One of the most enriching experiences of being an international adoption worker is having the opportunity to visit with partners overseas.  I have just returned from a wonderfully productive trip to Uganda and am pleased to share with you some of the highlights!

Uganda is a beautiful country and the people are warm and welcoming. It was a joy to visit with the directors and staff in the baby homes and hear about the good work they are doing as well as their goals for the future. I had the pleasure of spending some time with the children.  I also had the unique opportunity to meet with four families who were in-country completing their adoptions. Each family commented on the excellent care their children received and they were soaking up their time in Uganda. Two of these families have since returned home with their children!

There are many ongoing needs for humanitarian support.  Carolina Adoption Services fundraises to help meet these needs through our Orphan Care fund. I was able to take some of the children shopping for shoes.  They were each overjoyed to have their own pair of new shoes!  At another home, I was able to use funds to purchase a stove and cooktop. I was also fortunate to carry over two suitcases full of donations for each of our partner homes.

I also spent time meeting with our in-country attorneys. Our attorneys are available to assist each family through their court process while in Uganda.  I was impressed with their commitment to helping families and advocating for international adoption within Uganda.

I greatly enjoyed my trip to Uganda.  It is invaluable to meet with our partners in person, and truly touching to have the opportunity to meet some of the wonderful children.  There is a great need for many orphaned children in Uganda to be welcomed in to permanent, loving families. Many of the homes are at or near capacity, with more requests to bring children in to care coming all the time.