Participants: Jordan Ehrlich
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000017
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00:20 India is a land full of contrast,
00:25 is a land of great mystery and beauty. 00:27 It's a land of unspeakable despair. 00:30 But traveling through India one thing is for sure, 00:35 it's a land filled with people who should 00:37 never be underestimated. For the last 40 years 00:41 Asian Aid has invested in the futures of people 00:44 who have never been given such a chance, 00:47 and their investment has proven infinite returns. 00:50 Driven by the vision of Helen Eager dedicated 00:54 to helping those who have the least. 00:56 Asian Aid is an organization implementing 00:59 diverse development projects, and 01:00 sponsoring thousands of children. 01:04 There are outreached fans from Bangladesh 01:06 to Nepal, Sri Lanka and beyond from remote 01:10 villages and empty fields to sprawling 01:13 centers of education from nothing to the 01:16 unimaginable. Now Asian Aid decided to 01:20 document the work it has been doing all these 01:22 years with a desire to show the world what 01:25 is possible. By digging wells in remote 01:28 villages for clean drinking water, and bringing 01:30 much needed healthcare to the women of Nepal. 01:34 By providing an education for orphans, 01:36 deaf and blind children, giving them a sense 01:39 of place, a home but what we really discovered 01:42 was being given was hope. 01:44 Giving hope to children, giving hope to women, 01:49 giving hope to the ones who needed 01:51 the most. This is Hope in Motion. 02:01 There are so many sunny days here 02:04 especially in the class room it's just so 02:07 amazing, how one kid can write in a day up. 02:21 And there is 30 of them in a class room 02:24 saying teacher, teacher showing me a new pencil 02:27 or showing me new shoes. 02:39 Being able to be there when they understand 02:42 something I count that as a sunny day. 02:51 When we arrived at Elim Home, 02:52 a school and orphanage run by Asian Aid, 02:55 we meet two American students volunteering 02:57 there Lindsey and Jashira. 03:02 We can tell right away they were 03:04 a big hit with the kids. 03:12 And I just worked at summer camp 03:14 for the first time this last year, 03:16 this last summer and I loved it, 03:18 and it's just same concept, 03:20 same thing 24/7 kids that's fine but it's tiring. 03:36 I am helping out with what they call is LKG 03:40 or lower kindergarten which in America 03:44 we translate into nursery/pre-school. 03:52 So since you've been here do you feel like 03:55 you made an impact or an influence 03:58 and it's so is it significant? 04:03 We actually haven't struggled with this idea, 04:07 yes. We came here wanting to make a 04:10 difference but there are days that 04:13 we feel like we have not made any differences 04:16 and we go to the room and we are frustrated, 04:19 we cry, we don't know what to do. 04:22 Other days we play with the kids and we see 04:25 how much love they give us. I think it's hard 04:29 because we come here, and we see so many things 04:31 we wanna change and such a big difference that 04:33 we wanna make, and we have to realize 04:35 that we can't change the culture, 04:36 we can't change the world right away, 04:38 you know it's little things by 04:39 different people once step at a time. 04:41 As we get ready to Elim Home, we are pleased 04:44 to find out that Jashira can come with us 04:47 to see what other Asian Aid volunteers and 04:49 partners are accomplishing all across India. 05:13 We are traveling to Bangalore, India, 05:15 to check out how the people are living. 05:21 In our out patient clinic 47 05:24 percent of patients are located. 05:25 We get a tour of this Bangalore slum from 05:27 two doctors that have partnered with Asian Aid 05:30 to run an important outreach program. 05:32 Every week they volunteered their 05:33 time to provide health education and medical 05:36 services to families living in these 05:38 poverty stricken areas. 05:40 How many people are there in this community? 05:44 Close to 8000. 8000 are packed right in here? 05:49 Yes, yes. It's vicious cycle poverty, 05:55 therefore lack of education, lack of 05:57 education leading to poverty, 05:58 and this lack of nutrition leading to infections, 06:02 illnesses and that causing loss of a job 06:05 and again poverty and so poverty, ill-health, 06:08 poverty kind of a cycle, poverty, lack of literacy, 06:12 again poverty, so there are two 06:13 vicious cycles going side by side. 06:15 Asian Aid's partnership with the Seventh-day 06:17 Adventist medical centre helps to make sure 06:19 that essential health services are available 06:21 to people who would otherwise have no 06:23 proper medical care. It's all an effort to try 06:26 to break the cycle of poverty 06:28 that is pervasive in places like this. 06:30 We go down and there is a tent made of tarp 06:34 and little kids running with only a shirt on, 06:37 and no pants. There is trash everywhere 06:40 and seeing kids trying to look for food. 06:43 We leave Bangalore saddened by the 06:45 condition in the slums, but hopeful about the 06:48 change that people like Dr. S.K and Dr. Crystal 06:50 and the medical centre are making in this 06:53 community with the help of Asian Aid. 07:13 In the village of Kamagere we visit an 07:15 Asian Aid school for the hearing and 07:17 speech impaired. There, we meet Lyle and 07:20 Lloyd from Australia, two volunteers who 07:23 partnered with the Asian Aid to provide 07:25 professional construction and maintenance 07:27 services for some of their schools 07:29 and development projects. 07:31 Well we just talked to Helen and we said what 07:34 Asian projects you have, we're fairly skilled 07:37 people, we're very careful with funds, and 07:41 we've known each other for many years. 07:44 I think many people think we're only in a 07:46 building business but in actual fact what 07:49 we are in? We are in the people business 07:52 and we are in the children business, 07:54 and what we really about is bringing hope. 07:59 We are giving young people the opportunity 08:02 to know that someone cares for them, 08:03 and more than that God really 08:06 does care for them as well. 08:07 The joy of children you've met four years ago, 08:11 who are now young men and young women, 08:13 and I just come running down and hello uncle, 08:17 uncle, uncle hello, hello and they surround you. 08:21 And you think I feel like the king of heaven and 08:25 the joy that comes from is, is unsurpassable. 08:29 I have fallen in love with these kids, 08:32 and I've only been here for a day, two days and 08:35 I am very glad that I have this opportunity 08:38 to come and meet these kids. 08:44 I'm trying really hard not to cry. 08:48 Leaving the school was hard, we fell in love with 08:51 these kids instantly, but Helen and Asian Aid 08:54 have more schools and 08:55 projects they wanted us to see. 09:04 The school and orphanage in the remote town 09:06 of Jeypore is a shining example of what happens 09:09 when a key partner gets involved, 09:11 and a vision becomes reality. 09:17 Businessman and philanthropist Garwin 09:19 McNeilus funded and oversaw the 09:21 construction of what is now one 09:23 of Asian Aid's top schools. 09:26 There's nothing greater than you can do and 09:28 you'll never run out of children. 09:30 You'll never build a school and after while 09:33 there'll be no children there. 09:34 As long as the school is there, 09:35 the children are there, then sponsors are there, 09:37 there will be developments taking place. 09:40 Well in my dream I was just thinking of the 09:43 small boarding school with maybe 50 children 09:46 and that of course did increase to 200 quite fast. 09:49 But now to see these buildings and this campus 09:53 is just so amazing. And now there is even 09:57 150 children actually studying and learning 10:01 so much on this school compound. 10:05 Both Garwin McNeilus and another American 10:07 businessman Bruce Farley know what it takes 10:10 to build a home and a school from scratch, 10:13 but they always keep the big picture inside. 10:17 During our travels we saw many ways that 10:19 Asian Aid's volunteers and partners are making 10:22 a difference in Nepal and India. 10:24 It's obvious that the biblical principle 10:27 of the least of these is what drives them 10:30 Helen Mummy Eager and all the Asian Aid leadership 10:32 and staff. It's a belief that keeps hope alive 10:36 and gives people a chance to pass on their 10:38 blessings in ways that truly change the world. 10:43 Finally we returned to Elim Home, 10:45 where our journey started. 10:50 Having witnessed some of these kids' 10:51 transformations is gratifying, 10:54 but it's not just the kids who were 10:56 transformed by Asian Aid's work. 11:08 There's just something about them, that just, 11:11 they're just, they're happy and makes you happy 11:16 to see them happy. Sorry. 11:28 I think that's gonna make it really hard. 11:31 And I am pretty sure I am gonna think 11:35 about them a lot when I leave. 11:58 Hopefully like I said before I'll make a 12:02 difference even if it's a dent, I know may be a 12:06 passing car, oh just she like car, 12:08 she was here, she helped me write 12:09 my ABCs, like something like that. 12:31 When we arrived as filmmakers our job 12:33 was to observe the work Asian Aid is doing. 12:44 But really have been gotten involved. 12:51 Well we can't do everything for millions 12:53 of people, but we can help a few people, 12:55 we can help a few thousand of them and 12:57 I am thankful that Asian Aid is doing that. 13:00 And don't care yourself every child 13:02 that is helped, helps somebody else. 13:14 They pass it on I don't know any 13:16 of them who do not pass it on. 13:27 Hope can be described in many ways, 13:30 but there's only one way to 13:31 describe the Asian Aid's definition. 13:34 This is Hope in Motion. |
Revised 2014-12-17