How adoption worked for me Christopher Ategeka
How many of you are tired
of seeing celebrities adopting kids
from the African continent?
(Laughter)
Well, it’s not all that bad.
I was adopted.
I grew up in rural Uganda,
lost both my parents
when I was very, very young.
And when my parents passed,
I experienced all the negative
effects of poverty,
from homelessness,
eating out of trash piles,
you name it.
But my life changed
when I got accepted into an orphanage.
Through one of those
sponsor-an-orphan programs,
I was sponsored and given an opportunity
to acquire an education.
I started off in Uganda.
I went through school, and the way
this particular program worked,
you finished high school
and after high school,
you go learn a trade –
to become a carpenter, a mechanic
or something along those lines.
My case was a little different.
The sponsor family that was sending
these 25 dollars a month
to this orphanage to sponsor me,
which – I had never met them –
said, “Well …
we would like to send you
to college instead.”
Oh – it gets better.
(Laughter)
And they said, “If you get the paperwork,
we’ll send you to school
in America instead.”
So with their help,
I went to the embassy
and applied for the visa.
I got the visa.
I remember this day like it was yesterday.
I walked out of the embassy
with this piece of paper in my hand,
a hop in my step,
smile on my face,
knowing that my life is about to change.
I went home that night,
and I slept with my passport,
because I was afraid
that someone might steal it.
(Laughter)
I couldn’t fall asleep.
I kept feeling it.
I had a good idea for security.
I was like, “OK, I’m going
to put it in a plastic bag,
and take it outside and dig a hole,
and put it in there.”
I did that, went back in the house.
I could not fall asleep. I was like,
“Maybe someone saw me.”
I went back –
(Laughter)
I pulled it out, and I put it
with me the entire night –
all to say that it was
an anxiety-filled night.
(Laughter)
Going to the US was,
just like another speaker said,
was my first time to see a plane,
be on one, let alone sit on it
to fly to another country.
December 15, 2006.
7:08pm.
I sat in seat 7A.
Fly Emirates.
One of the most gorgeous,
beautiful women I’ve ever seen walked up,
red little hat with a white veil.
I’m looking terrified,
I have no idea what I’m doing.
She hands me this warm towel –
warm, steamy, snow white.
I’m looking at this warm towel;
I don’t know what to do with my life,
let alone with this damn towel –
(Laughter)
(Applause)
I did one of the –
you know, anything anyone
could do in that situation:
look around, see what
everyone else is doing.
I did the same.
Mind you, I drove about seven hours
from my village to the airport that day.
So I grab this warm towel,
wipe my face just like
everyone else is doing,
I look at it –
damn.
(Laughter)
It was all dirt brown.
(Laughter)
I remember being so embarrassed
that when she came by to pick it up,
I didn’t give mine.
(Laughter)
I still have it.
(Laughter)
(Applause)
Going to America opened doors for me
to live up to my full God-given potential.
I remember when I arrived,
the sponsor family embraced me,
and they literally had to teach me
everything from scratch:
this is a microwave,
that’s a refrigerator –
things I’d never seen before.
And it was also the first time
I got immersed into a new
and different culture.
These strangers showed me
true love.
These strangers showed me that I mattered,
that my dreams mattered.
(Applause)
Thank you.
These individuals had two
of their own biological children.
And when I came in, I had needs.
They had to teach me English,
teach me literally everything,
which resulted in them spending
a lot of time with me.
And that created a little bit
of jealousy with their children.
So, if you’re a parent in this room,
and you have those teenager children
who don’t want anything to do
with your love and affection –
in fact, they find it repulsive –
I got a solution:
adopt a child.
(Laughter)
It will solve the problem.
(Applause)
I went on to acquire
two engineering degrees
from one of the best
institutions in the world.
I’ve got to tell you:
talent is universal,
but opportunities are not.
And I credit this
to the individuals
who embrace multiculturalism,
love, empathy
and compassion for others.
We live in a world filled with hate:
building walls,
Brexit,
xenophobia here on the African continent.
Multiculturalism can be an answer
to many of these worst human qualities.
Today, I challenge you
to help a young child
experience multiculturalism.
I guarantee you
that will enrich their life,
and in turn,
it will enrich yours.
And as a bonus,
one of them may even give a TED Talk.
(Laughter)
(Applause)
We may not be able to solve the bigotry
and the racism of this world today,
but certainly we can raise children
to create a positive,
inclusive, connected world
full of empathy,
love
and compassion.
Love wins.
Thank you.
(Applause)