Participants: Terry Benedict (Host)
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000022
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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 00:58 implementing 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, from remote villages 01:11 and empty fields 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 01:30 and bringing much needed healthcare 01:32 to the women of Nepal. 01:34 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, 01:50 giving hope to the ones who needed the most. 01:54 This is Hope in Motion. 02:15 Here in Nepal under the Himalayan skyline, 02:18 life is quiet. 02:23 It's easy for us to see 02:24 why this place is a top tourist destination. 02:33 Our film team is into its second month now 02:36 traveling with Asian Aid. 02:38 We're just outside the city of Pokhara 02:40 enjoying the serenity of a Nepalese sunrise. 02:43 We're about to head into the city to learn about 02:45 the side of Nepal that isn't so tranquil. 02:55 When night falls, the dark underbelly 02:57 of this otherwise majestic place comes to life. 03:01 This is the main attraction of Pokhara, 03:03 the main commercial sex business place. 03:07 There are some villages in Nepal 03:08 where there's no girls left between the ages of 11 and 20, 03:12 they've all been trafficked. 03:13 Traffickers will have them stay here for one or two days 03:17 and then show them all fancy things and good things. 03:19 And then ask them to wait for two more days 03:22 and then finally they get taken away to India. 03:34 Helen had insisted we come to Nepal and meet Rajendra, 03:37 an Asian Aid grad who is trying to make a difference 03:40 by bringing some hope to Nepal. 03:42 It's just such an encouragement to find these young people 03:47 who are now blessing others because, 03:51 because they have been blessed. 03:53 When I was 4 years old, my father died 03:55 and when I was 8, my mother died. 03:57 I feel fortunate in place that 04:00 I could be of small help to someone, 04:03 when Asian Aid did a great thing to me. 04:06 Rajendra's main mission is to help girls 04:09 who have been tricked into the trafficking business 04:11 to find a way out. 04:13 However, it didn't take long to see that his care giving 04:16 doesn't stop there when a young street boy 04:18 catches Rajendra's attention. 04:35 He is from a low cast family. So it could be a genuine case. 04:41 Could be a what? 04:42 It could be a genuine case that means the street boy-- 04:45 his father and mother died. 04:47 So I'm giving him my phone number, 04:49 if he is interested to study then he should call me. 04:54 If he is not interested then he will not call. 04:57 He said, uncle, please come on Thursday, 05:01 I'll be right there, 05:02 I'll go to school, please come, uncle. 05:05 Before we have time to contemplate 05:07 whether this boy would really take Rajendra 05:09 up on his offer to get off the streets, 05:11 we're off to another part of the city. 05:18 Pokhara is a major crossroads for the international sex trade 05:22 thousands of women are trafficked 05:24 through the city each year. 05:30 This is the main junction place in Pokhara 05:33 for the trafficking of ladies, girls take place. 05:38 The people who do the trafficking are very clever 05:41 because they will go to the families 05:43 at the time when they know that the people are hungry. 05:46 And then they'll say, we would take your daughter 05:49 and we will give her a nice job then she'll be able to help you 05:52 and the families really have no idea where they-- 05:55 where their girls are really going. 05:58 So they're just coming to the bus station. 06:00 Bus station, yes. 06:02 Yeah, come on, 06:04 those-- those sort of girls-- those ones to feed babies. 06:10 Where do they keep these girls when they take them? 06:13 Yeah, are they staying here? 06:15 They stay here. 06:18 The girls are brought here 06:19 and held overnight while the brokers negotiate 06:22 the best price for the human goods. 06:25 This beautiful girl of this age and is physically, 06:29 weight and sexually attractive, 06:31 so they will bargain and negotiate the price 06:33 with the brokers in India 06:35 and that's how they get tricked. 06:40 We ask Rajendra, how this happens on such a large scale? 06:43 Unfortunately, even the police force knows 06:46 and government knows, 06:47 but then very little have been accomplished. 06:51 They basically get bribed by the brokers. 06:56 We meet two sisters caught in this net. 07:00 Srijana has cancer in her leg. 07:04 Her sister Meena brought her to Pokhara 07:06 to get medical care on the promise 07:08 there will be work to pay for. 07:11 Their story is like so many others who get caught 07:13 in the trap with the sex trafficking trade. 07:16 But Rajendra has pulled them out 07:18 and he is trying to find them better options. 07:22 And they came with the big expectation 07:25 as to they will get good job or something better 07:28 they feel very bad and embarrassed 07:30 that they didn't get any. 07:31 So, they've been for some time into the sex slavery work, 07:37 not at all a good thing 07:38 but because she loves her sister she's doing. 07:42 But the sister-- she spent all her money 07:45 and then the doctors that Srijana went to 07:49 misused her also the doctor himself. 07:55 I love my sister so I have to do anything to save her. 08:05 I'm grateful to her sister 08:07 what she is offering or doing for her. 08:16 How they should feel about her leg and her cancer 08:20 and, you know, does she feel hopeful? 08:30 She says, yeah, I'm hopeful 08:32 that my legs will be all right with cancer. 08:34 But how? 08:39 The problem is with money how to get the treatment. 08:46 When they are tricked and put into this sort of work, 08:51 they don't go back, they will remain here and say, 08:54 okay, I'm now lost, I'm now worthless, 08:58 so let me begin continue this and not come out. 09:03 It's hard to imagine that a place 09:05 so peaceful like Nepal could harbor 09:07 the dark underworld of human trafficking. 09:10 Because they are shunned by society, 09:12 for most women there is no escape. 09:16 Some cases I remember that we helped in the past, 09:19 we helped them to get out, but then when they went back 09:22 they were not accepted in their family, 09:24 neither they were accepted in the whole of community. 09:28 So two of the young girls 09:32 poured kerosene oil and burn themselves. 09:45 This is where you're doing your outreach? 09:47 Oh, yes, this is the same place. 09:55 This is the city prison, the district prison 09:59 and also the central prison for the Western Nepal. 10:07 If they don't commit suicide or die from AIDS, 10:10 most of these women end up in prison. 10:13 And as you see that the child she has is seven months old. 10:19 Because most of the women's families disown them 10:21 once they fall into prostitution. 10:23 There is no one to care for their children, 10:26 so they live in prison with their mothers. 10:28 She need sweater, she need pant, she need socks 10:32 since she has grown out of the socks, even this is-- 10:37 The children here need basic supplies 10:39 like clothes and tooth paste, 10:41 things the prison cannot provide. 10:43 I'll raise that money. 10:46 We think that it's more important 10:49 to be help to ladies, women, 10:51 and to children of course they are there-- 10:55 without there doing anything wrong. 10:59 Perhaps, this is the first time in her life, 11:01 you know, somebody being so kind to her 11:04 and she's grateful about that. 11:42 How many-- to how many you want to help? 11:45 There are so many, you may not know-- 11:49 will you help to those who don't know you. 11:52 I said, yes, we will try. 11:54 And then she also asked there are so many in this problem 11:59 and will you help them? 12:01 I said, yeah, we will try. 12:03 And then she said, no, it's not possible 12:06 there are so many that it's not possible. 12:15 We desperately need a really good school here in Nepal. 12:19 And we are hoping and praying that we can get enough land 12:22 where we can also grow some crops 12:24 as well as some the vegetables for the children to eat, 12:27 have a really good boarding school. 12:30 Helen and Rajendra's plan 12:32 is an all inclusive first step to conquering the problem. 12:36 A sustainable campus would give these women 12:39 a chance to learn important vocational skills 12:43 as well as the opportunity to grow and sell their own crops. 12:46 Both of which can help them start providing for themselves. 12:50 Perhaps more important, 12:52 a school would give their children hope 12:54 for a safer and brighter future. 12:57 They want to get out 12:59 and then get married to a proper nice man 13:01 and begin a new life again. 13:03 All she wants is a help 13:06 to have her sister get proper treatment. 13:09 We have so huge that need 13:12 to take care of these women who are desperately in need 13:17 and who are crying with pain and agony. 13:20 And, yes, it is possible to bring one life 13:24 from that slavery situation to a better situation. 13:29 Helen, Rajendra and Asian Aid are working hard 13:32 to make this dream a reality 13:34 and to restore peace to these women's lives 13:37 even if it's one at a time. 13:42 Rajendra continues on his mission, 13:44 even though he knows it's an uphill battle 13:46 because he's giving them what he was given, hope. 14:08 When I first came to India, now around 32 years ago, 14:12 there were two things that really stuck me. 14:14 The first one was the need for food 14:18 and clothing and accommodation 14:19 for children living way below the poverty line. 14:22 The second thing was the amazing potential 14:25 that these boys and girls have 14:27 to make a difference in the world. 14:29 And the only thing missing 14:31 was the need for people like you to help. 14:34 With sponsorship, you can make a difference 14:37 in the life of a child everyday. 14:51 In a small sleepy Nebraska town, 14:54 a long journey is about to begin. 14:59 This is Naomi Davis, she is a school teacher. 15:04 Her kids are grown and living off on their own. 15:07 For the past five years, 15:09 Naomi and her husband have been sponsoring a young girl 15:12 from a small town in India, name Dinah. 15:15 Well, she's got a beautiful smile 15:18 and she's got sparks in her eyes 15:20 and I look back to the first pictures 15:22 I've gotten of her and she is growing. 15:27 She is becoming, I think she is becoming a very fine young lady 15:32 and I see that she is happy, 15:35 in this one her smiles are more and more all the time. 15:54 Dinah is different among all the children. 15:58 She do her own work. 16:00 She will not mingle with others, 16:02 she is a shy girl, she won't talk with anyone. 16:08 Like so many other children in India, 16:10 Dinah's past was difficult to say the least. 16:13 She's come from an impoverish background 16:15 and her father died when she was only five years old. 16:18 Is this one? This is Dinah. 16:20 This is when she came? Yeah. 16:23 Then some people, they will bring their certificates also. 16:28 We talked with Lolitha, the Director of Sunrise, 16:32 a little more about Dinah and about the benefits 16:34 and bonds created through sponsorship. 16:37 She shows us the thorough records that they keep 16:40 and tells us how accountability is one of their primary goals. 16:44 And this is the caste certificate of Dinah. 16:47 He says it helps ensure 16:48 that each child receives the full care 16:50 that the sponsors and Asian Aid both know that these kids need. 16:56 So often in sponsorship programs 16:58 there is no real connection between the child and sponsor, 17:01 but Lolitha and Asian Aid make sure 17:03 it's more than just a donation. 17:05 There is always a direct line of communication, 17:07 so real relationship can grow. 17:50 We traveled with Naomi 17:52 on our way to visit Dinah for the first time. 18:00 What are you looking at? 18:03 I'm looking at her pictures and some of the letters 18:06 I've got from her and I'm really excited to meet her. 18:11 The only thing is probably you won't think 18:15 that I'll be in India, that's the thing. 18:18 You know, now she-- 18:19 I've never mentioned anything to her about coming. 18:32 Miles outside the small town of Ongole in Southern India, 18:37 we meet up with Bruce Farlow. 18:39 He's embarked on a hard but noble mission. 18:42 For the last few years 18:43 he's been building a school for kids in need. 18:46 And we want to know what motivates him 18:48 to come all this way and do something like this. 18:50 There is always challenges 18:52 when you try and build in a foreign country. 18:55 There's always challenges that take place. 18:57 And-- but the ultimate goal, 19:00 the ultimate victory is going on here behind us, 19:03 those kids playing and having fun. 19:14 They've got community, they've got family, 19:17 they've got home, they've got security. 19:20 They've got some place they know 19:21 and that's-- that's worth it. 19:23 I could see in your eyes, you are going nowhere. 19:30 You know, the opportunities are huge, huge, huge, huge. 19:33 People are so willing, once they see the need, 19:35 it's hard to see it when you're at home. 19:37 But when you're here boots on the ground, 19:40 you have a hard time ignoring. 19:45 Bruce leads a volunteer group to check out the new school. 19:49 By the time the group arrives, 19:51 the school was already filled with over 150 orphans 19:54 and kids in need from the surrounding area. 19:57 Each with their own tough story to tell. 19:59 Asian Aid has been connecting children like this 20:02 with sponsors from all over the world 20:04 for the last 30 years. 20:06 Now they have over 7,000 sponsored children across Asia. 20:10 But the need is still as great as ever. 20:13 There are according to government statistics, 20:16 there are 770 million people in India 20:20 who live on less than 50 cents a day. 20:24 Our purpose is to take children, 20:26 poor children from the villages 20:28 whose families never had a chance in life 20:30 and give them a chance. 20:31 And so they can go to college, they can get a profession, 20:35 they can help their families, they can help their village 20:37 and not only that they can go anywhere in the world. 20:39 Just because they are born poor with illiterate parents, 20:43 that has to be their destiny I don't believe that. 20:47 That is not what I understand 20:48 is a Christian philosophy of life. 20:56 We sit down with Dinah and ask her about her sponsor, Naomi. 21:00 She doesn't know that Naomi is coming today, 21:02 but she definitely knows that something is going on. 21:06 Would you like her to come to India? 21:08 Yes, sir. 21:09 You want your sponsor to come to India to see you? 21:12 Yes, sir. 21:13 Do you like her not? 21:14 I like so much. 21:23 Tell her somebody special came to visit her. 21:28 My mummy came. 21:30 Yeah, what did you say? 21:31 There. 21:34 Dinah, how are you? 21:37 Fine, Mummy. 21:39 Can I give you a hug? 21:42 It's so good to see you. 21:44 I'm so happy, Mummy. 21:47 I am too. I am too. 21:51 Well, you've made it half way around the world so... 21:55 And I'll do it again, 21:56 that's all worth it, it is so worth it. 22:02 She is a very special girl to our whole family. 22:09 We followed the two around 22:11 as Naomi gets to see firsthand the day in the life of Dinah. 22:16 From the looks of it, it isn't just Dinah's life 22:19 that has been transformed from this relationship. 22:22 Oh boy, I have to find words for today, 22:25 today it was wonderful. 22:28 Well, she had said everything she had, 22:30 she's remembered everything I've ever written in a letter. 22:34 She asked me questions about everything I'd ever written. 22:38 I did not realize 22:39 that I was this important in her life as I am, 22:42 I ever think she was asking me. 22:47 It's just you said my life will be changed 22:49 after I met her again, it's changed. 22:58 As Naomi enters a new phase of her relationship with Dinah. 23:01 At Bruce's school in Ongole, 23:03 others are starting their own journeys. 23:06 My name is Sinia. 23:08 Sinia. Sinia. 23:09 Sinia. Oh, you're so cute. 23:13 Some see that even sponsoring one child can change the world. 23:16 One of the little girl said, 23:18 the 12 year old that we were wanting to sponsor 23:21 or that we're gonna sponsor she, 23:23 her dream is to become a doctor. 23:25 And just think of the people that she can impact 23:28 where giving her just that little bit of opportunity 23:32 that we'll be able to do 23:33 and she's gonna be able to reach lot more people 23:36 than we are ever gonna be able to reach. 23:41 When we first came to India to film the work of Asian Aid, 23:45 we were struck by the overwhelming transformation 23:47 that they would bring in the people's lives. 23:49 Whether supporting schools 23:51 or installing wells for clean water, 23:53 it was clear that the hard work of the Asian Aid 23:56 was not only bringing 23:57 the higher quality of life to people, 24:00 but they were also providing a powerful sense of hope. 24:04 But hope is a complex word. 24:06 What was Asian Aid truly giving here? 24:09 What drive sponsors who live halfway across the world 24:12 to support these children. 24:16 It wasn't until we saw what was happening 24:18 here in this new school 24:19 where the bond between Dinah and Naomi 24:22 that it became clear, it was family, it was a connection, 24:26 it was a sense of belonging 24:28 that permeates all of this hope. 24:30 It's a sense that you weren't forgotten in this world 24:33 that somewhere, someone either in your own home 24:35 or half way across the world has you in their minds, 24:38 someone out there who cares about you. 24:42 They love their sponsors, 24:43 everyday they pray for their sponsors 24:46 and they know how they are working very hard for them 24:49 and they are caring. 24:51 I think most of your sponsors 24:55 have the sense that they are rewarded 24:58 because the children have developed and done well. 25:01 And those sponsors have told me 25:03 that there is happiness in their hearts 25:07 that money cannot buy. 25:09 I now have a new member of my family 25:12 and she'll-- 25:15 she'll be a very important member of our family. 25:20 I'm sorry it's just-- it's been a very emotional day for me. 25:26 We're half the world away from this little girl who-- 25:32 now I'm going to love very much 25:34 and it's a difficult thing to say good bye. 25:40 Throughout our travels with Asian Aid 25:42 one more thing was as clear as ever. 25:45 Was that all it takes is one person, 25:48 one sponsor to truly change the world. 27:54 Currently at the Vizianagaram school, 27:55 there are 19 Asian Aid sponsored students. 27:58 They sleep on the floor and they share one bathroom 28:01 with all the other students on the campus. 28:03 When my church family heard about this need, 28:05 they've raised funds 28:06 to make this campus a better place for the students. 28:09 There's a constant need for donations by individuals, 28:12 churches, organizations to assist Asian Aid 28:15 with these many special projects. 28:17 Join me would you in making a difference. |
Revised 2014-12-17