Also, this having been done in the then Rhodesia, they haven't changed their policy much, as far as I know, and the birth mother there has no rights. I don't know whether, if I sent them details of my address, they would even have an appropriate place to file it away, or if they would just shove it into "file 13". What do you think?

Although the law hasn't changed much, letters don't go into 'file 13', however, they do take a very long time to be answered. If your child has been looking for you and written to Social Welfare in Zimbabwe they will have kept it on file. If you write they will eventually get back to you and let you know any information they have. Don't give up - they move very slowly and you may have to write more than once. I think I wrote about five times before I finally got a reply. If you can get Social Welfare in Botswana to write on your behalf (I don't know how they operate there) the reply would be sent to them and it would probably happen a lot quicker - official paper seems to help a lot.
Whatever you do please don't give up. Always let the Zimbabwe Welfare know of any changes of address etc. the more up to date they are the more likely you are to be contacted.
I started searching for my birth mother 11 years ago. It took 3 years before I got a reply only to tell me she had died. However, I do have a sister and unfortunately she must have given up looking for me because the information I was given was very out of date and has meant that my search still goes on. I live in hope that one day I will find my sister.

Reply to Jenny
Submitted by D Brewer

Please don't give up. I have found my son through the Zimbabwean social welfare. We communicated by email in November 2000 and eventually met on the 28th December 2000. We are wonderfully glad at our decision to meet and have a very special relationship. It took me 5 years as everything had to go through the international Adoption agency and is a very slow process. I live in Zimbabwe and feel that I could help you.