IMPORTANT NOTICE:

I would like to remind all of those who have submitted details to the site, to ensure that they keep me updated with their e-mail addresses. Without them, I cannot contact you in the event of a match. So if you emigrate, move ISPs or go to a new job, please let me have your new e-mail address.

MARGARET HOST, please contact me re Justin

VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE:

ZIMBABWEAN ADOPTEES: You can now apply for the "full" form of your birth certificates which are necessary when applying for foreign passports.

To start you on your journey or quest for the missing pieces of your puzzle of life, here's a summary of what can be found in this site. Explore, and may you find who or what you seek. You can navigate round the site by clicking on the text links or the buttons on the left. Database The database has the details of people who are seeking their biological parents or their children given up for adoption for whatever reason ... By adding your details, you increase the chances of finding or being found. Don't EVER give up! Recently a number of the adoptees and bparents who were among the first to register on this site when it started in 1999 have found each other! Each successful match provides more useful information and experiences to be passed on to all of you to help you in your quest, and I would like to thank all those who contribute letters and articles to this site for others to read. It is paying off as more and more matches are made. The database contains information primarily from countries in Southern Africa (Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa) but due to an increasing number of international enquiries, I have started a separate international database which includes information from around the world. Please be patient - the database pages may take a while to download due to the large amount of information contained within them. Due to the large number of new entries received, I have now broken down the Adoptee Database into Years of Birth as well. Why? At some point in their lives, one or more members of the adoption ring or triad feels the overwhelming urge to seek another. The reasons are many and varied, and some clues can be found here. Join the Quest An on-line form for you to enter your details on to our database. Search Tips Probably the best place to start. You will find names, addresses and ... tips! Search Experiences "Learn by experience." Read about others' searches and submit yours to help others benefit. You can also find out how the adoption triad members feel about their experiences. These are broken down into categories, and some stories may be repeated in more than one category, depending on their relevance. (A special request: if you are replying to a story, please help me by including the title of the story in your e-mail.) Adoptees / Adoptive parents / Birth Parents / Grandparents - the forgotten side of the triad / General Comments Route Maps and Detours Here you'll find links to other useful Web sites. But, like the Boy Scouts, be prepared. Be prepared for anything. The quest follows an often rocky road, with many unforeseen obstacles and pitfalls. But if your heart is truly in the search, you may find what you seek. And that may not be what you expected! The Law and You This page gives some hopefully useful pointers as I have tried to include current adoption laws of some of the Southern African countries, so that you can check whether you are eligible to start a search for your child/parent. It is worth bearing in mind that some Government agencies will not open the adoption files, while others do not realise they are permitted to do so. I have also started a FAQs page, and invite contributors.Come on in, the search has just begun, and you will certainly find new friends on your journey back to your origins. This page gives a number of links to related pages. Feel free to navigate through them. If you get lost, Home is just a mouseclick away, but before you begin, please read just a bit more... and thank you! Oh, and please vote for this site, by clicking on the VOTE button at the bottom of this page. Some Frequently Asked Questions Why is this site so basic? I have deliberately left the design simple, with minimal graphics, to provide for those people who have older browsers and PCs,who have antiquated, slow phone lines, who have to use Internet cafes and pay by the minute, who have to use the facilities of friends or at work and therefore don't want to be on line for too long, or who just simply hate animations and frames!!! Why are there so many flags? I have had complaints from people that I was being biased, showing some old and some new flags. So I've added every flag I can find! What do you charge for using this site? These pages are not-for-profit; they were set up, and will be maintained, with love and encouragement. However, as I do it in my spare time, I cannot promise to update it daily... How do you find the person I'm looking for? I don't actually do the physical searching myself. I merely maintain this site to act as a "bulletin board" for you to get information to help YOU to conduct your own search. I do, however, constantly scan the database for any possible matches as new submissions are made. I will then contact the parties concerned. Finally, many of you have asked why I run this site. The answer can be found here.

Important Notes of Caution

• I would like to emphasise that it is most unwise for bparents and adoptees or aparents to meet each other without receiving counselling first. There are other people involved as well: siblings, partners and so on who are also affected, and the sudden appearance of a possibly unknown member of the family can cause tremendous disruption.