ADOPTION IS A JOURNEY OF SELFLESS ACTS

By Evans Molimi 

Mr Fuzile Ngono and his wife entered the adoption process with open hearts and eyes. Adopting their daughter has become one of the most meaningful decisions they have ever made, reflecting deeply on who they are as individuals and as a family.

With tears in his eyes, Ngono shares that he and his wife struggled with infertility for five years, assuming they would conceive naturally after marriage. When they could not, they turned to adoption, a choice that filled them with a renewed sense of purpose and humanity.

“Dedicated social workers from the Department of Social Development guided us through every step of the adoption process,” Ngono explained. After six months of navigating procedures and paperwork, they brought their daughter home when she was nine months old. Since then, they have never looked back. Now seven years old, their “princess” is thriving and happily settled into first grade.

Speaking at the World Adoption Day commemoration in Vryburg, Ngono shared that adoption was not a decision made under pressure or to fill a void, but rather something that felt natural and right for them. “One day, we just woke up and knew it,” he reflected. “Adopting our daughter is the most selfless thing we have ever done. It is a decision that aligns with our deepest beliefs—that it takes a village to raise a child.”

Initially, the couple’s greatest fear was whether they would be able to bond with their child. However, the adoption journey turned out to be less of a fairy tale and more of a practical experience. “As adoptive parents, we’ve found a boundless joy we never anticipated. This journey has deepened our understanding of parenthood and the different paths to becoming parents. Whether through natural birth or adoption, our goal was always the same—parenthood.”

Ngono also shared how naturally their relationship with their daughter blossomed. “Bringing her home, we were taken by surprise at how quickly routine tasks—changing nappies, bathing her, dressing her—created such deep bonds of love. We truly love her as though she were our biological child.”

Adjusting to life with a baby was challenging, he admits, yet both he and his wife feel profoundly grateful for the transformation adoption has brought to their lives. “Our commitment is to create a nurturing environment for our daughter,” he says.

Ngono concluded with a call for communities to self-reflect and foster more supportive environments for children. “Despite social workers’ efforts to place children in loving homes, communities must also play their part by creating hope and safe spaces for every child. This can help reduce the number of neglected children around us.”