Slovakia can be described as a philanthropic country with conscientious people who show solidarity with those in need and responsibility for the situation in developing countries. At least that is what emerges from a questionnaire survey – conducted at the end of May – which focused on the topic of distance adoption of children from the African continent. How else to explain that the vast majority of respondents know the term distance adoption, three quarters of them would gladly adopt a child through such a project (with 84% of people willing to adopt an HIV-positive child). However, as many as 64% of survey participants consider it unethical to choose an adoptive child based on physical appearance and photograph.
At the end of May, 221 people responded to the call to fill out a questionnaire on the topic of distance adoption, approached on four social networks. The age of respondents ranged on average from 26 to 30 years, with exactly half of them indicating their status as single. Half of the respondents came from the Bratislava Region (surroundings of the capital of the Slovak Republic, Bratislava), the remaining seven regions were represented evenly.
How much do we know about adoption? An incredible 99% know the term distance adoption. More than half of the respondents know someone in their surroundings who has a child adopted at a distance in a developing country. Identifying organizations was more difficult, as half of the respondents knew non-governmental organizations mediating distance adoption on the Asian continent, not the African. However, this survey focused on supporting education for children specifically in selected countries in Africa, since among the three priority countries of Slovak Official Development Assistance are two African ones (Kenya and South Sudan) and several Slovak civic associations have their field workers there. Respondents were most familiar with three of the seven specific organizations: Nadácia Integra (operating mainly in Ethiopia and Kenya), SAVIO (focused on Kenya and South Sudan), and Dobrota sv. Alžbety (mediating distance adoption in Kenya).
As many as three quarters of respondents had thought about adopting a child from a developing country, with more than three quarters specifically considering the African continent. However idealistic or cliché it may sound – their motivations, motives for this decision were: solidarity with those in need (for 143 out of 221 people), support for education of children outside Europe (for 96 respondents), further pity or compassion for defenseless children (for 86 people), or responsibility for the situation in third world countries (for 63 respondents), with the possibility of giving more than one reason within the questionnaire. It is important to point out another interesting result from this questionnaire: up to 84% of people would also adopt an HIV-positive child at a distance.
How will the funds from adoptive parents be used? Half of Slovaks involved in this survey would be willing to send their adoptive child to the African continent between 10 and 20 euros monthly, almost a fifth of respondents would gladly send up to 20 or 30 euros to support their adoptive child on the African continent. These funds are mostly used for the purchase of school uniforms, books and school supplies, and if necessary, the provision of food or medicine.
Regarding trust in organizations in the Slovak Republic mediating distance adoption, up to 66% of respondents (that is 145 people) trust the given organizations and their projects. Among frequent answers – on how to increase the transparency of organizations in Slovakia providing support for children's education in Africa – were: posting annual and monthly reports and a photo gallery from the project on the organization's website, or communication on social networks. What may be interesting (in terms of media effects on the audience): more than half of the respondents demanded: filming a documentary about the adoption process in the given country and publishing regular press releases in the media. As many as 129 people (that is, more than half) would support their child for more than five years.
More than half of respondents would give 5% of their monthly contribution to the specific Slovak organization administering the project in the given African country. But there were also 14 generous Slovaks who would be willing to give up to 20% of the contribution for the child to the administering organization. Adoptive parents would like to receive information about the use of their funds, i.e., about the support of a specific child in the form of a letter from the child, a written evaluation of the project from the field worker of the given organization, an email about the child's condition from the specific organization, and a photograph of the child.
Is selection based on a photograph ethical? Among the criteria for selecting an adoptive child among Slovak (potential) parents were: family incompleteness (in 85 out of 221 respondents), age, further health status, number of siblings of the child, and country of origin. It is important to note that the photograph and physical appearance of the child interested only 18 out of 221 survey participants. It was important to place a similarly framed question in the questionnaire once more – to verify the attitude of adoptive parents. To the question: "Do you consider it ethical to select a child based on a photograph/physical appearance?" 67% of people answered – no.
In conclusion, potential parents could ask about anything they were interested in regarding distance adoption. Questions were raised concerning transparency of funding of such projects in Africa and adequate use of funds, as well as very stimulating impulses. For example, how do the adopted children themselves view the process of such an adoption; how do the other siblings in a family where only one child is adopted at a distance react; what opportunities do the children have in adulthood; whether planned parenthood is also part of education; whether there is a possibility to help families protect themselves against the HIV virus and through sponsoring protection.
The most emotional and sincere can be considered the response of one Slovak woman, who also provided her contact information – as she would be interested in a traditional adoption of a child, not just distance adoption. To the question of whether this type of help in developing countries (helping to fulfill one of the UN Millennium Development Goals and supporting education through distance adoption) makes sense, 207 out of 221 respondents answered – yes. This number needs no special comment...
Text: Božena Baluchová This journalistic piece was produced as part of a planned series of articles on the topic of 'distance adoption' (support for children's education on the African continent, implemented by Slovak non-governmental organizations) as a result of the course Reporting and Writing about the Development World at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, which was organized for Slovak participants by the organizations PDCS and Platforma MVRO.