"Let's Talk Adoption" workshop about post-adoption journey with partner Good Pathways
We collaborated with our partner Good Pathways to organise our first event together - Let’s Talk Adoption - a workshop about post-adoption journey. After the workshop, we were also blessed to participate in their 10th anniversary celebration!
Our ED, Kuan Ying, introduced HFG and shared her journey with adoptive parents, clearly expressing her deep gratitude and love for these parents.
We were excited to meet new friends who learnt about our work and this workshop via FB, and “old” friends who have become dear sojourners over the years. Participants to the event comprised adoptive parents, prospective adoptive parents and supporters of adoption, including professionals from the social sector.
Both Good Pathways’ founder Elaine (adoptive parent) and adoptee Ashley shared unique perspectives of the adoption journey from their personal experiences as well as from their interactions with other adoptive parents/adoptee. Their sharing included the adoptive identity, the search and discovery journeys for adoptees and their adoptive parents.
After the sharing, smaller group discussions were held, which allowed participants to have deeper and more enriching conversations. For examples - participants shared how they have gained a better understanding of the struggles faced by their adoptee family members/friends after the sharing; adoptees’ search for their identities have been expressed in different ways, and the search is more complicated than peers who are going through the development stages. Within the small groups, there were also candid Q&A among the prospective adoptive parents and existing adoptive parents and professionals.
Elaine and Ashley ended the workshop with Q&A from the big group, which both of them openly shared their experiences and advices. When Elaine’s adopted son first asked about who was his real mum, she wasn’t affected by the term “real”, which many people might. This was because she knew that at his young age, he was unable to differentiate the various terms and it was good enough for him to be able to express his thoughts and questions.
Despite the challenges faced in the adoption journey, it was beautiful and encouraging to witness the joy, confidence and hope expressed in the sharing by Elaine and Ashley. Elaine has learnt to walk with, instead of lead, her adopted son in his adoption journey. The journey is unique for each person. Ashley has learnt from her search and discovery that she is loved, wanted and important, and amazingly using her personal journey to champion the post-adoption journey including this workshop!
We sincerely thank our partner Good Pathways for the great preparation work and thought that have been put into the workshop, and all participants who came and shared their time, experiences and even personal concerns with the group today.
We are also thankful for our partner WorkCentral for providing such a beautiful and cozy environment for this workshop.
