Participants: Terry Benedict (Host)
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000021
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00:20 India is a land full of contrast.
00:25 It's a land of great mystery and beauty. 00:29 It's a land of unspeakable despair. 00:32 But traveling through India one thing is for sure, 00:35 it's a land filled with people 00:37 who should never be underestimated. 00:40 For the last 40 years Asian Aid has invested 00:43 in the futures of people 00:45 who have never been given such a chance 00:47 and their investment has proven infinite returns. 00:52 Driven by the vision of Helen Eager, 00:54 dedicated to helping those who have the least, 00:57 Asian Aid is an organization implementing 00:59 diverse development projects 01:01 and sponsoring thousands of children. 01:04 Their outreach spans from Bangladesh to Nepal, 01:07 Sri Lanka and beyond, 01:10 from remote villages and empty fields 01:12 to sprawling centers of education, 01:15 from nothing to the unimaginable. 01:19 Now Asian Aid decided to document the work 01:22 it has been doing in all these years 01:23 with the desire to show the world what is possible. 01:27 By digging wells in remote villages 01:29 for clean drinking water 01:31 and bringing much needed healthcare 01:32 to the women of Nepal. 01:35 By providing an education for orphans, 01:37 deaf and blind children, 01:38 giving them a sense of place, a home. 01:41 But what we really discovered was being given was hope, 01:45 giving hope to children, giving hope to women, 01:49 giving hope to the ones who needed the most. 01:53 This is Hope in Motion. 02:24 This is the place he used to sleep. 02:26 He used to beg all day 02:28 then come and sleep here on this veranda. 02:32 That's where he slept? Yeah. 02:35 This small boy's name is Rajesh. 02:38 He doesn't know anything about his parents. 02:42 He lived with his grandfather 02:43 and they just used to sleep on one of the steps 02:46 beside a shop just on the concrete there. 02:49 And every day they would beg 02:50 and share the money that they got. 02:53 Then one day Rajesh had done quite well with his begging 02:56 he had around 65 rupees. 02:58 But when he reached the spot 02:59 where his grandfather usually met him, 03:03 the grandfather had died. 03:07 Here in the slums of Hyderabad, 03:09 in the south eastern state of Andhra Pradesh. 03:12 Rajesh story is not uncommon. 03:15 Thankfully, there's somewhere 03:16 he and other orphan children can go. 03:22 A police officer found him wandering in streets 03:25 and he brought Rajesh here. 03:27 He is seven or eight years old 03:29 and no seven or eight years old 03:31 old should have to be on the streets begging for money. 03:33 And so I was very fortunate 03:35 that the policeman knew about Elim Home 03:37 and that he could bring Rajesh here 03:39 and give him a chance to actually be a kid. 03:45 Asian Aid sponsors over 60 children like Rajesh 03:48 here at Elim Home. 03:50 Here they study... 03:55 they live... 03:59 and they play. 04:05 One, two, three. 04:34 As we arrive at Elim Home 04:36 we're skeptical of how much good 04:38 one orphanage can really do in a city like this. 04:42 How are you girl's doing? 04:45 My name is Jashira Yavas and it's spelled J.A.S.H.I.R.A. 04:51 I am an elementary education major. 04:55 Here in India I am working 04:57 with the pre-schools/nursery class that we have here. 05:02 W. W. 05:04 X. X. 05:06 Y. Y. 05:07 Z. Z. 05:09 Very good. 05:11 It's very different than in the United States 05:14 just walking down just outside this gate 05:18 we go down and there's a tent made of tarp. 05:21 And little kids running with only a shirt on 05:24 and no shoes or no pants. 05:27 There's trash everywhere 05:28 and you just see kids using a bathroom there 05:31 or trying to look for food. 05:38 Most kids never escape the slums. 05:40 They remain uneducated, illiterate and impoverished. 05:44 Rani is one of the lucky few who made it out 05:47 thanks to a sponsor who funded her education. 05:52 When we are born, we may be poor 05:54 but with the help of them I'm not poor now. 05:59 I completed my education as the rich people has done. 06:05 After receiving the training to became a nurse, 06:08 she's returned to the slums to help those in need. 06:11 Many children are there. 06:14 I saw many of them, 06:15 I feel very bad whenever I saw my community. 06:20 They should-- they too should become like me. 06:23 If education is there, there will be change. 06:27 So I used to feel very bad 06:29 because I am the only one from this area 06:33 from this slum area I came up. 06:35 I want my people also from where I am born 06:39 like me they should come up. 06:53 When we arrived at Elim Home, 06:55 there were 69 orphans living here already. 06:59 We happened to be here when the 70th arrived. 07:03 Good evening, sir. 07:04 How are you? Fine. 07:06 Keerthana is a five year old orphan rescued from the slum. 07:10 She's been taken to Elim Home. 07:19 Keerthana's mother died when she was two. 07:22 Her father abandoned her a year later. 07:26 When an orphan gets dropped off, it's never easy. 07:30 It's hard for them to understand 07:31 that they're one of the lucky ones. 07:34 You wonder if kids like Keerthana 07:36 could ever find happiness after experiencing so much trauma. 07:40 So we talked to Ravi, one of the first children 07:43 to come to Elim Home 30 years ago. 07:47 I was just five-and-a-half years 07:49 because I remember I was asked to follow a stranger. 07:52 I was in tears, I don't know where I am 07:55 and slowly the pastor said that I'm going to put in a new home, 07:58 that's Elim Adventist Home. 08:01 When I first came to the home I was a bit worried, crying. 08:05 Pastor Christopher served me a bun, bread, 08:10 bread with banana and it was wonderful, 08:13 it was first time I ate bread in my life. 08:18 And the next day I had a breakfast 08:20 then I had a good bath. 08:21 This is the room where I used to sleep, 08:23 I got my bed here, 08:25 I never thought that I would get such a nice bed to sleep 08:29 and a blanket and a mosquito net. 08:32 And as I was going to school I learned, 08:34 started learning alphabet. 08:36 You know that alphabet and numbers. 08:39 E, I, G. 08:41 E, I, G. 08:44 H, T, eight. 08:46 It was good and going to school 08:47 it was really a new experience that I had. 08:51 These are their prized possessions right here. 08:53 This little pencil and this eraser 08:54 means the world to them. 08:55 They feel like they're rich 08:57 if they have a pencil and if they have an eraser. 09:00 I like to thank and I must be 09:02 ever grateful to Mummy Helen Eager. 09:05 I remember she came to Hyderabad to see us. 09:09 She grabbed me and she hugged me. 09:11 And then I felt the real love of a mother that day. 09:15 That was Mummy Eager was a first person who hugged me, 09:21 who grabbed me and hugged me into her arms. 09:23 Today, Ravi is an Asian Aid field officer 09:27 and one of Ravi's main jobs 09:29 is to check on the wellbeing of the kids in the schools. 09:40 I've spend so much time over here in the last 30 years 09:43 with so many people, they're just like family. 09:46 These two boys are brothers. 09:48 Their names are Kishore and Rahul. 09:52 This is Rajesh. 09:53 This is Raja. 09:55 And his sister Yamini. 09:57 This beautiful young lady is named Lilly. 10:00 This young man's name is Hamadam. 10:02 When you were small, how old were you then? 10:05 When you first knew me, he is asking? 10:07 Yeah, 7 years old. 10:09 You were 7 years old. 10:11 Dev grew up in a small village 10:13 where he had no chance of getting a decent education. 10:15 With sponsorship from Asian Aid, 10:17 he was able to attend a good boarding school 10:19 which put him on track 10:20 to becoming one of India's top cancer researchers. 10:24 My life started from a small village 10:27 where there is no knowledge. 10:29 We don't know anything about this world. 10:31 What is happening outside the world? 10:33 The bridge that is created between the village 10:37 and the present position was possible 10:40 only through Asian Aid organization. 10:42 I owe all my sincere thanks to Asian Aid organization. 10:46 My name is Anand Kumar K. 10:47 I'm a product of Elim Adventist Home. 10:51 When I was 3 years old my father and mother 10:54 both of them died on the same day 10:56 due to family problems. 10:58 In India the elder person 11:02 is to take care of the next family after his father. 11:05 So me being born as a handicapped 11:08 because I cannot care of the family 11:09 and he thought I am a handicapped person 11:11 and I am useless in the family. 11:13 So one day he drank and came. 11:16 He called me to him and he said "Sit my son." 11:21 Then he took kerosene and poured on my body 11:25 and lit me on fire. 11:27 Half of my body is burned 11:28 but this is the only thing that is left still now. 11:32 And as soon as my father-- my mother saw that, 11:34 she just came and she tried to stop the fire. 11:38 And by God's grace I was alive on that day 11:41 and if not my father would have killed me 11:43 on that particular day. 11:48 Anand has polio. 11:49 He's taught himself to get around 11:51 without the use of crutches or wheel chair. 11:55 I don't know how you do it. 11:59 You are amazing. 12:05 The secret of my success today is Helen Eager mom 12:09 because whenever I had a problem she used to tell me, 12:13 "you're not even less with other persons. 12:15 They may be physically strong, they may be mentally strong, 12:19 but you're not even-- 12:20 you're not at all less than them." 12:22 And that made me very courageous. 12:26 And I feel I am not even less with all my friends 12:29 whatever they do, I will do it. 12:32 Throughout India there was no person 12:34 with 90% disabilities 12:37 studying M. Pharmacy or Master's degree. 12:39 And I feel privileged to study this Master's course 12:42 and it is all by God's grace 12:43 and the help of my sponsors and everybody. 12:55 There's just something about them 12:57 that just, they're just-- they are happy 13:00 and it makes you happy to see them happy here. 13:24 We leave Elim Home amazed 13:26 at the potential of these Asian Aid kids 13:29 and the accomplishments of the ones who have moved on. 14:00 I am here today in Andhra Pradesh, India, 14:02 at the Vizianagaram School with my friend Adarsh, 7 years old. 14:06 And my family, myself sponsored him. 14:08 Everyday he is able to have accommodation, 14:11 food, clothes and a good education. 14:14 We want you to know what a blessing this is 14:16 and that you too can make the difference 14:18 in the life of a child everyday through sponsorship. 14:38 Our film team has been traveling with Asian Aid 14:40 for over a month now. 14:42 Trying to keep up with them is exhausting. 14:46 We're tired and weary and ready to go home. 14:56 There is just one last stop to make. 15:01 We arrive at the Asian Aid School for the hearing impaired 15:04 and are quickly rejuvenated by the energy of these kids. 15:18 Just watching these children interact and learn 15:20 you can't help being inspired. 15:27 We are 100 miles from the nearest city here 15:29 in the remote town of Kamagiri. 15:32 In a southern part of India 15:34 is a school that exceeds all expectations. 15:37 These children are talented, smart and have big hopes. 15:42 And the teachers don't let them off the hook 15:44 just for being as they refer to them differently abled. 15:48 In India 4 out of every 1000 children are born deaf. 15:53 And it's estimated that only 10% of those children 15:57 are getting the proper education they need. 16:00 In a country that often discards the disabled. 16:03 This is an institution that goes far beyond anything 16:05 that was thought possible in the poorest parts of India, 16:09 parts of India like this one. 16:14 Mercy and Pastor Kumar are here 16:16 and so we just wanted to speak a little bit 16:18 about how this deaf school actually started. 16:21 Because it was the information that they got 16:25 that inspired Asian Aid that 16:26 we should be doing something for these deaf children. 16:29 We were only in the beginning trying to teach them 16:32 to learn and repeat and things like that 16:34 but actually you initiated that kind of scholastic program 16:38 where children were brought in to learn the sign language. 16:41 And this would definitely meet the international standard. 16:45 We know that we have give them something beyond value, 16:48 even to have given a young person a literacy 16:50 it's something that is-- 16:52 something that I think you cannot measure, 16:54 because it's so important 16:57 and something I think may be in the western world 16:59 we don't realize the difference it makes in the person's life. 17:03 From humble beginnings 17:04 with the few kids being bust to a small rented building. 17:08 Helen and Asian Aid built this into a 120 kid home 17:12 and a leading center for educating the hearing impaired. 17:16 Maheshwari, her brother Govinda 17:19 and their little sister Kamakshi 17:21 have attended Asian Aid School for the hearing impaired 17:23 since the eldest was only 4 years old. 17:26 Raj Kumar, a top teacher here 17:28 and an Asian Aid sponsored child himself 17:31 help us to get to know the kids a bit better. 17:34 The children when they came, when we asked about their story 17:37 about her father and all. 17:39 The girl used to tell that 17:40 father used to come drunken home, 17:42 beat the children and beat the mother 17:43 and everyday they used to be crying in the home 17:46 and there was pain and strife and misery. 17:49 And the father was very mean to the children and the wife. 17:52 In an act of desperation 17:54 their mother placed them in this deaf school 17:56 to shield them from their abusive father. 17:58 And hopes they could have a chance at a solid education 18:01 and a productive future. 18:03 She's saying the father doesn't want her to study, 18:06 you just go house to house to work. 18:08 She was just 4 years old. 18:14 She's going in tears when you are asking the story. 18:19 What does-- what does she said? 18:23 About the father when we're asking... 18:38 Living in the schools she almost seeing the children 18:41 and the care they were given here, 18:43 she almost forgot the story. 18:44 And again now she's remembered and she is in tears. 18:51 We know deafness is partially hereditary. 18:54 But what we don't know is why it's happening 18:56 in such great numbers in the poor areas of India. 19:01 One of the main causes for the hearing impairment 19:03 in this kind of children, 19:04 in this area is the consanguinity 19:06 or the blood relations, 19:07 one of the uncle is marrying the nieces and all. 19:10 Sometimes in the poor communities 19:12 people marry relatives to keep the money 19:14 from the dowries in the family, this can come at a high cost. 19:19 This is Padma and this is Jyothi 19:23 and that is Rani 19:25 there are three sisters and mother is also a deaf. 19:31 They had father but 3 years back he passed away 19:34 because he was having cancer. 19:36 Smallest one, she's playful and she loves to play. 19:41 She's always running, she is a good girl too 19:44 and the middle one she is very good girl, she is helpful. 19:48 She likes to be with younger ones. 19:51 The big girl is very responsible. 19:53 She takes care of these two kids. 19:55 She gives them bath. 19:57 She's always behind these two children 19:58 to see that they both are well kept. 20:02 What does she want to be when she grows up? 20:13 She likes to be a computer engineer. 20:21 She likes, she likes to be a tailor. 20:25 She likes to stitch clothes. 20:29 What about the smallest one, she know what she wants? 20:34 Yeah, she said she wants to be a teacher now 20:36 but she dances also very well. 21:06 The kids are taught tailoring, sewing and embroidery work. 21:10 A valuable trade that can lead to a solid living. 21:20 We have two children who are working outside in Bangalore 21:22 who learnt tailoring here. 21:24 And was working 21:25 in one of the garment factory in Bangalore 21:27 earning nearly 4000 rupees a month. 21:30 Both Govinda and Kamakshi want to be tailors as well 21:35 but their sister Maheshwari has a different dream. 21:39 So she wants to do go for web designing and animation 21:42 like part in the computers-- using computers. 21:50 Yeah, she wants to do the same thing. 21:52 She saw the picture 'Avatar' recently. 21:56 And she said, "I want to do the same thing 21:57 like animation work since I am creative." 22:00 Many computer software companies also hire 22:03 hearing impaired workers for this web designing and all 22:08 because there is less to talk more to do 22:11 using their hands and brain using the computer. 22:48 This deaf school goes beyond teaching 22:50 and creates a family with values for these kids. 22:55 Children knows why they've come here 22:57 with the main purpose of their being here in the campus. 23:01 And one of the thing is to get a good education. 23:05 The second is to get a care, the proper care 23:09 where they won't even get it at their homes. 23:12 When we send the children homes for their holidays 23:15 after one or two days we can see the children coming back. 23:18 Yes, they say that we don't get enough, one meal at home. 23:22 They say we want to spend holidays here, 23:23 we don't want to go home, 23:25 being with the sister and the brother here 23:28 right in one campus and all of them living together 23:31 with the other children makes them very happy, feel happy. 23:35 Teaching these children gives us a beautiful feeling 23:40 that we're able to train these children 23:42 and mold these children in a right fashion 23:44 so that they could get a proper education. 23:48 They can't hear but they can see. 23:49 A picture is worth more than 100 words. 23:52 So we can show much to these children 23:54 and educate them in a better way 23:56 so that they could be a good future citizens, 23:59 a good Christians. 24:16 If there's anything we've learned on our travels 24:18 it's that everything with Asian Aid 24:20 seems to come back full circle. 24:23 I had a sponsor 24:25 and he sponsored me to finish till my college 24:28 and I am standing on my feet. 24:30 It's because of God's grace and by my sponsors, 24:33 I am expecting the same thing for these children. 24:36 They're getting a hope that they can come up in their life. 24:39 You want to write letter for your sponsor, 24:45 what will you like to write? 24:46 She is saying that she will ask, How are you? 24:49 I am fine and thank you for helping me. 24:52 One day I also like to help others. 24:56 And so when they come up in one level, 24:58 they can also help others like how they are getting help now 25:02 like what Rani said, 25:04 she like to help others when she becomes big. 25:07 I've been involved now with this program 25:10 and sponsorship for more than 30 years. 25:12 To me it's just so wonderful to see 25:14 the changes in the children's life's 25:16 because I have been involved now long enough 25:18 to have seen them come from this size up to adulthood. 25:23 And to every now and again come across one of these children 25:27 who come to meet me that have 25:29 really done something special in their lives. 25:32 It just makes it all worthwhile 25:34 From that small start today to see what's happened is, 25:38 is nothing but the story of a transformation. 25:40 There are many more children right in the villages 25:43 where we could pick them up and give them the right education 25:47 so that they could also feel 25:48 that this is their better homes. 25:51 I think the whole world should see this. 25:59 The sponsor who sponsored me, 26:01 the sponsor who sponsors the children, 26:03 we like to say a big thank you. 26:05 Not only that we would like to urge 26:06 many most sponsors to come forward 26:09 and to serve and to help children like us 26:12 so that we could only again, 26:14 they could again serve many more children like this. 26:19 This is one of the toughest school we had to leave, 26:22 while it's hard saying good-bye, 26:24 it seems by the look of it that it's harder for the kids 26:28 to say good-bye to Mommy Eager. 27:42 Well, its breakfast time at the Sunrise Home 27:45 and these 75 sponsored Asian Aid children 27:48 will shortly be going to school and down the road 27:51 we're building a new home for them and they are very excited. 27:54 There is an overwhelming need with orphans in this country 27:58 and Asian Aid needs your support 28:00 with its orphanage home projects. |
Revised 2014-12-17