Why child adoption is vital in Tanzania

Dar es Salaam. Life changed drastically for Lydia (not her real name) when the two people who raised her died in a sudden car accident.

Unfortunately, by the time of their deaths, Lydia had not been legally adopted, although she had been living with her aunt since she was six months old.

Lydia’s biological mother (her aunt’s younger sister) had passed on. “My world was shattered… I was too young to know and understand why someone would say my parents aren’t my parents.”

Narrating to The Citizen, Lydia says, “I wish they had just adopted me and given me the last name of the man I previously thought was my biological father. This would enable me to feel like I’m not an outsider.”

She says that since that day she started feeling and being treated differently than her siblings, noting that she is literally an orphan for the second time.

Child adoption remains a challenging and foreign concept in Tanzania, despite the millions of children under the age of 14 who are not properly cared for.

With a population of over 60 million people, many children in Tanzania need places they can call home. Alas, the majority of them remain in orphanages, care centres, or on the streets.

Several other parent-less children don’t live on the streets; rather, they live with relatives or host families as ‘second-class children’.

They stand behind host families’ own children in terms of nutrition, education, and accommodation.

“Despite being neglected, it is worse if the children are studying far from home,” lamented Ms Lydia, saying she will make sure her own children are properly taken care of with love and affection.

However, things are merrier and different for Erick Manyasi, Diana Emmanuel, and James William (not real names), who have been adopted. Erick was three years old when he was legally adopted by his aunt after the death of his biological mother.

“We have one child, but we started living with Erick when he was one year old following the death of my sister,” says Mrs Mabele Manyasi, a member of a family residing in Kagera Region.

She says they were bitterly concerned with possible violations of the rights of the six-year-old child in case one or both of them died suddenly.

“We wanted his rights maintained like those of our biological son, including the right to inheritance,” she said.

James, on his part, says the adoption decision was a life-changing moment: “I was grateful and overwhelmed with joy that some strangers—people who are not relatives of mine—would wish to adopt me and become my parents.”

He says his wish was to have a family that would accept and love him, and that is exactly what he got.

“I don’t feel neglected or mistreated when I compare myself to my three siblings. I have found a home where I can feel I belong,” he said.

James was 12 years old when he was legally adopted and became part of the family of three other children; one boy and two girls.

It was difficult to know if James was adopted; visiting his home, it was difficult to differentiate between the biological children and James, the adopted child, despite the age differences among the children.

As for Diana, a nine-year-old child, all she needed was a second name that could aid her school registration since her biological parents are not married.

Despite the fact that her mother is married, her stepfather had no intention of giving her his second name.

“I wasn’t surprised when my husband decided to adopt my sister’s child. It was an act of courage and love for the child with whom we have been living together,” Diana’s adopted mother, who requested that her name not be printed in the newspaper, noted.

“I was struggling to provide my child with a surname that will be used for school registration after she has used a single name during childhood following the rejection of her father since pregnancy,” said Diana’s biological mother.

She says that when her brother-in-law offered to provide the second name, both she and Diana were extremely relieved.

In her case, Ms Lidya narrates how she was devastated to find out that the woman who raised her wasn’t her biological mother.

“People outside our social circle find it strange that my young sister’s child calls me ‘Mama Mkubwa,’ Swahili name for auntie, but she calls my husband ‘dad’. But what matters is that my niece has a surname and a father who loves her deeply,” notes Diana’s mother.

 Government’s statement

Statistics show that Tanzania has over four million children under the age of 14 who are not properly taken care of, with the majority in orphanages, childcare centres, and on the streets.

Tabling the 2023/24 budget, the minister for Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups, Dr Dorothy Gwajima, said a total of 41 children (19 females and 22 males) received foster care services between July 2022 and April 2023.

She said 34 other children, including 18 females and 16 males, were adopted during the same period.

“I appeal to the public and kind-hearted individuals to provide foster care and adoption to children growing up in poor conditions. Children need family care,” she noted.

Adoption processes

In Tanzania, child adoption is governed by the Law of the Child Act 2009, which says that once a child is adopted, a permanent legal bond is created between the child and adoptive parents.

The completion of the adoption process terminates the child’s rights with the original parents and biological family members.

An advocate, Ms Gloria Sandewa, says it isn’t a long or complicated process. “Though it is not happening as frequently as it is supposed to, considering the number of children in the streets and orphanage centres, the adoption process is very simple in Tanzania,” she says.

The consideration should be put on a large number of couples and women struggling to have their own children, according to Ms Sandewa.

Furthermore, the law requires adopting parents to start the process by visiting a social welfare office, where they will be required to express interest in adopting a child, either from a relative or an orphanage centre.

They will then be required to submit an adoption application order at the High Court of Tanzania for parents who want to adopt a child who is taken care of by a relative or to the District Court for children whose parents and relatives haven’t been identified.

“The process has no specific time frame between commencement and conclusion. However, I haven’t experienced rejection of applications,” says Ms Sandewa.

Section 7 (2) of the Act provides that “A person shall not deny a child the right to live with his parents, guardian, or family and grow up in a caring and peaceful environment.”

“There are so many deserving children out there who are waiting to be adopted. I hope they can get the same chance I’m privileged to have today, including enjoying unconditional love,” says James.

Stakeholders concerns

Despite the government’s call for more adoption of children, owners of childcare and orphanage centres have shared different opinions.

“I wouldn’t recommend adoption; children should remain at their respective centres, which they have been considering as their home. Sometimes, they cry when visitors speak about plans to take them away from the centres,” says Ms Thuwaybat Nassor from an orphanage in Dar es Salaam. She says children staying at the centres have created special bonds with caregivers that neither of them would prefer to be broken.

Ms Nassor, who heads the Umra Orphanage Centre, says despite the numerous adoption applications received, none of them have been successful.

“Once the applicants have been directed to visit the social welfare offices, they never return. Probably they find it difficult to fulfil the recommended application procedures,” she says.

Mr Diocres Mutalemwa said he was of the view that due diligence has to be done on the applicant’s ability to properly raise the child before approval.

“Before pushing for child adoption, efforts should be made to combine African-West traditions in child upbringing,” he opines.