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Gladney International Adoption Programs

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Today I spent my time working on projects related to Gladney's international adoption programs. Currently, Gladney helps match families with children from countries such as China, Nepal, Bulgaria, Rwanda and Mexico, to name a few. Gladney uses toys that are specific to each region to symbolize their knowledge of the region, and give prospective parents a small taste of the culture and everyday lives of children living overseas.

I researched prospective toys for Costa Rica, and found out that while children there enjoy participating in outdoor sports such as soccer and baseball, they also like to play with a "trompo" which is a combination of a spinning top and yo-yo. The tops are typically made out of wood and are often hand painted in vivid colors and patterns.

After researching Costa Rica, I worked on adding more information to each country's "Country and Culture" page on Gladney's website. I really enjoyed reading about each country and learning about their heritage. I know very little about African countries so I especially enjoyed reading about their history and culture. Some nations have a population made up of people who speak over 80 different languages!

Click here to view the Country and Culture page for Rwanda.  Let me know what you found interesting about Rwanda's culture!

Lauren Hensarling
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