NRIs make a beeline in Gujarat to adopt kids

NRIs make a beeline in Gujarat to adopt kids
20 Dec 2006, 1005 hrs IST,Himanshu Kaushik,TNN
NADIAD: Jon Huntsman Jr, governor of Utah in the US, is lucky to get Kanak. There are at least 75 other foreign nationals in queue for their hope of heart.
When it comes to forming global families, 'Matru Chhaya' in Nadiad seems to be a hot favourite destination for foreign nationals and NRIs.
In fact, the orphanage's waiting list now has more foreign nationals than NRIs. There are only a few orphanages in India which can allow foreign nationals to adopt babies.
Matru Chhaya seems to have drawn the interest of foreign nationals more than NRIs, with a waiting list of 60 NRIs and 70 foreign nationals.
Ever since 2003 that the orphanage started sending babies abroad for adoption by foreign nationals, 11 babies have been adopted by NRIs, while 26 by foreign nationals.
According to officials, of the 11 babies adopted by NRIs, seven are girls and of the 26 adopted by foreigners, 21 are girls.
Officials in the institute said that the institute has more inquiries from foreigners and NRIs. "But the details cannot be disclosed in accordance with adoption norms. The norms specify that for every 10 babies adopted by Indian families, five can be given to foreigners, including NRIs. However, we prefer to give more to Indian families. So far, since 1996, the orphanage has seen 149 adoptions," said officials of the orphanage.
Kanak, Dina and Savita were new born babies discarded in all likelihood by young, unmarried girls, too afraid to face social ostracism.
Dina was blind when she was adopted. But life had other things in store for them as the caring hands of sisters of Matru Chhaya cuddled them. Today, the two girls of Gujarat are in Spain, part of Mathew Owen's family.
Owen is the former mayor of Vilanova, near Barcelona, Spain. Director of the orphanage Sister Pushpa said, "We take good care of the babies and see that no medically unfit baby is given to parents. The orphanage gets babies from all over the state and the babies are given as per the turn."
Sister Pushpa said that majority of children the orphanage gets are those who are abandoned by the parents due to some social ostracism. Majority of children are abandoned by unmarried girls.