NOVEMBER 2005

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In the midst of suicide bombings and days of fighting and death, Iraqi boys and girls are being raised without parents. Among the thousands of orphaned Muslims are Chaldean Assyrian children growing up either without parents or with one parent who can no longer afford to support them. But in the shadows is the hope for a better life. Thousands of miles away, here in the United States, are childless men and women who yearn to give one of those children a better life. The one thing standing in the way is a law under Saddam Hussein that made adoption illegal. Now, with a new government, many people are hoping that will change. Frances George-McCullough and her husband John tried for years to conceive a child to no avail. She spent much time researching how to adopt a child from Iraq and realized there is danger involved. “It is very risky to go into Iraq and get a child,” she said. “You have to go in there and illegally take a child out. There are no legal channels to adopt.” George-McCullough is hopeful the doors will one day open for those who want to raise an orphaned child. “If there was an entire Iraqi family orphaned, I would raise the entire family,” she said. At 51, George-McCullough did not want to wait. She is now the mother of adopted daughter Emylee Rose, 27 months. Going through a United States agency that focuses on older parents, the McCulloughs are awaiting the arrival of their second child. “My daughter is Italian, Hawaiian, Indian, Hispanic, German and English, her adopted dad is Scottish and I am teaching her Chaldean,” said George-McCullough. “I love our culture and adopting her has been the greatest joy of my life.” Having been married before, George- McCullough has had the experience of raising a non-biological child. Twenty years ago, at the age of 3, Tracy Watkins became George-McCullough’s stepson. Even after her divorce from his father, George-McCullough continued to raise him up until two years ago, when he moved to California to be with his biological mother. needing homes Iraqi orphans remain in limbo as Chaldeans look to adopt BY VANESSA DENHA-GARMO Frances George- McCullough with her husband John and daughter Emylee Rose George-McCullough, like many other Chaldeans from Michigan, has done her own investigation into Iraqi adoption. “Adoption would be a better life for these children, to be raised with a mother and a father,” said Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim. “We support this as long as it is done right and they investigate these people who want to adopt and not just give these children to anyone.” NO AVENUES In the United States there are legal channels to follow for adoption. Potential parents fill out mountains of paperwork, participate in a home study where a background check on the family is conducted, and have a social worker visit the home. However, in Iraq there is no such program. “The Arab world does not have this type of experience with adoption,” said Bishop Ibrahim. “Orphanages are usually operated by the government. There were no orphanages allowed to be run by churches. We tried to open an official orphanage in Baghdad and we had to close it.” The orphanages in Iraq, which provide schooling up to the age of 18, were established by Iraq’s former government. The long-term survival of the orphanages depend on USAID food assistance provided through the World Food Program (WFP) established in 1997. The USAID program has contributed to the reduction of chronic malnutrition among children in Northern Iraq to 11 percent. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has also been providing food to orphanages. Many Christians try to protect their own orphaned children. Today, just 25 miles north of Mosul is a Chaldean church that houses six monks and some 36 orphaned boys ages 5 to 14. About 22 girls live at a convent in nearby Mosul. Several miles north in Alquosh is another home for orphaned children operated by Chaldean sisters. The Chaldean sisters oversee the housing of about 60 orphaned girls between St. Ann Church in Baghdad and Mary’s Daughters in Mosul, according to Mar Mere Philip Kirma. “I have asked many families if we could find homes for these orphaned girls but the relatives of these girls in Iraq don’t want to send these girls to other families,” said Mar Mere Philip. “I hope one day all of these orphaned girls are adopted.” Tamar and Paul Hesano were married for seven years before they adopted their daughter Taylor, NEEDING HOMES continued on 32 30 CHALDEAN NEWS NOVEMBER 2005
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