tw: people perceving him in a stereotypical way, people talking about his potential adoptive parents being “white saviors”
[name_m]Julius[/name_m] Balondemu Auma (9) is the boy that Forest’s family is potentially adopting. [name_m]Julius[/name_m] was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda. Kampala is a huge city, and [name_m]Julius[/name_m] spent a lot of his childhood exploring, playing soccer with friends, and going to school. His parents, though, both passed last year in a car crash and he has been staying with an uncle, but it isn’t permanent. His uncle had told foster care that he was unable to care for [name_m]Julius[/name_m] for long but would take care of him until they found a permanent solution. He and his uncle have a great relationship, but they both know it isn’t going to work out, and so they both hope that the Krueger’s are a great fit!
[name_m]Julius[/name_m] really liked [name_u]Forest[/name_u] when they video-chatted. Though she seems a little crazy, he likes her sparkly attitude and how she talks to him like a friend, even though they just met. He taught her some Swahili, his native language, and hopes he will be able to teach her more! He knows how much he will miss his friends in Uganda, all the wildlife he got to see with his family, his whole life, and he knows it will be very different in the US, but he is also so excited! The Kruegers have said that if he wants, they can sign him up for soccer team and Swahili lessons so that he can remember the language and they can call his friends and uncle whenever he wants. He likes how they understand the trauma he went through and what he likes to do, and he hopes they will be a good fit. [name_m]Julius[/name_m] has never been on a plane, though, and he is a little nervous for when he pays a visit to his potential new family soon.
There have been some problems though, and [name_m]Julius[/name_m] has overheard his uncle, the foster care people, and the Krueger parents talking about things that make him nervous. People in the Krueger’s community have been talking about how he must be “skinny” and “doesn’t know english” and “how will he survive in such a suburban place”. While [name_m]Julius[/name_m] knows he can prove them wrong, it still makes him uncomfortable, and he is very nervous about meeting those people. There has also been talk of the Krueger’s adopting him so they seem like saviors and above everyone else. Kids is his class and people in his community have even said this! [name_m]Julius[/name_m] doesn’t think it’s true, but if it is, he most definitley doesn’t want to go to them. His uncle has reassured him that all will be okay, and encourages him to remember to be strong, and that he is a courageous boy. [name_m]Julius[/name_m] hopes that is true.
Next: Maybe we can do Julius’s uncle?