Reason #13- Coincidentally...

"There is a child in Ethiopia who may only have a family if I adopt him or her.

I do not want my child to be viewed as a charity case. Nor do I want to be viewed as some kind of extra-good person for adopting him or her. So I tend to de-emphasize this piece. But... it was an important part of my decision-making, so I shouldn't pretend it was not.

I could go on forever about the situation in Ethiopia and what needs to be done, but here's the quick-and-dirty version: The latest research says there are 6 to 6.5 MILLION orphans in Ethiopia.It is indisputable that these children would be better served by an adoption within their own culture and country.

It is also indisputable that there are not enough people in Ethiopia to adopt all these kids. In the meantime, the majority of Ethiopian orphans will die, or will survive for some time in poverty, disease, and hunger.

A tiny fraction of these orphans will get adopted by people from other countries, and will miss out on their Ethiopian culture. This is indeed a significant loss, and a life away from one's homeland and biological family is definitely a life compromised. But it's a whole lot better than no life at all.

There is a child in Ethiopia who needs a family. Coincidentally, so do I."

Thanks Chou-Chou for explaining it so well.