Yes, according to UNICEF this is the number of children who die around the world every day for any number of reasons, the reasons unfortunately not mentioned in their newest radio ad. Halloween is in the future and this is their fundraising season; they have a famous movie star with a dramatic voice giving these stats - too bad he didn’t do his homework before he agreed to support this top heavy and corrupt organization that is totally an “end in itself” as opposed to being a “means to an end.”

Any of you who have read my previous posts condemning UNICEF for wasting money, bribing countries to close adoption, corruption, lying, and rarely putting children’s interests first, may question my using their “numbers” when it is convenient. There is a reason for this: I think that is the only thing UNICEF does  well – count starving, sick, and orphaned children. Gross over exaggeration on my part? Perhaps, but I doubt it.

So UNICEF is asking you to give them money for their various funds. Before you put your hand in your pocket, pull out your check book, or click “PayPal” please consider the following facts:

1. UNICEF is anti-intercountry adoption PERIOD. They view adoption as the “last resort” for a child who is not being parented by any family member, nuclear or extended. UNICEF claims that orphanages are not ideal, but support keeping children in them under the pretense that they are “pro-reunification of parents and children” who have been separated for various reasons in third world countries: storms, earthquakes, famine, war, hurricanes, floods and the list goes on.

Point in case Haiti – UNICEF is fighting to halt all adoptions from Haiti telling the world they want to reunite children with their parents down the road. When? How? Well, that isn’t really their concern. They talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. Children are living on the street and in filthy tents, being sold into prostitution and slavery, but not being placed for adoption.

Let me begin this blog by clearing stating that I’m an advocate of intercountry adoption; I was before I adopted my daughter in 2006 and continue to be today even though the media and various organizations, UNICEF among them, have turned “intercountry adoption” into the newest cuss words.

Tragically, many proponents of intercountry adoption have allowed themselves to be silenced by strong criticism of adoption and horror stories of children being snatched from their parents’ arms and sold to adoptive parents. Others have been convinced by biased and inaccurate reporting (at best) and downright lies (at worst), that intercountry adoption is wrong, immoral and results in cultural genocide perpetuated by insensitive imperialist and morally bankrupt people in developed countries taking cruel advantage of the voiceless, repressed and unrepresented poor and needy in developing countries in order to “feel good about themselves helping these poor children."

From the Guatemala900 Initiative Website: August 3, 2010

Guatemala Minister Counselor Fernando de la Cerda is returning to Washington, DC today after an intense 10 day trip to Guatemala which included 2 meetings with Guatemala President Alvaro Colom. Fernando is reporting significant progress in finding solutions for moving the adoption cases of the Guatemala900 forwards towards resolution. Fernando’s efforts in Guatemala also included individual meetings with the PGN, CNA, Court of Appeals, MP, and with his own Department of Foreign Ministry.

On Monday, July 26th, President Colom hosted a meeting with the highest level officials from the PGN, CNA, MP and several high level lawyers. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss adoptions, including the resolution of the grandfathered cases. The same group along with the Deputy Secretary of Interior and high level officials from the Secretaría de Bienestar Social (SBS) convened again on Monday, August 2nd and will do so again next Monday, August 9th. Fernando reports that President Colom was sympathetic to the children who are in limbo and spearheaded discussions with the other officials about how cases can start to accelerate towards resolution. Fernando is optimistic that end result should be some significant measurable progress in the coming weeks and months.

As a condition, the officials in Guatemala are requesting information on the remaining cases. Specifically, Guatemala is asking for : • Adoptive Family’s Names • Child’s Name • Biological Mother’s Name • PGN or CNA identification Number

Continuing from my previous blog, we arrived back at the orphanage Hogar Solidario with the children much later than planned. The bus Ella and I were on kept breaking down on the way back from the zoo and finally we caught up with the other two buses and transferred over to them. When we arrived at the orphanage the children dispersed quickly and Gloria, the lovely Guatemalan woman who arranged this whole trip with the orphanage directors for our group, had our donations taken to be inventoried while we began a tour of the orphanage.

What can I say – this is a beautiful well thought out orphanage. [ASIDE: Contrary to what we’ve been hearing in the news in the US, UNICEF DID NOT GIVE A CENT TOWARDS THE BUILDING OF THIS ORPHANAGE] The idea for this orphanage was planted three presidential terms ago, but it was Alvaro Colom ,Guatemala’s present President who ensured that it was completed. You can view photos of it on this  youtube presentation – we were not allowed to take photos when we were inside the orphanage.