A Note from Brooke Montgomery, Director and Founder of TAS
I arrived in Tanzania in July 2002 with my family and the dream of establishing a children’s rights center in Dar es Salaam. The Boona Baana Center for Children’s Rights was established in September 2002 and it is now “up and running” with various projects aimed at assisting vulnerable children to access their basic rights.
As an adoptive mother and lawyer, one of the first things I began to research upon arriving in Tanzania was the adoption process. What I found out was “YES! It IS possible to adopt a child in Tanzania! But…it is not easy.” I began to informally assist other families who were hoping to adopt and now, four years later, I have had the honour, privilege and joy of being a part of more that 50 adoptions.
As word has spread about the adoption assistance and advocacy that I provide, I have been overwhelmed (but delighted!) by the large numbers of calls and e mails that I have received from people who are interested in adopting a Tanzanian child.
In 2005 I formalized the assistance that I provide by creating the Tanzanian Adoption Society which is a registered non governmental organization in Tanzania.
I do believe that in a perfect world adoption would not be necessary. In a perfect world there would be no abandoned babies and there would be no orphaned children.
And yes…I also believe that adoption is NOT the answer to Africa’s many woes. But adoption is still a win-win situation for many children in need (particularly those who have been abandoned and for whom no biological family can be found) and the families who want desperately to give such children a loving and permanent home.
So…here I am. Ready, willing and (hopefully) able to help Tanzanian children in need of forever families to find their homes.