Well, that is the opinion of Susan Cillier expressed in today’s paper: Noordwes-Beeld – Aanneming beste uitweg.

She wriAdd Polltes that South Africa has more than 2 million orphans and children at risk. This number could rise to 5,5 million by 2015. 

This is a problem aggravated by neglect and also rejection. She gives examples of a mother leaving her two year old toddler at a crossing in Klerksdorp or that on average in Rustenburg 5 babies are discarded at taxi-ranks every month. Single mothers, poverty, teenage-pregnancies, HIV/Aids and ignorance are part of this sad mix.

Adoption is really a very positive alternative for such children. The national adoption coalition in South Africa is making a concerted effort to address this challenge with the Add-Option campaign. It helps with awareness, but also practical options to adopt such children in need of care and protection. They work hard at addressing misconceptions and prejudices by stressing that only few adopted children have behavioral defects, most adoptions across racial boundaries are successful, you don’t have to be rich or perfect to adopt a child and that most adoptions are real success stories.

More is to be learnt from their website: http://www.adoption.org.zo or telephone 0800 864 658.