{"id":84326,"date":"2021-11-08T08:27:18","date_gmt":"2021-11-08T05:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/192.163.207.100\/~timesku1\/news\/?p=84326"},"modified":"2021-11-08T08:28:29","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T05:28:29","slug":"zeina-bader-bin-essa-adopting-nurturing-and-uplifting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timeskuwait.com\/news\/zeina-bader-bin-essa-adopting-nurturing-and-uplifting\/","title":{"rendered":"Zeina Bader Bin Essa: Adopting, nurturing, and uplifting"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Nourah Al-Oseimi<\/strong>
\nExclusive to The Times, Kuwait<\/h4>\n
\n

To adopt can mean one of two things (according to Oxford Languages), it can mean to \u201cchoose to take up, follow or use\u201d, or it can mean \u201clegally take (another\u2019s child) and bring it up as one\u2019s own\u201d. In some ways, I feel that the definitions are interlinked through the issue of choice. Unlike childbearing, which can happen accidentally sometimes, there is nothing accidental about the process of adopting a child. It is a structured, meticulous, and well-thought-out process that is driven heavily by one of many key factors, including a parent\u2019s choice to adopt.<\/p>\n

Ironically, however, it is the child in this situation who is robbed of their choice. Children do not choose to be put up for adoption. And yet, so many beautiful stories emerge from adoptive children who grew up with an entirely different household from what they were actually born into.<\/p>\n

Zeina Bader Bin Essa identifies herself as an \u201cadvocate of openness in adoption and an adoptive mum in Kuwait.\u201d Zeina is also the proud founder of Roots Kuwait, a non-profit organization that aspires to spread awareness and acceptance towards adoption in our region. What stood out to me the most prior to meeting Zeina for the first time was the short but powerful statement that she has written in her Instagram biography \u201cA family based on love & created by adoption\u201d. And so, I had to learn more.
\n\u201cI adopted Noor 16 years ago and at that time it was something new and everyone told me don\u2019t talk about it, it\u2019s not the right time. Three years later when I adopted Abdulwahab, things were a little different. There are some differences between adoption as a concept and what we do in Kuwait and Islamic countries overall.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you adopt, a child can take your family\u2019s name and is allowed to inherit what you leave behind, however in our culture, adopted children don\u2019t take our last names, nor are they given access to any inheritance, and this is due to religious factors.\u201d
\nZeina proceeded to explain to me the entirety of the process starting at when the child is initially found until the child is paired with his\/her adoptive family. Heartbreakingly, newborn babies are sometimes abandoned outside of mosques or supermarkets until someone finds them and calls upon local authorities to rescue them. Due to this and a lack of identification in most cases, it is nearly impossible to determine where the child\u2019s health records are (if there are any) and what issues do prospective adoptive parents need to know in relation to the child\u2019s genetic history.<\/p>\n

Zeina then spoke to me about the origins of Roots as an organization and the series of events that led her and her fellow adoptive peers to realize the importance of fostering a community of support, knowledge exchange and open communication. \u201cWe wanted to protect our children and learn how to cope with this new aspect of our lives. We communicate directly with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. The Ministry remains responsible for all adoptive children until they reach the adult age of 21. It is a very good system that protects our children.\u201d<\/p>\n\r\n