Documenting Adoption in Pakistan

ARTIST STATEMENT

“The photo project “Karachi Kid” expresses our gratitude towards the miracle of adoption. We became parents through adoption and the process changed us, made us humble human beings as well as curious for the biological parents. As a mother, I am very very thankful to the soul who gave me the most precious gift of my life. For Kashif, it simply made him more curious over the passage of time. As a boy, he spent his childhood playing on the streets. Observing and interacting with homeless and orphan kids on the street was a regular thing for him. 

In August 2019, Kashif went back to Karachi, Pakistan to spend time with kids at orphanages and on the street- and to find answers to what makes women put their kids for adoption. His curiosity demanded answers for what are the reasons behind this painful decision of giving away a piece of their heart and body away. What is it that prevents a mother from being a mother? What happens to older kids who don’t get adopted? Why infanticide occurs and is overlooked? Is it poverty, illiteracy, male dominance, religion or culture that demands this sacrifice from mothers in a society? And what happens to the sacrificed abandoned kids?”

Faiza and Kashif Javaid, the parents of Haris

Faiza, Kashif, and Haris Javaid.

BIOGRAPHY

Son of a freelance artist and a compassionate mother, I was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan. With my friends, I played unsupervised in the streets and on the rooftops. The city was ours, at least in our minds it belonged to us.

Fast forward to now and I am married to my first love, my childhood friend. Father to a boy who has enabled me to become curious, expressive and playful. 

For more than a decade, photography has enabled me to express myself. At times, the camera allows me to escape and play unsupervised like the kid once did in Karachi. I am compelled to tell stories that are personal and are kept tucked away due to societal pressure and a vigilant and convulsive culture. 

I am a concerned photographer and a committed parent. I volunteer with Fairfax County’s Department of Family Services as a Parenting Education Program Facilitator and am currently in training to become a mentor. 

- Kashif Jamal Javaid