Recent program updates from Holt-supported family strengthening and orphan care programs around the world!
China
On June 16, a group of 24 travelers — all Chinese adoptees and their families — embarked on Holt’s 12-day China Heritage Tour, our first heritage tour to the region since 2018! The trip is being led by Jian Chen, Holt’s vice president of China regional programs, and tour organizer Lotus Travel.
During their stay, adoptees and their families have the opportunity to experience China’s culture, customs and history as they travel from big cities to rural villages. Participants are able to visit some of the country’s most notable sites, such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors museum and the mountains of Guilin. They are also offered a comprehensive historical and cross-cultural perspective of China’s adoption program.
The China Heritage Tour is open to families of children adopted from any province and through any agency. Whenever possible, adoptees have the chance to visit their former orphanage, foster family and/or sites significant to their adoption story and meet the people who touched their early lives.
Since 1992, Holt has united more than 7,000 children from China with adoptive families in the U.S. While Holt’s China adoption program is currently closed, we encourage families to explore our two other adoption programs in the region — in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Colombia
Since 2018, Holt has worked with partnering care centers and the government of Colombia to help children join loving families through international adoption. Many of the children waiting for families are older, part of a sibling group or have special medical or developmental needs.
To help these waiting children find permanent, loving homes, Holt offers U.S. families a unique opportunity to host an older child in their home for five weeks in the summer or three weeks in the winter through our Colombia hosting program. The program is designed for families who are considering older child adoption or who are interested in advocating for older children who need families. It also gives children a chance to experience family life in the U.S.
On June 29, 11 children from Colombia will travel to the U.S. to stay with nine host families. The children will have a wonderful summer of cultural exploration and family life and will remain in the U.S. until the first week of August.
Ethiopia
Food insecurity and malnutrition are a major concern in Ethiopia. The World Food Programme estimates that 20 million Ethiopians are currently experiencing food insecurity, meaning they are unable to access or afford the food they need to live a healthy life. About 7.4 million children and women are malnourished.
In line with Holt’s objectives to promote sustainable livelihoods and enhance food security, Holt Ethiopia and its local partners have distributed vegetable seeds to the families of 318 children enrolled in our Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program. Additionally, routine health screenings were recently conducted for 400 children in our ECCD and primary school programs.
India
India is the world’s most populous nation with more than 1.4 billion residents. The Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine estimates that roughly 30 million Indian women are pregnant each year, but millions suffer from ill health during pregnancy and tens of thousands die due to complications.
In addition, India is home to 139 million internal migrants, including children. These include families who migrate to cities from rural areas to find work. Holt’s partner organization, Vathsalya Charitable Trust (VCT), works with such families in the city of Bangalore, operating a daycare center for children of migrant workers. On Mother’s Day this year, VCT held a celebration for parents. Children performed a song and dance to honor their mothers, while speakers encouraged the mothers to find some time for personal enjoyment. The event was a success, as the mothers expressed a sense of joy and relaxation and made a commitment to regular self-care.
Korea
The Holt National Wheelchair Basketball Competition is held annually to commemorate people in Korea with disabilities. This year’s tournament took place at the Holt Ilsan Center, with six Korean teams in competition.
The Ilsan Center was established in the 1960s by Holt’s founders, Harry and Bertha Holt, as a long-term care facility and home for children and adults with special needs. Today, the Ilsan Center is recognized around the world for its state-of-the-art therapy, independent living training, and special education and tutoring for children at a school adjacent to the property. For children in care, the services they receive at Ilsan help prepare them to join adoptive families in Korea or the U.S. For long-term residents, the services provide greater quality of life and help them live as independently as possible.
Vietnam
While Vietnam’s economy has grown stronger in recent decades, child poverty remains a concern in this Southeast Asian nation. Today, 37% of children are considered poor, with this number rising to 43% in rural areas. What’s more, about 12% of children — or more than 3 million children — in Vietnam are in need of mental health support services.
Recently, Holt Vietnam teamed up with a psychiatry expert to visit the Holt-supported Child Welfare Center (CWC) in Dong Nai province. As a result of a request from the CWC’s manager, Holt Vietnam set up a new counseling service room at the center. Support services in the counseling room will be aimed at improving the mental health of those living at the CWC, especially children.
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