Twins separated at birth are reunited through TikTok

Illegal adoption practices in the country of Georgia in Eastern Europe have separated many children from biological family. Social media could be a solution for these lost children. 

Words:

• The practice of baby trafficking describes the stealing, transporting, and selling of babies.
• When you trace someone, you are trying to find them using clues and leads.
• Something is described as miraculous, it is being compared to a miracle, something extraordinary or unbelievable.
• When an event or a practice lasts for multiple decades, it’s described as spanning decades.
• When a practice is regulated, it means the government manages it and develops rules or laws for it. 
• A practice that’s described as sophisticated is advanced and cleverly designed.

Watch 00:00 – 01:27 of the video.

1. Look the statements below. Which of these statements are true?

A. Thousands of Georgians are discovering they were stolen from their parents.

B. Parents sold their children on the black market.

C. The baby trafficking scandal started in the early 70s. 

D. The trafficking is thought to have continued until the mid 2000s. 

E. Some people have taken their case to the Georgian court after finding their birth certificates. 

F. Many people use TikTok to trace their biological families. 

2. The twins Amy and Ano were illegally adopted. What did the doctors tell their biological mother when they were born?

3. How did the twins use the following social media platforms? Fill in the missing words to complete the sentences. You will have three words left.

twins – victims – baby trafficking – message – related – adopted – alike – illegal – biological – video

TikTok: Ano found a […] of Amy, and thought they might be […] because they look […]. Ano then contacted Amy, and they found out they were […].

Facebook: The sisters found their […] mother in a group for […] of […].

Watch 01:27 to the end of the video.

4. Tamuna Museridze has a personal reason to research the baby trafficking scandal. What is this reason?

5. The voice-over said that baby trafficking thrived when the country was in ‘economic despair’. Why do you think this is? Explain your answer.

6. Explain what this sentence means in your own words. You can use up to three sentences: 

A sophisticated network of criminals working alongside corrupt doctors profited from a culture of secrecy and shame surrounding adoption.