CHINA:
After two visits to China this year, Chapman and Shaohannah’s Hope met with Chinese government officials in Washington, D.C. to distribute funds to support several government and private projects. In May, Shaohannah’s Hope donated $10,000 for the “Tomorrow Plan,” a government project assisting over 30,000 orphans in need of corrective surgeries. Also in May, at the Chinese government’s request and to help raise awareness for this project, Chapman performed on one of China’s biggest broadcast networks for their show “Loving Heart for Orphans.” His initial performance on the program reached over one billion people and subsequently has been shown several times in the last four months.Shaohannah’s Hope is currently working on plans to help build a new foster home south of Beijing to take in severe special needs orphans, which are the hardest to place into an adoptive family, and assist these orphans in receiving corrective surgeries. The foundation is also supporting a program called “Care For Children,” which works to place China’s one million orphans in permanent homes. Thus far, “Care For Children” has placed 32,000 children with foster care families or in permanent placement with Chinese families. In many cases, orphans are adopted by their foster family.
AFRICA:
In August, the Chapman family and Shaohannah’s Hope traveled to the war-torn region of Northern Uganda, Africa, to learn first-hand about the war and its victims. At a local shelter in Kitgum, Uganda, the Chapmans met with some of the children of this area, called “night commuters.” Each night, these kids have to leave their parents and local villages to find shelter and safety to escape from the rebel terrorist forces called the LRA, Lord’s Resistance Army. The LRA, attempting to take over the area through its youth, kidnap the local children by raiding their homes at night. They then brainwash them, training them to become killers. In just two years, over 12,000 children have been abducted and turned into LRA soldiers. Many of these victims shared their horrifying stories of being forced to kill their own families.Seeing the desperate need for help in this particular region during their visit, Chapman and Shaohannah’s Hope began their work there by helping to rebuild an orphanage in Kitgum. Currently, this orphanage cares for 25 orphaned children under the age of five. Due to so many more homeless children roaming the streets in this region, the newer facility will provide shelter and care to an estimated 50 orphans.
Also while in Africa, Chapman was invited to perform for President Yoweri Museveni and his family and over 40 cabinet members at President Museveni’s house in Uganda.
EL SALVADOR:
During her visit to El Salvador in May, Mary Beth Chapman represented Shaohannah’s Hope as it is one of several organizations that has agreed to sponsor and oversee a committee of El Salvador officials as they modify their child welfare placement system. In addition, they are implementing a more streamlined international adoption process with the objective of making international adoption of children from El Salvador easier. While there, Mary Beth was able to visit some of the children waiting for homes, and funds have been granted to several orphanages in the area to help meet certain needs of their facilities.
HURRICANE DISASTER RELIEF:
Over $50,000 was granted to relief efforts by Shaohannah’s Hope through several of its partners in the affected Gulf Coast region. These partners have supplied basic care needs to the orphans in the areas and are working to reconstruct the damaged orphan care facilities.
SHAOHANNAH'S HOPE
In 2005 alone, Shaohannah’s Hope has assisted over 275 families, twice as many families than from the first two years as a ministry. Children that have been assisted by Shaohannah’s Hope with being adopted into American families have come from all around the world: China, Russia, Korea, India, Guatemala, Vietnam, Haiti, Romania and the United States.Shaohannah’s Hope launched HowToAdopt.org this past August. HowToAdopt.org is a comprehensive website created as an informational and instruction tool for families interested in adopting a child. The purpose of this resource guide is to provide the necessary steps to link willing families with waiting children through adoption.
