Children of War - Children of Hope
A primary humanitarian concern in the world today is in the youngest nation in the world, South Sudan, which became independent from the Republic of Sudan (northern Sudan) in 2011 after many years of terrible conflict and war.
But only two short years later, 2013 to the present, civil war within South Sudan has ravished the country killing and wounding tens of thousands, as well as, creating a devastating crisis with millions fleeing South Sudan to several neighboring countries. The UNHCR estimates that over one million refugees have fled to Uganda alone.
Since 2004 to the present, the founder of COW-COH, Shay Buttolph, has made numerous trips to South Sudan, ranging from 2 weeks to thirteen months, to meet with
government officials in the capital, Juba, as well as state and local officials in several areas of the country. The purpose of the meetings is for policy changes to be considered for domestic and international adoptions. The South Sudan Child Act of 2008 which continues to still be in effect states that a foreigner seeking adoption of a South Sudan orphan must reside in-country for 3 years. This, of course limits most adoptions.
In 2009 COW-COH, through hiring a South Sudan attorney firm, saw one adoption completed for an American missionary couple which founded Harvesters reaching the Nations (www.hrtn.org) which now operates two orphanages, schools, churches and one hospital on two campuses in Yei and Terekeka, South Sudan plus a primary school near Arua, Uganda serving the many refugee children who have fled from their homeland. The most recent trip to Uganda and South Sudan began in January 2020 for continuing work to complete a special needs orphan adoption in Juba, South Sudan. Due to the worldwide Covid Pandemic travel outside of South Sudan ceased until February 2021 after the completion of the adoption process and return to the U.S.