Kaz News: Program to improve child welfare

I am not sure what or who the "specialists" are - are they the directors of orphanages and the nannies and the administrators? At any rate, more attention is usually better By the year of 2008 it is supposed to increase staff of child welfare agencies. At present Kazakhstan numbers only 178 specialists.

Kaz News: Computer Science Jobs...hmmm

The Kazakhstani government announced a program designed to bring computer competence to more Kazakhstanis. One of us owns a Ph.D. in Computer Science and speaks just about zero Russian. ("Koshka") ("Female cat"). Oh, and might need a job in a few years. Hmm. Exciting.

Kazakhstan is an exciting country to watch in general right now. It has a very strong leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has a strong vision of Kazakhstan's future and has the power to drive it there. He, and his country, are doing an admirable job of walking the fine line between internationalization and strengthening the Kazakh culture and standard of living.

It would be rewarding to be part of something with such enthusiasm.

Kaz News: Old Problem, Still Not Gone

A UK article on the continuing human devastation caused by nuclear tests at Semipalatinsk. The separation from the Soviet Union also ended any pension or recompensation programs for the victims of the Soviet-era exposures. The genetic effects continue to be seen in newborns.

Kaz News: Archaeological Sites

Alot of Kazakh history is not recorded. Having a nomadic heritage, few permanent buildings remain to provide a historical record. There are no ancient cities like those built in the Silk Road countries to the south and west. There are, however, ancient tombs and ancient mines.that can tell about long-ago Kazakhs.

Where is the LOI?

The Letter of Invitation has not yet surfaced. This piece of documentation gets telexed from Astana, Kazakhstan's capital, to the Kazakstani embassy in D.C. It gives them permission to give me a business visa rather than a tourist visa. Without it I can not get a visa or set dates for travel.

But the tentative plans are still to be in Karaganda on September 3. It seems so far away, and yet the calendar is completely booked between now and then.

THE phone call

Came today. You know what phone call that is. _THE_ phone call.
OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH!!!

September 3, I am to be ready to be presented to the babies for inspection. Oh my goodness!! What a day!!!!

Bless that hard-working stork. He has fought his way out of yet-another "In" Box.

Diary of a July adoption trip

The Sinclairs are my agency's newest family, bringing baby Tristan to the U.S. just last week. I have tried to learn everything I can from their blogs. And I wish I could write like they do!

The Karaganda Baby House

The city of Karaganda is where my baby was born and currently lives in a Baby House attached to the Maternity Hospital.

The following links show weblogs and photos of the babyhouse. Not all of the children in the Baby House are available for adoption. Sometimes they are staying temporarily and still have contact with their families. All of them must be placed on a register for six months before they can be internationally adopted. During that six months, friends, family and neighbors can come for the baby.

Photos

• Photos from September 2005, Malutka Baby House, Karaganda
  
• Photos from January 2005, Malutka Baby House, Karaganda
  

Diaries

• 
  This woman,Mikel, traveled to a Karaganda orphanage in March of 2005. She stayed for six weeks and then brought her beautiful new son home. I wish I could write like she has. Click on the "My Trip" button for the diary of the trip to see a first-hand account of the process.