discovered this was a lie.

"The [birth parents] were both devastated, particularly the father. They were so sad to think that their child would have grown up thinking she had been abandoned by them.

"They told us that they could never have done such a thing to their child. They agonised over the decision to relinquish their daughter and they did it legitimately.

"What makes us angry is that our daughter was stripped of her history and there seems to be no valid reason for this to have happened.

"Our child was given a new name and a new birth date and was passed off as having been abandoned."

Sarah adopted two sisters in 2002. She and her husband were told the "orphaned" children were four years old and nine months, with no living relatives.

They later found the eldest daughter was not four, but closer to eight. They also discovered the girls had a mother and that the eldest had two brothers whom she was allegedly warned never to mention.

"She told us exactly where they were and we located them two days later and the brothers told us at the time that she was eight years old," she said.

Jody was also told that her son was abandoned and there was no information about his mother. But years later when her family returned to Ethiopia for their second adoption, they discovered this was not the case.

"With a bit of what we call African persuasion, which is $500, we managed to get a photograph, full name and full details of his birth mother," she said.

"The whole place revolves around money under the table."

Tags: family-and-children, adoption, government-and-politics, federal-government, law-crime-and-justice, babies, children, parenting, programs-and-initiatives, australia, ethiopia

First posted March 16, 2010 08:23:00

Comments (63)

Comments for this story are closed, but you can still have your say.

  • David:

    16 Mar 2010 9:17:57am

    This article seems very one sides, where are the good news story's of ethiopian children happily adopted? and why are there such negative remarks about the man running Koala house when no one with good views of the house has been quoted? ABC why publish the negative without seeking out the positive in what is clearly a two sided question.

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    • Von:

      16 Mar 2010 9:32:04am

      Positives what positives? This is child trafficking on a large scale, it's obscene and scandalous that Australia should have been taking part in this abuse of children.Nochild suffering the trauma of adoption is 'happily adopted', these children have suffered other trauma on top of that.Time to get real.

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      • Dr S.:

        16 Mar 2010 10:14:59am

        I know plenty of happily adopted children - my beautiful daughter included. Why not talk to AACASA, the Australia-Ethiopia adoption support network with hundreds of members Australia-wide. I think the "armchair experts" that are largely unaware of the situation in Ethiopia should probably butt out until they've spent a couple of years researching the topic, and been there and seen for themselves. Yes, data is often inaccurate and misplaced - this is a developing country that is mainly filled with subsistence farmers. Yes, children often turn out to have relatives that were unknown at the time of adoption - one reason is that the stigma of relinquishing your child up for adoption in Ethiopia makes it almost a taboo, so they are frequently left at orphanages by anonymous persons. Permanent illnesses and disabilities sometimes go unreported because the homes there know the child might not be adopted with full disclosure, and hence might have a very sorry outcome indeed: ejected from the home at 15 with no money or home to go to.

        A small number of adoptive parents become very bitter and twisted over the whole painful experience - and it is painful believe me - and these are the one we see go to the media. That's when disorganisation becomes labeled as "lies" and so on ...

        For the record - there are parent that are fertile and chose to adopt, such as us, so don't think this is a desperate last resort. For the kids however, it is their last chance.

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        • Steve:

          16 Mar 2010 11:19:06am

          Or perhaps, rather than "bitter & twisted" these people have had an experience that is completely different from yours? Just because everything is hunky dory for one it doesn't necessarily follow that all experiences will be like yours. I am a close friend of one of the families quoted in that story and while they are convinced that adoption is an important solution for many children in Ethiopia some children have come to Australia under inappropriate circumstances. You cannot simply nullify those issues by saying "well I'm happy - and anyone who is not obviously has some sort of nasty agenda".

          And if you think that the three families quoted in the article are the only ones who have had such an experience then you should think again. The fact is that many people are afraid to say anything for fear of being ostracised by the likes of AACASA which is the only real outlet for their children to be with and form relationships with other children just like them.

          The fact of the matter is that my friends want to see the Australian-Ethiopian adoption system improved to incorporate greater transparency and in the long run for adopted Ethiopian children to have a bit of certainty and confidence in who they are and how they became available for adoption.

          Rather than go into damage control and denigrate those who are stepping forward, perhaps this is an opportunity for people involved in Ethiopian adoptions to have some open, frank and transparent communication on the issue so that perhaps, in the future, parents can adopt from Ethiopia with full knowledge of the circumstances of their child and those children can grow up knowing who they are and where they come from and - regardless of the circumstances, know everyone involved did what they did in their best interests.

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        • Dr S.:

          16 Mar 2010 11:46:09am

          "The fact is that many people are afraid to say anything for fear of being ostracised by the likes of AACASA which is the only real outlet for their children to be with and form relationships with other children just like them."

          We know lots of adoptive families through ACAASA and none of them think anything of the sort. Unless they are somehow a miraculously skewed sample, I think description "many people" is mindless hyperbole. "The fact is"? Yours is a belief-based argument, no a factual one.

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        • Belinda:

          16 Mar 2010 1:24:56pm

          I am an AACASA member and proud.

          AACASA welcomes discussion of the challenges of overseas adoption - and there have been many.

          A small number of members have formed an opinion that AACASA ostracises people who say anything negative about the program.

          The truth is, AACASA is made up of many people who have tolerated ongoing attempts (over quite a few years) by a small number of people to bring the Ethiopian-Australian Adoption Program into serious disrepute. They do this - it seems - because they do not understand the program, they do not understand Ethiopia and will not listen to advice from people who have been involved with the Program for many years.

          What a shame - especially for their children.



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    • Kelly:

      16 Mar 2010 10:06:18am

      You've neglected to point out the positives David.

      One might say that these children are better off being raised in Australia with adoptive, wealthy parents and this may well be true. But who has the right to delete someone's identity, culture and family history? And lie to the biological families who are, whatever their situation, losing a child?

      Clearly Koala House exists purely for financial gain, otherwise they'd be feeding the "orphaned" children properly.

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      • Mum:

        16 Mar 2010 1:44:01pm

        Kelly, I believe you are correct about Koala house.

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        • Dr S.:

          16 Mar 2010 2:36:06pm

          I believe that when you have thirty babies to one nanny, and four babies to a cot, you don't have the luxury to track down food allergies. Our own adopted child was soy intolerant and on the wrong formula and suffered for it (which is also proof that Koala House uses the formula we give them and not "cow milk" as some misinformed people suggested). However, we do not blame KH in the least, because they are doing the best they can for as many as they can with microscopic resources.

          Some of the comments here are so foul and spiteful to those in the know, and so insulting to those struggling to protect the children in Ethio. If you have seen the movie Schindler's List, imagine someone coming in on the final scene and telling Schindler he indeed should have done more to save the children or that he was mistreating them by not feeding them enough ... hmm.

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    • JH:

      16 Mar 2010 10:26:49am

      Is your point that we should ignore cases of human trafficking because sometimes people come out better? Is it not possible to have an adoption service without a bit of kidnapping?

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  • nuts:

    16 Mar 2010 9:18:51am

    The whole notion of overseas adoption needs to be put under the spotlight. Infertile couples that have spent a fortune on IVF programs and are in a sufficiently good financial position to pursue this offshore option need to be heavily counseled on the likelihood of problems with the process. Ethiopia should not be a first port of call for would-be adoptees, rather one of the closer Asian countries where babies (especially girls) are an unwanted product of eastern societies trying to emulate the western romantic 'dream'.

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    • ED:

      16 Mar 2010 12:00:55pm

      Let's leave the stereotypes for your farmhouse dinner table..I'm from the EASTERN DREAM and my SURGEON mum (oh yes, a girl child) and dad gave my sister and I (oh yes 2 girl babies) all the love and opportunity and material things I have rarely seen in this country..so learn before speaking. It might be hard for you to fathom coming for a small village but when you have population which is 10/20/30 times the country you live in...there is no uniform way of doing things. Even if 5% of the poeple do something it's millions of poeple but not ALL!

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  • scotto:

    16 Mar 2010 9:25:48am

    Heartbreaking...those children deserve so much better...

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  • Jane:

    16 Mar 2010 9:34:04am

    My husband and I, as an infertile couple, are considering overseas adoption. At this point, the Taiwan programme looks most likely, but I have always harboured doubts about any overseas adoption, and this article makes me even more uneasy. It is a difficult decision - in no way do I want to support any programme which is corrupt, on the other hand, children such as those in Ethiopia are the innocent victims of the corruption, and need help. By taking a stand against corruption, am I going to be relegating children to hopeless futures?

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    • nuts:

      16 Mar 2010 9:58:04am

      Maybe we should be considering the adoption of a whole family rather than a vulnerable child? It might be less damaging on the child's psyche and may even be a less corruptible process?

      Of course we already do that as part of our generous refugee programs and spread the cost of adoption through the community.

      However, by an individual family adoption program, the meddling bureaucrats would have less influence and we might even be able to have an individual choice in the political persuasion of the immigrants.

      At present, Labor is making the most of the 'vulnerable voter' flood of 'illegal' immigrants, very few of whom will ever cast a conservative vote.

      Tony Blair altered the whole complexion of Britain by just such a ploy. Now British Labor is about to do away with the centuries-old House of Lords. Such a move would have been impossible without UK Labor's newly imported support basis.

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      • Keep it in the Family:

        16 Mar 2010 11:39:07am

        I agree - bring the whole family including grandparents as well . The brothers and sisters can come later under the family reunion scheme.

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    • Belinda:

      16 Mar 2010 10:23:56am

      Jane, there is no evidence the Ethiopian - Australian adoption program is corrupt. Quite the opposite. There have been at least two extensive reviews of the program over recent years, with positive oucomes. The latest review included a delegation from Australia visiting Ethiopia, including the Koala Foster Home.
      If you are adopting from Ethiopia, you do need to be aware that your child may not at first be as fit and healthy as Australian children are (but they soon catch up!) and background information may be scant. But the program is highly ethical, and nothing like the Amercian - Ethiopian adoption program.

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    • Thema:

      16 Mar 2010 11:24:11am

      Foster and then adopt an Australian kid.

      If you want to help kids all around the world, then find out how children and their parents in other nations live. You can make public education a priority and campaign against war right here in Australia. Well funded public educations and cessation of war can prevent human rights abuses of all children more effectively than overseas adoption programs.

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      • Skipio:

        16 Mar 2010 1:15:07pm

        Adoption is not about campaigning against war or preventing human rights abuses. Adoption is about the human need to love and nurture a family. Its is about giving children two loving parents who will make them the centre of their world
        But since you are confusing the issue of underdevelopment and adoption, my eldest adopted child, is now at university and has very big business plans for Africa.

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    • cutesta:

      16 Mar 2010 2:10:58pm

      Jane why don't you adopt an orphan here ? We are not such a fortunate country, when we have many of our own here that could use a home, just because they might get there three meals a day and a roof over their heads, does not means they are getting the care they need, we have many that need foster homes because of abuse, so much passion from people that feel that we don't have a problem here, if there is so many with big hearts, how about opening a little bit more and foster a child from here also ? Please :-)

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  • Susan:

    16 Mar 2010 9:51:43am

    David, it's all very well to say that both sides have to be represented, but sometimes, your version of "balance" is dishonest. In fact, in this story, whether or not the adopted children were happy in Australia is entirely irrelevant to the story. A balanced story would have included a statement from Ato Lakew Gebeyehu, but since the journalist made several attempts to contact him and was unable to, as long as they mention that, it is fair and accurate.

    The Australian government has a heightened responsibility for the actions of Australian organisations overseas. The ends do not justify the means. That view is colonialistic and a good part of the reason why Africa is so screwed up in the first place. Staunch defenders of "the thought which counts" do irreparable damage to individual lives, as well as damage to Australia's international reputation. This program clearly has serious problems. Why sugarcoat that?

    There are many exceptional programs around, run by many exceptional people. It's an insult to them to cover up situations such as those discussed in the article.

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  • Jonas H D:

    16 Mar 2010 10:02:25am

    The ABC report focused on faultfinding & blame. It lacks balance & fairness as it portrays the entire adoption process from Ethiopia as dysfunctional. The truth is that there are many Adoption Agencies functioning in Ethiopia connecting thousands of orphan kids with adopting families in a professional & responsible manner. The world is full of selfish & greedy individuals who have no qualm taking advantage at the expense of others. Adoption is a sad phenomenon at the expense of others. What the ABC report intentionally or carelessly omits is to bring to light the hidden victims themselves, the millions of parentless children roaming around the streets of Addis Ababa, or languishing in the remote parts of Ethiopia who really seek for an adopting that can take care of them, who are equally the other victims hurt by the dysfunctional adoption process that was in place.

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  • Belinda:

    16 Mar 2010 10:06:34am

    Where are the quotes from the vast majority of people who have adopted children from Ethiopia who have had positive experiences? My amazing daughter joined Lakew at the Koala Foster Home when she was 6 weeks old. She was allocated to us at 3.5 months after extensive background checks and searches to be sure she was in genuine need of overseas adoption. We collected her from Koala when she was 7 months old, after health checks and court proceedings.
    She was the picture of emotional and physical health. She was slightly above average weight and length using Australian growth charts. Most importantly, she had absolutely no problems forming close bonds quickly, which demonstrates she had been well-loved and nurtured during her time at Koala.
    Many babies and children adopted from Ethiopa are not as healthy as our child was. That is because of the terrible condition they are often in when they arrive at Koala, where the staff do their utmost around the clock to improve the childrens physical and emotional health with the limited resources available in a country where its even hard to find good quality baby formula!
    Our daughter is now 6. She is gifted academically, extremely strong, healthy, happy, and resilient. She has a good understanding of her adoption journey, and thinks positively about it, despite quite reasonably wishing she could have her Tummy Mummy (birth mother) here as well. I only hope the negativity pushed by ill-informed reporters does not reach her ears and cause her unwarranted angst.

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    • Dr S.:

      16 Mar 2010 10:24:08am

      "Against Child Trafficking spokeswoman Roelie Post says Mr Gebeyehu was arrested in Ethiopia and held for 12 days on suspicion of trafficking children to Austria in 2008."

      Yes, its a shame the Ethiopian authorities can't tell the difference between the spelling of 'Austria' and 'Australia'. I am not kidding - he was released after the mistake was revealed. It is quite common to be locked up for days based on a mere accusation in Ethiopia.

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      • Judy:

        16 Mar 2010 12:15:54pm

        Dr S, Are you for real? You are basically saying that Ethiopian authorities spent 12 days trying to figure out the difference between Austria and Australia. Why couldnt a rich man like Lakew get it sorted out sooner than in 12 days? Only once in our trips to Ethiopia were we ever mistaken for Austrians by some kids living on the street. We said no, were Australians, and they immediately started hopping down the street and calling out kangaroo! It was unforgettable. If a bunch of street kids can figure it out within seconds, why do you assume that the more educated Ethiopian authorities took 12 days to figure it out?

        By allowing stories about problems in Ethiopia to circulate to protect Lakew, meanwhile you are creating the myth that Ethiopians are ignorant, backward and uncaring. Yet this is far from reality. Our children have every right to be proud of their birth country, but many people are happy to deride it, to never return, and are all too happy for their children to consider themselves to only be Australian and to have no regard for the culture and country in which they were born.

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        • Dr S.:

          16 Mar 2010 1:03:40pm

          It says "Austria" right there in the article - black and white. It also says in in the police report - which is also published on the ABC News site. You must know for a fact Ato Lakew has nothing to do with the Austrian program. You are also assuming that the local police didn't already know the truth, but perhaps wanted something extra to release him.

          "but many people are happy to deride [Ethiopia]" - not any that I know. You can't deny that there are corrupt local authorities though.

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        • Chris:

          16 Mar 2010 1:15:57pm

          Are you for real Judy??
          Most Ethiopians haven't heard of Australia!!! Let alone a Kangaroo and i have lived there!!

          I don't know if you have ever been to a cultural day for our kids but i think you would remember it if you had. Our proud children dress in tradional gear, the parents lovingly prepare the food and we celebrate all things Ethiopian. My kids get more Ethiopian cultural heritage here than they would had they languished in an orphanage over there with no family or connections.

          Also , in Ethiopia it is guilty until proven innocent. No charges were laid, Lakew was and is innocent of the claims and if you looked further into the accusations, you would see how proposterous the entire claim was.

          Chris

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        • Dr S.:

          16 Mar 2010 1:40:22pm

          "I don't know if you have ever been to a cultural day for our kids but i think you would remember it if you had. Our proud children dress in tradional gear, the parents lovingly prepare the food and we celebrate all things Ethiopian."

          Too right! I love International Day. We all get dressed up in our traditional Ethiopian clothing, not just the kids. And it doesn't take much of an excuse to visit a local Ethio restaurant ...

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    • Nightsky:

      16 Mar 2010 10:56:29am

      Belinda, will you be willing to submit your childs information to allow verification of your claim? Are those with such peachy feelings and comments about the Ethiopian program so confident of the process that you will offer your childrens information to support your claims of ethics?
      My bet is that those who strongly defend this program will not allow their childs file investigated because most know or sense trouble below the surface.
      This open market on children is horrifying.

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      • Belinda:

        16 Mar 2010 1:30:26pm

        Yes I would - for private and confidential review. I would not share any more of her story publicly though, it is her story to tell, not mine.
        An open market on children? Hello?? Statements like that only serve to undermine your credibility.

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      • Glenn:

        16 Mar 2010 1:56:08pm

        You just lost your credibility with me on that one!
        We have adopted on 3 seperate occassions from Ethiopia and like Belinda, I would happily submit all paperwork to a forum.
        It seems you know very little about adoption.
        Glenn

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      • Dr S.:

        16 Mar 2010 2:05:21pm

        "Belinda, will you be willing to submit your childs information to allow verification of your claim?"

        This is just silly. Do you actually know anything about the legal hoops that adoptive parents have to go through - that a significant portion of the costs are court fees in both countries to get the adoption validated? You act as if there is no scrutiny at all. Submit the information?? Both governments already have it in full!.

        "My bet is that those who strongly defend this program will not allow their childs file investigated because most know or sense trouble below the surface."

        Most people who have adopted have gone above and beyond to investigate their child's situation. We visited our daughters home town, talked the local authorities and the hospital where she was treated. Do you really think the Ethio government is going to have the resources to do such investigations for all adopted children.

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  • d:

    16 Mar 2010 10:28:57am

    Let's reverse the situation...Australian children from poor Oz families & orphans are being adopted by middle class families in Ethiopia...How does this make you feel?

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    • Dr S.:

      16 Mar 2010 10:44:38am

      It would make me feel that our government is too poor to look after our orphans and that our welfare system inadequate to give them opportunities to thrive - which is exactly the case in Ethiopia. I would also feel embarrassment at our humble position - so imagine how I would feel if the other country then falsely accused us of trafficking children. And you wonder why the ABC gets no response over this extremely poorly researched article from a man like Ato Lakew, who dedicates his life to saving children in a country that is extremely proud and loves its children.

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    • Belinda:

      16 Mar 2010 11:00:10am

      d: First and foremost in overseas adopton is the needs of the child. If Ethiopia could meet the needs of children better than Australia could, and there were no families here available and suitable to adopt a child, I'd have no problems with Australian children being allocated to Ethiopian families.
      This is of course assuming that the Ethiopian families would be subject to the same rigorous scrutiny that adoptive families in Australia are rightly subjected to, and that the backgrounds of the Australian children are thoroughly checked, as they are in Ethiopia, to prevent child trafficking.

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      • Skipio:

        16 Mar 2010 11:46:05am

        Belinda, its not just about the needs of the child. This is huge myth. Children are not accessories or toys to be handed around indiscriminately as they were thirty years ago, but its not just about the needs of the child. Children get a life after childhood - of course they are much better prepared if their childhoods are positive. For the adoptive parents - this is it. They don't get another chance. Every adoptive parent I have met is the best of the best. No matter what their walk in life, they are really solid people determined to give their utmost to raise their adopted children. It is the cruelest of frauds to hand these parents children, whom they believe are theirs, and to whom they are prepared to give everything, all their love, their time, their resourses, and unknown to them the children cannot bond because they have living parents elsewhere. Adoption is about repairing grief, the parent's for their lost biological children and the children's for their lost parents (the lost culture is not so important). Out of this repair can come wonderful things, but when the repair cannot happen, because the adoption is based on a lie, then everybody's lives, but most particularly, the lives of the parents', are very damaged.

        The children suffer very badly, but in the end they sort it and end up with two families. A very cruel trick is played on the parents whose expectations are crushed and who reap a very bitter harvest.

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    • Chris:

      16 Mar 2010 11:08:46am

      Great actually d, Ethiopians are wonderful with children and I love the food. Actually if they want to adopt me I would love to go and live there. The people are lovely and it is just a shame there are not enough families to go around for all the orphans. So I would happily go with that idea. Good suggestion.
      Chris

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    • Sally:

      16 Mar 2010 12:42:24pm

      If something were ever to happen to me and I couldnt raise my children, would love for them to be adopted by Ethiopians! Ethiopian people are so lovely and I would rather my child raised by an Ethiopian family than my own extended family!

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  • Big Red:

    16 Mar 2010 11:05:08am

    The Ethiopian adoption program was set up over 20 years ago. In many ways the program hasnt moved on since then. There are scores of happy families because of the hard work of many people both here and in Ethiopia. Unfortunately Cassies article is correct and I have heard those same stories (and more) countless times. The program does require evaluation and more acccountability, both here and in Ethiopia. The national family support network in Australia, known as AACASA clearly needs to step back and be less obvious in the whole adoption process as is the case with other adoptive countries.

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    • Skipio:

      16 Mar 2010 1:43:48pm

      The process this end is very rigorous, but on the whole it is fine. The problems are in Ethiopia..
      I have picked up the phone so many times to raise these issues but always held back, mainly for the sake of our children.
      I am very pleased that this debate is in the open.

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  • Francie:

    16 Mar 2010 11:11:20am

    I find the whole notion of rich (relative to Ethiopians) westerners paying buckets of money to purchase a child to meet their own needs repugnant. Imagine how many chldren an infertile couple could save with the money for 100s of children in Ethiopia itself rather than justify their own desires by suggesting they are saving a child.

    I was devastated to discover I was infertile but life sucks and not everyone can have children. Get over it. Buying and removing children from developing countries to meet our personal needs is plain wrong.

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    • Dr S.:

      16 Mar 2010 11:48:43am

      Nonsense. You don't "buy" children from overseas. What an insult to adopted children in Australia. It's amazing what foolish comments by armchair busy-bodies can do to children.

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      • Francie:

        16 Mar 2010 12:13:14pm

        I am very very happy to be an armchair busybody. I want to advocate for the rights of Ethiopain children and other potential adoptees and their mothers and fathers, to remain within their own culture and have their own needs addressed, rather than the needs of rich westerners. I dont understand why advocates of overseas adoption believe this is OK.

        Of course its buying. The children are not handed over until money is exchanged. There wouldnt be so may problems in India, China and Ethiopia if there wasn't a market for it. If its insulting to adopted children, its becuase their adoptive parents bought them not because I stated it.



        There is no getting away from this moral dilemma

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        • Fiona:

          16 Mar 2010 1:39:25pm

          Francie

          I'm afraid what you say is not correct. If any Australian family was found to be trying to buy a child, their adoption would never be approved by the Australian courts. You can't even donate aid unless it is anonymous. We do not pay any money for a child from Ethiopia; to the Ethiopian Govt or orphanages. We pay for foster care and any medical expenses from the time of allocation, we pay for court fees and legal fees. Even Australia is a 'user pays' system when dealing with government departments and courts. Which is where a large part of the costs of adopting come from - Austraian Govt departmentsfor social work home studies, immigration health checks, and Visa fees. The Ethiopians don't 'make' any money from Australian adoptions. (Unlike USA adoption agencies as seen in the recent press)
          Another point is the needs of rich westerners; the philosophy of most (if not all) adoption departments in Aust, is that the adoption should/must be in the best interests of the child. Again, we are lucky that the Aust system is nothing like the US system.
          I find it insulting that you insinuate that I 'bought' a child. This is simply wrong. I am not infertile, we have biological children too, and after much consideration, and many hours in preparation sessions, and invasive interviews with social workers, we decided that adoption of a child from a country that couldn't provide for all their orphans/relinquished children, was something we should do. It wasn't our need but theirs that drove our decision to adopt.

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        • Dr S.:

          16 Mar 2010 1:47:33pm

          "I want to advocate for the rights of Ethiopain children and other potential adoptees and their mothers and fathers, to remain within their own culture and have their own needs addressed."

          That's all very nice, and when you have the means to make sure all children in Ethiopia have their needs addressed, please put that plan into action. Otherwise, I advocate for saving the lives of children that have no other opportunity other than to become homeless at the age of 15 and to suffer unspeakable and unimaginable hardship if they manage survive (which is a slim chance).

          I also advocate that free speech is a good thing, but people that haven't a clue about the realities in developing countries should probably keep their ignorance to themselves, rather than broadcasting it to the world, for their own sakes, and to prevent harm to others.

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        • Francie:

          16 Mar 2010 2:24:20pm

          You appear not to understand my argument. The money spent by adoptive parents to relocate 1 child could be used to support and establish a high quality alternative care facility with Ethiopian care staff. In the same way that many Australians set off overseas and set up schools and orphanages and fund raise in Australia. This not only allows the children to remain in their own culture, but provides income and skills to the Ethiopian adults. Dont you think Ethiopian adults would prefer their children to remain in Ethiopia?

          I would not be able to afford to adopt even if I wanted to, because of the large expenses. However, as you will see from an earlier post of mine, I have contributed to the Sudanese community both here and in Sudan.

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    • Dr S.:

      16 Mar 2010 11:50:34am

      Oh and by the way, not all adoptive parent are infertile.

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    • Vivienne:

      16 Mar 2010 12:23:15pm

      I'm curious. How many children have you 'saved' since deciding not to pursue alternative parenting options after learning of your infertility? Adoptive parents in Australia aren't adopting with the notion of 'saving' anyone. But frequently we find ourselves in a position of 'supporting' extended birth family. Were the doctors/Gyno's/Obstetrician services you required all free? do you consider paying for these services 'buying' biological babies? What about local adoptions? should the unwanted children and the children biological parents can't care for in Australia be left to languish in orphanges? Do you think local adotive families are 'buying' locally born adoptees?

      If you had any understanding of alternative cultures you would realise that many, many women in Ethiopia (and elsewhere) need their relinquishment (abandonement) to be secret; there are many reasons for the relinguishment - the child is born of rape or incest, extreme poverty, terminal illness, the mother has been abandoned by the father, the mother has died and the father is able to raise 10 children (need i go on?) - to be 'discovered' by adopting authorities and/or families could result in birth families being banished/ostricised by their own families/ communities/ villages. Try thinking a little outside your own 'repugnant' square.

      It is hubris to suggest that a third world country conduct itself in-line with our own (first world) ideals, standards, practices and opportunities. It can't and it won't. All the services we engage in the creation of our family here are paid for. Why should we not pay for services in Ethiopia?

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      • Francie:

        16 Mar 2010 2:05:42pm

        FYI I have lived and worked for the Sudanese government in Sudan teaching English (local pay rates). While there and here I continue to associate with the Sudanese community, including their children. I volunteer with this community in my home state, including addressing literacy issues for those families where the single mothers are not literate in their own language.

        I married a Sudanese mand and speak rudimentary Arabic. I am very au fait with issues of cross cultural issues.

        I understand why adoptive parents are defensive about the issues I raised and want to personally attack me, but no-one has yet offered a reasonable explanation for uprooting these children from their country of birth. Artificial attempts at recreating their culture in their adopted family only reinforces my position and as some adotped children have said, reinforces their feelings of being "other" despite the best attempts of their parents to pretend it is otherwise.

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        • Glenn:

          16 Mar 2010 2:27:28pm

          Because Francie Ethiopia does not have the means to look after the children and they would wallow in orphanages in vunrable situations. Children raised in orphanages often produce children in orphanages.
          Every child on this planet deserves a family and in your perfect world they probably would but in our world they don't. Australia adopts a mere fraction of the children available for adoption and as the parents we are scrutinized within an inch of our lives.
          Most families are incredibly proud of Ethiopia and celebrate all things Ethiopian on a regular basis. If left to languish in an orphanage, they would not have this choice.
          Given your arguement your husband should be back in Sudan where he would enjoy his culture much more??

          Glenn

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        • Fiona:

          16 Mar 2010 2:35:52pm

          I do not want to personally attack you. But I am interested to know what you think is the best option for children with no parents or extended family, that can afford or want to look after another child, in a country with no social service system, no free education or free health system. We concluded that life in an Australian family that values their birth culture, was still a better option than spending years in an institution. We support a number of children/families so that they can stay together, and I believe where this is possible that is a better option, but it isn't possible for all the orphaned and homeless and relinquished children in Ethiopia.

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    • Not OK:

      16 Mar 2010 12:30:32pm

      Francie, what an utterly unnecessary poor, vile comment that does nothing to enhance or promote the discussion on intercountry adoption. My Ethiopian adopted children will probably read this and I will no doubt (yet again) explain that that some people really dont understand adoption. Yes money does change hands here and in the respective countries. It is for the care of the child and to pay for the complex administrative costs asssociated with court. Ever gone to court or dealt with a government department and not paid somewhere along the process?

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  • Skipio:

    16 Mar 2010 11:11:54am

    We too adopted from Ethiopia. Adoption is a very good thing provided the children are orphans. Ours were not. They were stolen children and the fall out for themselves and us has been dreadful beyond imagining. Ours were told to say they had no mothers. They were four years older than official Ethiopian age.
    You expect a bit of corruption, a gift here a gift there, but you don't expect that the very basis of the adoption is a lie - a deliberately planned and excuted lie, sustained over many years.
    Ato Lawkew Gebeyehu should not be put in charge.

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  • Thema:

    16 Mar 2010 11:38:03am

    All I can think of are the stories from Australia's "stolen generation" that began to emerge after several decades of Australian indigenous relocation and "adoption" programs. Those programs are now considered unethical in Australia, having been heavily criticised by adoptees and their birth families as well as by human rights groups and many other Australians.

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    • Zelda:

      16 Mar 2010 12:37:58pm

      It's funny how people continually fool themselves into believing unethical behaviour is something that belongs to the past and never the present.

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      • Mum:

        16 Mar 2010 2:30:32pm

        Zelda - they also believe it happens in America and not here. But that is ok, head in the sand, emails sent, positive stories to be told a bit of back slapping on how good we all are, chuck on an Ethiopian costume, give lip service to a "tummy mummy" tell everyone I am ok, my kid was looked after like he was a prince while at Koala house and so anyone who says otherwise is lying, bitter and un-educated. Well hello everyone, it is NOT just America, and just because a baby can not tell you the truth does not mean that a very rich old man in Ethiopia is. Get your head out of the sand and see this for what it is. Adoption from Ethiopia can be a very good thing - if only it was done in an honest, open and transparent way and honest orphans from honest orphanages were involved, not children found and put in a "transition home".

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  • Annie:

    16 Mar 2010 11:44:14am

    Has any one asked adult inter-country adopted people how they feel? This is an incredibly complex issues that needs to be looked at from many sides. Please can we hear more voices from adult inter-country adopted people. We hardly ever hear their voices and the enormous emotional impact adoption has on people.

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  • Sally:

    16 Mar 2010 12:35:22pm

    Im concerned that someone adopting a child from overseas wasnt prepared for all the issues that come with any adoption. It seems that the social worker who assessed the families should have picked up on the fact that the parents were not prepared for the harsh reality of adoption.
    Why is Ethiopia singled out here? India and other countries have a shocking history.
    As for the childs hair wearing off due to being sat in a bucket, most intellegent people know that all babies lose hair in a band shape around their head due to the head rubbing on the matress. And what if the child was sat in a bucket? Is that really child abuse? I think not! How do you people think babies were proped up in the good old days when such modern walkers, bumbos and bouncers werent around???
    As for carrots and rice being fed to children, I have a friend living in Ethiopia and the price of rice is huge! Corrots and rice in Ethiopia are VERY hard to come by and VERY expensive. Its sad that the parents dont realise that the child may have simply prefered other foods and disliked the carrots and rice, so the child recalls carrots and rice meals and being far too many for their liking!
    Seriously, some people should be forced to take parenting classes before being allowed to adopt, as clearly these children are being neglected by thick parents.
    When children are adopted by sensible people who dont have a fantasy idea of parenthood, then adoption can be a beautiful thing. There will always be the odd issue with adoptions from other countries, but does that mean we should throw the baby out with the bath water?

    As for not being able to contact the man in Ethiopia for comment, Im guessing he knew better than to answer his phone. Why would anyone bother commenting when the ABC is on a personal mission to destroy Ethiopian adoptions to Australia?
    Seems to me that there is too much energy going into ending the program and not enough energy going into parenting these children who have had difficult adoptions.
    Its starting to sound like some parents are wanting a refund on their adoption? I wonder what the longterm effects on the children will be when they learn their new parents have spent years trying to stop future adoptions from their childs birth country.

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  • David:

    16 Mar 2010 12:43:23pm

    I was not trying to say that we shouldnt listen to those who have had a bad experiance, I believe that it is vital to look at those situations and to try and understand them. What I find a problem is that in an issue that is so emotional and the ABC themselves said had important points for and against there is an article that comprehensively quotes families that have had problems whilst not quoting or discussing those families that have had great experiances, or have a different view of Koala house. It is not right for a feature piece to base its description of Koala house or of Lakaw without considering that not all families have the same view on those issues as the ones ABC have talked to, they should of an hopefully will talk to other families and put their views forward if the feature coverage is to paint a complete picture of eithiopian adoption.

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  • Fiona:

    16 Mar 2010 12:55:16pm

    In a perfect world there would be no adoption; no mothers would die, everyone would get basic medical services, no-one would be starving and everyone would have shelter. Unfortunately this is not the case in many parts of the world, including Ethiopia. I have biological children and adopted children from Ethiopia. We didn't want to 'buy' a child or an accessory, for those who have made these comments. We think we adopted with the best intentions to make the world a better place. Our whole family loves and values our 'ethiopian' culture just like our Australian culture. We have many sponsored children in Ethiopia and all their photos are on our fridge. (I agree with many who think that the next best option is for children to stay in their families or communities, but I think that an Aust. family is still better than an institution.) I think the care at Koala was fantastic considering that Addis Ababa is definitely a developing country. One with an amazing history and culture, but definitely not on par with most parts of the western world. I think most people unfamiliar with Ethiopian customs need to look more at the social 'norms' in Ethiopia regarding giving up children. This I think has a lot to do with incorrect information. I firmly do Not believe that any misinformation has ever been given with the purpose to deceive Australian families by Lakew, ever. My father in law didn't find out his real name or accurate DOB until he applied for a birth certificate in his 20's. Mistakes happen even here, imagine the situation in a city/country with unreliable power supplies, few computers, a large illiterate population that moves around according to wars and famine, and a public service (yes, we rely on information from an Ethiopian Public Service) that moves incredibly slowly. Well, perhaps we can imagine the latter.
    Back to the article; I thought it was one sided and oh so negative. I think it also cited issues the USA adoption programs have, which is nothing like the Aust. program. As many others have said, have a chat to many of the other families with Ethiopian children, who have all probably had challenges and disappointments along the way, but would not be scathing in the tone of this article. Lets see an article that I would be happy for any of our Ethiopian born children and our families and friends to read.

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  • EJ:

    16 Mar 2010 1:06:34pm

    Our daughter was adopted from Ethiopia and was extremely ill and nearly didn't make it. She came straight from an orphanage, with many children and not many carers. They did the best they could with what they had. Please remember this is a third world country and there are sick, malnourished children, however I really wish that our daughter had been at Koala to have been given specialised lactose free formula and better care, as most of the children from Koala are much stronger and healthier. Before Koala House was established, there were children who were dying before their new parents could collect them.

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  • EJ:

    16 Mar 2010 1:12:16pm

    In relation to the comment about the large fees paid to look after children at Koala House, this could not be further from the truth. The 3months of foster fees paid, is minimal and the actual costs to care for these children is far greater. Most children are there for longer than this, sometimes a year and there can be medical costs etc.

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  • David:

    16 Mar 2010 1:36:42pm

    It would of been really nice if the views of people like Fiona and EJ, people with experiances of adoption and Koala house, equally as valid as those of the families reported on in the article could have been placed in the main text, perhaps now the authors will do some more investigating into these two peoples stories and report on them too

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Comments for this story are closed, but you can still have your say.

Your Say

Foreign Correspondent received dozens of emails, letters and phone calls in response to its two programs on Ethiopian adoptions into the United States.

Read an edited selection of some of the responses »

Foreign Correspondent

Fly away children
Broadcast September 15, 2009

Since Angelina Jolie adopted her daughter Zahara in 2005, the number of Americans adopting Ethiopian children has quadrupled. A pop-media obsession with celebrities adopting children in Africa has resulted in a queue of adopting foreigners dealing with opportunistic adoption agents operating in a regulatory vacuum. In Ethiopia - and beyond - it's creating a heartbreaking mess.

Fly away home
Broadcast March 2, 2010

A seven-year-old Ethiopian girl is portrayed as destitute and in grave danger. She is in fact 13 and has been well cared for much to the surprise of her adopting family. Then there are the children told they're just visiting a foreign land who are in fact on a one way ticket. This is the powerful next instalment of Foreign Correspondent's investigation of international adoption in Ethiopia and the United States that began with 2009's Fly Away Children.

Featured Audio

Roelie Post from Against Child Trafficking says she warned the Federal Government about alleged corruption in Australia's Ethiopian adoption program.

This adoption special was produced by the ABC News Online Investigative Unit in conjunction with Foreign Correspondent. It began with a story, Fly Away Children, by Andrew Geoghegan and Mary Ann Jolley for Foreign Correspondent in late 2009. Mary Ann Jolley built on that with Fly Away Home which went to air on Foreign Correspondent on March 2. This special explores the Australian experience of international adoption.

Reporters

Cassie
White

Mary Ann
Jolley

Investigations Editor

Suzanne
Smith

ABC News Online Investigative Unit

The ABC News Online Investigative Unit encourages whistleblowers, and others with access to information they believe should be revealed for the public good, to contact us.

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