Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000013
|
00:03 In this episode of Hope In Motion,
00:06 Jim Rennie CEO for Asian Aid USA, 00:09 looks back on the past year and remembers the moments 00:12 and the faces that gave him hope. 00:15 I was excited to go and meet Jyothi 00:18 and to see how she had learned tailoring 00:20 and how this class had made a real difference 00:23 for her and her family both for learning this skill 00:26 to provide for her family and for her income. 00:30 And a 15-year-old girl faces unimaginable trauma 00:34 at the hands of sex traffickers. 00:38 I was told until I earned the money back 00:40 I wasn't allowed to leave. 00:42 I cried for days, I wanted to runaway 00:45 but there was security all around. 00:48 When we took her to the government home 00:51 she discovered that she was HIV positive and pregnant, 00:55 three months pregnant the same day. 00:57 Stay tuned for the dramatic season finale of Hope In Motion. 01:12 India is a land full of contrast. 01:17 It's a land of great mystery and beauty. 01:20 It's a land of unspeakable despair. 01:24 By traveling through India one thing is for sure, 01:27 it's a land filled with people 01:29 who should never be underestimated. 01:32 For the last 40 years 01:34 Asian Aid has invested in the futures of people 01:37 who had never been given such a chance 01:39 and their investment has proven infinite returns. 01:44 Driven by the vision of Helen Eager 01:46 dedicated to helping those who have the least, 01:49 Asian Aid is an organization 01:50 implementing diverse development projects 01:53 and sponsoring thousands of children. 01:56 Their outreach spans from Bangladesh to Nepal, 01:59 Sri Lanka and beyond from remote villages 02:03 in empty fields to sprawling centers of education 02:07 from nothing to the unimaginable. 02:10 Now, Asian Aid decided to document 02:13 the work it has been doing all these years 02:15 with the desire to show the world 02:17 what is possible by digging wells 02:19 in remote villages for clean drinking water 02:22 and bringing much needed healthcare 02:24 to the woman of Nepal, 02:26 by providing an education for orphans, 02:28 deaf, and blind children, 02:30 giving them a sense of place, a home. 02:33 But what we really discovered was being given was hope. 02:37 Giving hope to children, giving hope to women, 02:41 giving hope to the ones who needed the most, 02:45 this is Hope In Motion. 03:06 For the past four years 03:08 Jin Rennie has been serving the people of India and Nepal 03:10 as the CEO for Asian Aid USA. 03:14 Originally from Christ Church New Zealand, 03:16 Jim is currently living in the United States 03:18 but he travels back and forth to India several times a year. 03:22 He is come to know first hand the faces 03:24 and personal stories of the people 03:26 you've met through this series. 03:28 Back in 2010 Asian Aid made a decision 03:32 that it should share the word that it is done 03:34 in South East Asia, especially India. 03:38 Asian Aid has helped thousands and thousands of children 03:41 through sponsorship. 03:43 It is help a blind and the deaf 03:45 and has supported many orphanages. 03:47 This series was to show 03:49 how Asian Aid has given so many children 03:52 and so many communities real hope. 03:56 Through our Hope In Motion series 03:58 we have been able to share with you 04:00 how Asian Aid over the years 04:02 is empowering women in some of the tribal villages 04:05 of Andhra Pradesh. 04:07 We are teaching them how to do business 04:09 and coaching them in schools like tailoring 04:12 and giving them a dignified livelihood 04:15 so they can really take care of their families. 04:18 We saw Jyothi narrate her story of hope 04:21 because she was able to attend tailoring classes 04:25 and the dream she has for her family. 04:27 Just a couple of months ago 04:29 I was excited to go and meet Jyothi 04:32 and to see how she had learned tailoring 04:34 and how this class had made a real difference 04:37 for her and her family both by learning this skill 04:40 to provide for her family and for income. 04:44 We saw stories coming out of our deaf school in Kollegal, 04:47 where one of our first students from the school 04:50 is now working in a good job 04:52 and is supporting his parents and disable sister. 04:56 We also met Pradeep 04:58 who were struggling with sign language 05:00 when he arrived at the school. 05:02 But the school, the staff 05:04 and the students made him really feel at home. 05:07 Staff like Shiny and her husband Jacob 05:10 are making a real difference. 05:13 We get love it's-- money just comes and goes. 05:16 It comes today it goes tomorrow 05:17 but hundred students love, 05:20 you won't earn it in your lifetime. 05:22 Volunteers are an integral part 05:24 of our project work with Asian Aid. 05:26 In the beginning of the last academic year 05:28 we had a young group called, Heart Slide group 05:31 come from United States 05:33 and spend sometime with the children at our school 05:35 for the blind in Bobbili. 05:37 It was a huge placing both of the blind children 05:41 and the volunteers. 05:44 Bye, Sam. Bye, bye. 05:46 Bye, bye. Bye, bye. 05:48 We miss you. Miss you, bye. 05:52 In the fourth episode we met Sue Smith an Asian Aid supporter 05:56 who along with her church members 05:58 is doing their best to make the school of Vizianagaram 06:02 a better place for their children. 06:11 One of the schools that we are really proud of 06:13 is the Emmanuel Adventist School at Jaipur. 06:16 This school was a team effort from the start 06:18 that had the vision of Helen Eager her founder 06:22 with support of Garwin McNeilus from the USA 06:25 and the building was built Maranatha. 06:28 This school caters to the tribal areas in Jaipur, 06:32 including the bonded tribe. 06:35 We also saw had God's prediction was at Jaipur 06:39 during the riots that occurred. 06:42 I think sometimes God allows 06:45 certain things to happen for good. 06:48 One of things that really makes me happy 06:50 is when I see Asian Aid children 06:53 after finishing their education come back and work for us, 06:57 work for one of the many schools 07:00 where we have children. 07:02 In our episode give we saw exactly that. 07:07 When I was born I born like a sighted person, 07:12 when I have three years that time 07:14 I loosed my eyes because of eye cancer. 07:17 Some of the most despairing stories 07:19 come from the school for the blind here in Bobbili. 07:23 We witness the tragic story of Shankar, 07:26 who lost both eyes because of cancer. 07:29 It is amazing to see how he has lifted himself up 07:33 and has a courageous outlook in life. 07:36 This is only possible again 07:38 because of the good leadership of the staff 07:40 at the Bobbili blind school 07:42 who go beyond the call of duty 07:44 to make this place comfortable for children like Prince. 07:50 The-- whatever Christ has done on this earth, 07:53 we the teachers have taken it up as a challenge 07:56 to do our small little part. 07:58 This past year our major project 08:00 has been the building of the new home 08:03 for the Sunrise children in Bobbili. 08:06 For a longtime they had to put out 08:08 with the pooling conditions 08:10 which they all took on their stride. 08:12 But they deserve something better. 08:15 We are happy to provide a home 08:16 for someone like Hannah and Joshua. 08:19 It is also exciting for us 08:21 when these children take a stand for Jesus 08:24 and want to be baptized. 08:26 Last year I was privileged to be a part of the baptism service 08:30 with 30 of our children from Sunrise Home to baptism. 08:36 Who can forget the story of Keerthana. 08:38 We were at the home when she arrived. 08:41 We saw the tears and the pain, and we heard out that's-- 08:45 that she would last no more than a week. 08:47 But within a week she was a completely different person. 08:51 She was happy and smiling 08:53 and recently our visit at Elim home 08:55 and saw the difference that has been made. 08:58 It's so exciting to see the difference 09:00 what sponsorship is making with these children. 09:04 A large part of our success goes to our field workers 09:08 who carry out an important job 09:10 and check to see if Asian Aid children 09:13 are well and taken care of in their respective schools. 09:17 Some of our filed workers have to travel long distances 09:20 to check on a school. 09:22 We are so thankful for the work they do. 09:30 Asian Aids work in India began at Sunshine Home. 09:34 Beulah Fernandez has given many years of service 09:37 to the hundreds of children 09:39 who have come through Sunshine Home 09:41 and gone on the greater things. 09:43 Her patience and her love for the children 09:45 not only reflects that the strong Christian ethic 09:49 but also reflects the work that Asian Aid is committed to. 10:17 It's encouraging to look back on the difference 10:19 Asian Aid has made to the love and support of their donors. 10:23 But looking forward there is still more work to be done. 10:29 I was told until I earned the money back 10:31 I wasn't allowed to leave. 10:40 Covers are right here. 10:42 I love you. Happy day in school. 10:45 Bye. Bye. 10:47 See to night. 10:48 Give my love to Meena. 10:49 I will. 11:20 You can make a big difference every morning. 11:23 Sponsor a child with Asian Aid. 11:44 I'm here today in Andhra Pradesh, India, 11:46 at the Vizianagaram school with my friend Adarsh. 11:49 Seven years old and my family, myself sponsored him. 11:53 Everyday he's able to accommodation, 11:55 food, clothes and a good education. 11:59 We want you to know what a blessing this is 12:01 and that you too can make the difference 12:03 in the life of a child everyday through sponsorship. 12:24 Asian Aid's primary focus 12:25 is always been providing education to poor 12:28 and needy children through its sponsorship program. 12:31 Especially children from tribal areas, orphans, 12:34 blind and the speech and hearing impaired. 12:37 In doing so Asian Aid was confronted 12:39 with many other pressing issues. 12:42 One of those issues being human trafficking. 12:45 It's estimated that human trafficking 12:47 is a 32 billion dollar industry worldwide, with Nepal 12:52 and India being amongst the biggest contributors. 12:55 Although women and girls are the most affected 12:58 boys and men are also subjected to force to labor 13:00 and sexual exploitation. 13:03 In 2010 Asian Aid partner 13:05 with nonprofit organization called Oasis. 13:08 Works men in government agencies in Nepal and India 13:11 to rescue girls who have been trafficked 13:13 and they also work with communities 13:15 to prevent trafficking from happening. 13:17 And they also work with communities 13:18 to prevent trafficking from happening. 13:21 We've been working with the Oasis India 13:23 for two years now, 13:24 on Anti Human Trafficking Program. 13:28 The reason we work with Oasis India is 13:30 because we believe in the mission 13:33 of what they are doing, 13:34 they are impairing young people 13:36 to have opportunities that have been taken away from them. 13:40 So they're-- they're restoring those opportunities. 13:42 So Asian Aid is very proud to be in a partnership with Oasis. 13:48 Anita Kanaiya is the associate executive director for Oasis 13:52 and has been with the organization 13:53 for the past several years. 13:56 Asian Aid is funding a lot of our prevention based work 14:00 which we do in local communities here 14:03 as the girls are vulnerable, very vulnerable over here. 14:07 They also fund our rescues. 14:09 So yes, they're very, very happy to have met Asian Aid 14:13 and to partner with them in this work. 14:17 Anita works with a team of dedicated staff 14:20 who conduct dangerous undercover operations to rescue girls 14:23 who've either been kidnapped 14:24 or coerced into slave like conditions. 14:28 There is a lot of nexus between the traffickers 14:30 and the underworld 14:32 and sometimes its law enforcement 14:35 as well that supports these traffickers 14:37 because there's a lot of money. 14:39 We have on many occasions been chased 14:42 or followed as we return from raids or rescues 14:46 because the police don't accompany us 14:49 when we finish the raid or rescue. 14:51 They are there before it but not after. 14:53 So we have been followed, 14:55 we have received threatening phone calls, 14:58 we have been aggressively stopped 15:01 from entering into establishments 15:03 where girls are being hidden. 15:06 Geetha Prabhu is a social worker from Oasis 15:09 and is regularly involved 15:10 in these dangerous rescue missions. 15:12 As a result she often gets to know the victims 15:15 of human trafficking first hands. 15:17 There are so many girls are left vulnerable 15:19 and my heart is there for them, 15:20 that I should do much more for them and that-- 15:23 they should come out of that vulnerability 15:24 and they should realize even they can stand on their feet 15:27 and they can lead their life. 15:30 With booming economy 15:31 and growing population in Indian cities 15:34 human trafficking has been on the rise 15:36 in the red-light districts and beyond. 15:38 In recent years the average age of girls 15:40 being trafficked has gotten even younger. 15:44 Well, the age group is getting younger now, 15:47 so I think when I first started work about 15:49 seven or eight years ago 15:50 the average age of girls being trafficked was around 17, 18 15:56 but now we have cases of eight and nine year olds. 16:00 So I would say the average age 16:01 has lowered to above 12 to 15 now 16:04 of girls being trafficked. 16:05 I think the demand is more for younger girls. 16:09 Younger girls are easier prey for traffickers. 16:12 Not really understanding the outside world 16:14 makes them even more vulnerable in many ways. 16:17 The majority of victims come from low income background 16:19 with little or no education. 16:22 Many of them are lured with the promise 16:23 of getting a better job or chance to go to school. 16:32 My name is Sushila. 16:33 I'm a seamstress, I'm 20 years old. 16:37 I was 15 years old and was in seventh grade 16:40 when my parents married me off. 16:43 The Sushila story is like many of the others 16:45 that we found at that time. 16:50 She from a village the Kohler district 16:53 in Kohler district. 16:56 Her parents tried to marry her off 16:58 as a child bride. 17:00 So she wasn't 15 years 17:01 when her parents try to get her married 17:04 and they married her and she runaway from there, 17:08 from her husband's place and came back home 17:10 and they married her off again 17:12 and the second time to another person. 17:15 And she ran back the second time. 17:18 And she was very interested in study 17:20 so she was good a student in the local school 17:22 but they wouldn't have that and the third time 17:25 when they were trying to get her married is when her-- 17:29 a friend from the village told her about a job here 17:33 and that you know she was working 17:34 in the garment industry in Bangalore 17:36 and that she would help her to find a job. 17:44 We decided to runaway from the village 17:45 to either work or study. 17:47 When we were at the bus stop a lady befriended us. 17:51 She said, she would give us work in the city 17:53 and she would take us to Bangalore 17:55 but we refused her offer. 17:57 We were about to leave from there 17:59 when she laid her hands on her shoulders 18:02 we don't know what happened. 18:04 We started following her. 18:05 It was like she hypnotized us. 18:08 She took us to a hotel and gave us cool drinks. 18:11 The drinks were spiked 18:13 and we felt all of our senses going numb. 18:16 We were in a bus and that's all I remember. 18:19 The next thing I know we were in Mumbai. 18:23 There was a period of time 18:24 when almost all the girls who are rescued would say, 18:28 we came looking for a job 18:29 we met this lady in the bus stand. 18:31 She offered us the drink 18:32 and we don't remember anything else 18:34 we've turned up in Mumbai. 18:36 So many of them would have the same story. 18:39 Sushila had been sold to a pimp 18:41 in the red-light districts of Mumbai 18:43 for hundred and fifty thousand rupees, or about $3000. 18:50 I was told until I earned the money back 18:52 I wasn't allowed to leave. 18:54 I cried for days. 18:55 I wanted to run but there was security all around. 18:59 I was in that place for 11 months. 19:03 We had no outside communication. 19:05 There were many girls like me about 50 of them 19:08 and some were much younger than I was. 19:12 When these village girls are first taken 19:14 to these places they're literally broken. 19:16 Their-- their whole psyche is broken by pimps 19:22 and they take a long time to recover 19:24 from something like that. 19:25 They're abused, they're whipped, they're beaten, 19:27 they're bitten and you know the kind of things 19:30 that they go through there. 19:32 They are not feed properly so 19:34 many of them you'll see malnutrition, 19:37 very bad dental hygiene. 19:39 You know, all of these-- they have-- 19:40 they suffer with the lot of health issues 19:42 but a lot of physiological traumatic issues as well. 19:47 Sushila was subjected to sexual 19:49 and physical abused for nearly a year. 19:54 I tried been there for 11 months 19:56 and a man from Bangalore came to me as a client. 19:59 When he came into my room he told us 20:01 who he really was and we begged him to help us. 20:05 He had hidden a mobile phone with him 20:07 and he handed it over to me and my friend 20:09 so we could call the police. 20:11 She was rescued when we went on an operation 20:14 to rescue somebody else and she happened to be 20:17 in that brothel and pleaded with us 20:19 to take her out and she was brought out. 20:24 When we took her to the government home, 20:26 she discovered that she was HIV positive and pregnant, 20:30 three months pregnant the same day. 20:33 When I was first heard about it, I thought I was going to die. 20:36 I didn't have that information about AIDS at the time 20:39 and I didn't want to live. 20:41 But the people in the rehabilitation center 20:43 counseled me not to take drastic steps. 20:51 Once a victim has been rescued 20:53 they face an onslaught of challenges 20:55 to regain their footing. 20:57 Victims of human trafficking are more likely to develop 20:59 post traumatic stress disorder, 21:01 drug addictions, depression 21:03 and sexually transmitted diseases. 21:06 Once the girl has been raped or spoiled 21:09 or has indulged in any kind of a sexual contact 21:14 then she is known as a spoiled good 21:17 and the traffickers are using that. 21:20 They rape some of the girls and then because, 21:23 you know, the parents don't want to show it, 21:25 the girl won't come out of it she is, 21:27 you know spoiled good then they come 21:30 and offer something to the parents 21:33 who any way want to get rid of the girl 21:35 because it's so shameful that this happened 21:37 and they send her away. 21:38 So virginity and the importance 21:41 that the Indian culture has placed on it 21:43 has also placed a huge burden on the Indian girls 21:50 in terms of what happens to them and how they come out of it. 21:54 Feeling as if they have no other options 21:56 some women return to sex work or resort to suicide. 22:02 This is where Asian Aid and Oasis worked together 22:04 to provide the necessary medical care 22:06 as well as counseling services. 22:09 In addition they teach the women a trade, 22:11 such a sewing which gives them 22:13 an ultimate way of making money. 22:15 We are focused on creating communities 22:18 that will ensure that there is trust 22:21 and there is cohesion 22:23 and that people are loved and accepted 22:25 and that they have a support group 22:28 when they come out of situations like trafficking. 22:33 Sushila was put on retroviral drugs 22:35 to treat her HIV. 22:36 And although it's been over five years 22:38 since her ordeal in Mumbai, 22:39 she continues to go on with her life. 22:42 She attended tailoring classes 22:44 and is now earning a living as seamstress. 22:48 It's not only the Sushila's case 22:49 that we have seen today and we've gone through 22:52 its like thousands of girls like Sushila. 22:54 Girls are very vulnerable, they don't have help 22:57 and we are trying to reach out. 22:58 Like-- I don't know that I can reach out for thousands of girls 23:01 but at least in a year I'm sure that I have reached 23:04 on 300 girls in a year. 23:07 I'll make sure that 300 girls 23:08 I will but sill I'm not satisfied. 23:11 Asian Aid continues to help children 23:13 through sponsorship while also expanding 23:15 their reached to help end human trafficking 23:17 in India and Nepal. 23:20 It is their dream that you too will join them 23:23 and putting Hope In Motion. 24:03 For over 40 years Asian Aid is an organization 24:07 giving hope to so many. 24:09 Their outreach spans from India and Bangladesh 24:12 through Nepal and beyond, 24:14 from remote villages and empty fields 24:18 to sprawling centers of education, 24:21 from nothing to the unimaginable. 24:28 Asian Aid's development projects provide child's sponsorship, 24:31 fresh water and medical care for women and lepra victims. 24:37 They provide a high standard of education 24:39 to empower children. 24:42 Asian Aid has a vision driven by a woman 24:45 humbly fulfilling the biblical principle 24:47 that calls for us to care for the least of these. 24:52 This standard is still true today, 24:55 the need is still there. 25:04 Less than 50% of India's children get an education. 25:08 One million women in Nepal suffer from uterine prolapse 25:11 are in need of immediate surgery. 25:14 Over 5,000 babies die everyday due to extreme poverty. 25:18 These are but a few of the harsh realities. 25:25 Asian Aid is meeting these challenges 25:27 and transforming the lives of so many in need, 25:32 always sticking to their core mission, 25:34 giving hope. 25:46 Asian Aid sponsors thousands of children 25:49 in slums and destitute villages. 25:53 They support over 100 schools and orphanages 25:57 and give them a sense of place a home. 26:02 Well, in my dream I was just thinking 26:04 of a small boarding school with may be 50 children 26:07 and that of course did increase to 200 quite fast. 26:10 But now I've to see these buildings 26:13 and this campus is just so amazing. 26:17 And now there are 750 children actually studying 26:21 and learning so much on this school compound. |
Revised 2014-12-17