In Egypt, a push to get more orphans families, fight stigma Foster mother Yasmina El Habbal kisses with her 7-month-old daughter Ghalia, at their apartment in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. Egyptians who have taken in children under the Islamic system of guardianship known as Kafala are turning to social media to raise awareness as part of a push to provide orphans with permanent families. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Friday, February 5, 2021 2:12 AM EST By MARIAM FAM, AP
Yasmina El Habbal long dreamed of giving birth to a daughter and planned to name her Ghalia, Arabic for “precious.” She never got married, and never did.
Mariam Fam February 04, 2021 - 11:12 PM
Yasmina El Habbal long dreamed of giving birth to a daughter and planned to name her Ghalia, Arabic for âprecious.â She never got married, and never did.
But in an Egyptian orphanage at age 40, she finally found her Ghalia: a fussy baby girl with large brown eyes who promptly fell asleep in her arms.
âGod has created her for me,â El Habbal said. âThereâs no way I could have loved her more or become more attached to her had I given birth to her myself.â
Adoption in the strict sense of the word, with children taking on all the legal rights of biological offspring, is not allowed under Islam, which emphasizes the importance of preserving blood lineage. Instead there is Kafala, an alternative care system under which adults can become guardians of orphaned children.