Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000028
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00:17 In this land locked Himalayan state,
00:20 over half a million women are living in pain. 00:23 I remember one lady, she told us 00:25 that she had been walking around with this prolapse 00:27 hanging out of her body for 50 years. 00:31 In today's episode of Hope In Motion, 00:33 we look at how Asian Aid is supporting 00:35 the healing ministry of the church in Nepal. 00:38 We visit Scheer Memorial Hospital, 00:40 an Adventist mission that is providing healthcare 00:43 to women suffering from uterine prolapse. 00:46 Well, we are partnering with Scheer Memorial Hospital 00:49 because we truly believe 00:50 they are doing a wonderful job in their community. 00:54 And meet women whose lives has been changed, 00:56 because of Asian Aid's involvement in Nepal. 01:12 Asian Aid is an organization giving hope, 01:15 an organization fostering permanent positive change 01:18 in the lives of disadvantage children 01:20 and their communities. 01:22 An organization that is committed 01:24 to making a difference in the lives of children 01:26 and those who are in need. 01:28 Serving communities in Nepal, Bangladesh, 01:31 Sri Lanka, Myanmar and India. 01:42 For the last 40 years 01:44 Asian Aid has invested in the futures of people 01:46 and their investment has proven infinite returns. 01:50 Driven by their dedication 01:52 to helping those who have the least. 01:55 Asian Aid is an organization 01:56 focused on the welfare of children, 01:59 implementing diverse development projects 02:02 and sponsoring thousands of children. 02:04 Their outreach spans from child rescue operations 02:08 to providing an education for orphans, deaf 02:11 and the blind children. 02:13 Giving them a sense of place, a home 02:16 but above all Asian Aid is an organization giving hope, 02:20 giving hope to children, giving hope to communities, 02:24 giving hope to the ones who needed the most. 02:27 This is Hope in Motion. 02:51 Nepal is renowned for its natural beauty 02:53 and enduring culture. 02:55 Having existed as early as its neighbors India and China, 02:59 Nepal has kept its cultural heritage intact, 03:02 offering an extraordinary 03:03 travel experience for a visitor. 03:09 With eight of the ten highest mountain peaks in the world, 03:12 including Mount Everest, 03:14 Nepal's landscape is truly inspiring. 03:17 Nepal is also one of the poorest countries in the world 03:20 where one-third of the population 03:21 live below the poverty line, earning less than $2 a day. 03:26 For most of our work is in India, 03:30 but when we come to Nepal, 03:33 we see a different level of poverty. 03:35 The economy is certainly worse here, 03:37 the level of poverty, the level of pollution, 03:41 there's a huge need 03:42 and we want to do more in Nepal. 03:44 With the majority of Nepalese depending on there daily wages, 03:48 obtaining healthcare is one of the main challenges 03:50 people face in this developing country. 03:53 This is where Scheer Memorial Hospital 03:54 plays a crucial role, 03:56 in serving the medicals needs of the people of Nepal. 04:02 Scheer Memorial Hospital was established over 55 years ago 04:06 by Adventist missionaries serving in Nepal. 04:09 Situated just outside Kathmandu, 04:12 the hospital is an important institution for the community 04:15 and the Adventist church in Nepal. 04:18 Well, at the beginning that hospital, 04:22 after the establishment of hospital 04:23 is when their church started to expand. 04:26 So Scheer Memorial Hospital is basically 04:29 the best of the Adventist community in Nepal. 04:33 Right now, the church has been growing. 04:36 Now we have over around 4,000 members, 04:40 but the main organization of this Adventist church 04:43 in Nepal is our hospital. 04:47 Although the cost of the doctor's consultation 04:49 is only 33 cents, some cannot even afford that. 04:54 People come from miles around from rural villages 04:57 to hilltop settlements, seeking medical help. 05:00 The hospital also provides 05:02 ambulance services to emergency cases, 05:04 often traversing through inaccessible 05:06 and dangerous roads. 05:22 Asian Aid's focus has always been about children, 05:25 providing children who are in need with an education 05:28 and giving them an opportunity 05:29 for a better future through its sponsorship program. 05:33 Along with the need to get healthcare 05:34 and access to medical centers, 05:36 the opportunity to get good education 05:38 is highly important to the people of Nepal. 05:41 The main thing is education, 05:44 and because in this part of the world 05:45 if you got no education you, 05:48 your life is really, you know, you can't, 05:53 you can't earn hardly anything, 05:55 all you can do is labor and in many places 05:58 what the laborers are paid is almost nothing. 06:01 So I think education just mean 06:05 make so much difference in this part of the world, 06:07 more than a dozen in western countries. 06:11 But in a world where earning $2 a day 06:13 is a struggle for the majority of the people, 06:15 sending their children to school 06:17 is a strain on their finances 06:19 and it remains a distant dream. 06:21 Without sponsorship, it would be very difficult 06:23 for their children to receive an education. 06:26 I'm here at the school where Asian Aid USA 06:29 is sponsoring a number of children 06:31 next to Scheer Memorial Hospital 06:34 in Kathmandu in Nepal. 06:36 We have about 40 children at the school 06:40 and we want to increase the numbers. 06:42 This school is very important, Asian Aid USA, 06:45 as we don't have many schools in Nepal 06:48 where we're involved in, 06:50 and we have chosen the school 06:52 because of its gross relationship 06:54 to the Scheer Memorial Hospital, 06:56 but also the need in the area. 07:02 Children from the local community 07:04 and some of the hospital staff children attend the school. 07:07 Although the church is trying to develop 07:09 more schools in Nepal, 07:11 without sponsorship it would be difficult 07:13 to attract students from the community. 07:53 Suman Pranja is a fourth grade student at the school. 07:56 Orphaned at a very young age, 07:58 Suman grew up begging in the streets 08:00 in the town close by Scheer Memorial Hospital. 08:03 A local church pastor found him 08:04 and brought him to a small orphanage 08:06 he was running for abandoned children. 08:08 His church members supported his work and provided 08:10 funding for their food and accommodation, 08:13 but he found it difficult to pay their tuition fees. 08:15 Fortunately for Suman, 08:17 pastor new people at Scheer Memorial 08:19 and Suman was enrolled at the school. 08:21 He is now sponsored by Asian Aid USA. 08:26 I'm very happy that Suman could go to the school 08:30 and he is getting sponsorship 08:32 and this school at the hospital 08:34 is a Christian school. 08:35 And he could continue to learn about Jesus there. 09:06 My name is Goma Paudyal, I teach in play group. 09:10 These kids are lovely and I enjoy teaching them. 09:14 This is the best job I enjoy the most 09:16 and I don't even notice when the time pass, 09:19 when I'm playing with them and teaching them. 09:21 This is what I enjoy the most here. 09:26 The school provides employment to teachers 09:28 who are from the local community. 09:30 Like Goma Paudyal, 09:31 who otherwise would have to travel long distances 09:33 or go to Kathmandu to find the good teaching job. 09:38 The school also provides one nourishing meal a day 09:41 for all children as part of its incentive program 09:44 to encourage parents 09:45 to send their children to school. 09:50 Education is highly valued in Nepal 09:53 as it is in rest of South Asia. 09:55 Parents perceive the good education 09:56 as a catalyst for change. 09:58 This perception is not just for a better future 10:01 for their children, 10:02 but they also believe it will bring changes 10:04 to their own fortunes. 10:06 In these cultures usually 10:08 the educated children will care for the parents also 10:11 when they get old. 10:12 Because if a parent gets to the place 10:15 where they're too sick and too old 10:17 to work in the field, 10:18 so whatever laboring work they've been doing. 10:21 Well, what you do? 10:23 You basically begged and starve 10:25 or you know depending where you live, 10:28 maybe some beggars are-- 10:29 you know can make a little bit, but in remote areas 10:33 specially if they are in a village 10:34 where everybody is poor. 10:36 You know, they're lucky to, to get anything. 10:38 So I think a lot of parents also think about that, 10:41 that you know, 10:42 if my child gets a good education, 10:44 it will also be a blessing to me in my old age. 10:47 But she quickly read. Read quickly. 10:50 Quickly she started, how you read. 10:53 My name is Andrew Rapp, 10:54 I'm from Walla Walla University. 10:56 I'm studying business, 10:58 marketing in international business, 11:00 but I took a gap year to come to Nepal and work 11:03 as a volunteer school teacher and youth mentor. 11:07 Colorado native Andrew 11:08 is a volunteer teacher at the school. 11:11 Because of its close association with the hospital, 11:14 the school has been privileged to bring in overseas teachers, 11:17 who come here bringing a new approach to teaching. 11:19 This not only exposes the students 11:21 to an international array of teachers, 11:23 but also helps the missionary teachers 11:25 get a different outlook in life. 11:28 I think for me it was really important 11:30 just to be able to take a break, 11:33 take a step back from my life in school 11:36 and being so focused on what I wanted to do 11:39 and take a step back and see what other people need, 11:43 that there is more, more important things 11:45 than just my concerns. 11:46 There is, there is people that have more immediate needs than, 11:50 than the fickle things 11:51 that I think might be so important back home. 11:55 No doubt, a good Christian education 11:58 and schools providing that opportunity 12:00 is a beacon of hope for the children here. 12:02 And Asian Aid's sponsorship program 12:04 is helping them to see that ray of hope 12:06 in this impoverished yet idyllic region. 12:10 But all is not what it seems 12:12 underneath its beauty in the fields and hilltops, 12:14 villages and towns, women are living in pain. 12:18 When we come back, 12:19 we look at how over a half a million women 12:21 are suffering from uterine prolapse 12:23 and discover how Asian Aid is helping ease their pain. 12:42 My wife Angela and I are here in Andhra Pradesh, India, 12:46 visiting some of the Asian Aid projects to see for ourselves 12:49 how the work that is being done here is transforming lives, 12:53 especially the lives of orphaned children 12:55 and abandoned children, 12:57 children from the tribal communities. 12:59 And we've discovered that because of sponsors like you, 13:02 they now have a place that they can call home. 13:04 They have wonderful clothing, 13:06 nutritious food and they are being prepared 13:09 to propel themselves into the future 13:11 for a promising career. 13:13 But above all that 13:15 because of sponsors like you they now have hope, 13:17 hope for a better future. 13:33 Well, I am here in Sunrise Home with Sheela. 13:36 Now my family and I have been sponsoring Sheela 13:39 for just about a year now 13:40 and I can tell you being here and spending time with her, 13:43 I can see the difference that sponsorship 13:45 is making in her life. 13:47 She now has plenty of food, 13:49 she has a beautiful place to sleep each night, 13:51 she has clothes, she has a school uniform 13:54 and an excellent education. 13:56 I can tell you it's made a difference in her life 13:58 and it's made a difference in our lives too. 14:01 Now through sponsorship you too can make a difference 14:04 in the life of a child everyday. 14:30 Nepal, sandwiched between Asian giants China and India 14:34 is a landlocked sovereign state in the Himalayas. 14:37 The mountain range in the north 14:39 is home to eight of the world's tallest mountain peaks 14:42 including the highest point on earth, Mount Everest, 14:45 thus making it popular for mountaineering. 14:48 Hinduism is practiced by over 80% of the population, 14:51 making it the country 14:52 with the highest percentage of Hindus. 14:54 With the birth place of Buddha located in this region, 14:57 Nepal is also historically linked with Buddhism, 15:00 making it culturally very rich. 15:03 However, Nepal is also economically challenged 15:06 and is home to some of the poorest people on the planet 15:09 and this economically backward environment 15:12 and harsh terrain where infrastructure 15:14 and transport is unavailable, 15:16 women become the beast of burden. 15:27 Economic difficulties and cultural perceptions 15:29 have made women of Nepal suffer silently, 15:33 the condition is called uterine prolapse. 15:37 Yes, this is something very interesting 15:38 because this condition of uterine prolapse 15:41 is not so common in most of the countries, 15:44 but interestingly in Nepal it is very common to see 15:49 uterine prolapse in women and the reason, 15:51 we don't know exactly the reason, 15:53 but over here the ladies have to carry a lot weight, 15:58 so weight carrying also provide the incidents 16:02 of prolapse more high, 16:05 also having more children also provide 16:08 more incidents of having this problem, 16:11 so it is multifactorial. 16:13 We cannot say, we cannot point 16:14 to one only one, one thing but, 16:18 well, we know in Nepal 16:20 it is very common to have this problem. 16:25 Uterine prolapse is a condition in a woman 16:27 where her uterus just falls off her body. 16:30 We learned that one of the main reasons 16:32 women get prolapse 16:33 is because they are forced to carry heavy loads, 16:36 sometimes around 50 kilos strapped around their forehead, 16:40 pressing down on their neck. 16:42 Often they have to continue with this heavy labor 16:44 right after child birth. 16:46 The stress and pressure this puts on their lower back 16:48 is so dangerous and their delicate body 16:51 cannot support their uterus. 17:00 We cannot go to details about the condition, 17:04 but having this condition affect the women in a, 17:07 in a extreme way, 17:09 to the extreme tough sometime their husband leave them 17:14 because of their marital problem then they have, 17:18 So yes, it is a very incapacitating condition 17:22 for the women and it affects not only the women, 17:24 but also the entire family. 17:27 In this patriarchal society, 17:29 women suffering from prolapse are ashamed of their condition 17:32 and they don't want to come forward 17:34 and suffer in silence for decades. 17:37 The psychological impact this has on their wellbeing 17:40 affects their already battered physical condition. 17:43 Thousands go undetected and when they are discovered, 17:46 they become outcast, excluded and deserted 17:49 by their husbands and families. 18:03 Today women suffering from uterine prolapse have hope. 18:07 Over the last 10 years Asian Aid has funded a program 18:10 along with Scheer Memorial Hospital 18:12 to identify these women wherever they are 18:15 and facilitate surgeries 18:16 and provide much needed preventative health education. 18:20 Well, we are partnering with Scheer Memorial Hospital 18:23 because we truly believe 18:24 they are doing a wonderful job in their community. 18:28 It's the only Adventist hospital in Nepal. 18:31 It's a critical part of the church in Nepal 18:35 and they now have the facilities 18:38 to do the prolapse operations 18:42 and so our funding program is very valuable to them, 18:47 because they have plenty of capacity. 18:49 And so for us it's very rewarding 18:53 not only to make the lives-- 18:56 the change of lives for the women, 18:59 but also we are able to help the institution in gaining work 19:03 and doing work in the community. 19:06 It's here at the hospital, 19:08 we have done a lot of prolapse operations, 19:11 I think I forget how many years 19:13 we've been doing it now maybe 10 or 11 years, 19:15 but during that time we have now operated 19:18 on between 8 and 9,000 ladies. 19:20 And to see the difference it makes, 19:23 you know, it's some-- 19:26 I just can't imagine have these women like this-- 19:29 I remember one lady, 19:30 she told us that she had been 19:32 walking around with this prolapse 19:34 hanging out of her body for 50 years. 19:38 Well, as a hospital we can say 19:40 that we are very grateful for Asian Aid, 19:43 because they have been providing surgeries 19:45 or support for surgeries for the last two years. 19:48 And we are grateful in behalf of all the families 19:51 and the patient that we have been treating, 19:53 sent thanks to the help of Asian Aid. 20:07 All throughout its history, 20:08 Scheer Memorial Hospital has been privileged 20:11 to host a number of medical professionals from abroad 20:13 who volunteer their time and expertise, 20:16 conducting camps. 20:17 This has benefited thousands of people 20:19 from the local community, especially women. 20:22 This week a group from Sydney Adventist Hospital 20:25 from Sydney, Australia, 20:27 is here conducting prolapse operations. 20:29 Just to see these women have it fixed, 20:32 not have that prolapse any more, 20:34 they're so happy, they hug us, 20:36 they kiss us, they want to shake our hand, 20:39 they want to touch us and it is just-- 20:42 it's humbling, very humbling 20:44 because with they're grateful, 20:46 you know, in society that you just don't realize 20:51 how hard it is for them here to be working 20:54 under the circumstances they got to work under. 20:58 Karen is part of a volunteer group 20:59 Open Heart International from Sydney. 21:02 These are medical professionals 21:04 that go to various developing countries 21:06 each year conducting medical camps. 21:08 For Karen and her team, 21:09 camps such as these may seem just another day's work, 21:12 but it has a profound impact on these women 21:15 who suffered from prolapse 21:16 and for the volunteers 21:18 it's an opportunity to make a difference 21:20 in their own humble ways. 21:22 Volunteering to me, it's emotional. 21:26 You will get very drawn into what they don't have 21:29 and what we can give them. 21:31 We might be-- we're just doing 21:33 what we do every day back at home, 21:35 but for them it's life changing 21:37 and even though it might seem just a drop in the ocean. 21:43 For 80 to 90 women in the 10 days 21:46 that we are here for operating, 21:48 that changes their changes, and that change of life 21:51 for these people that makes it emotional. 21:55 Scheer Memorial Hospital is overwhelmed with the inflow 21:58 of women needing surgeries for uterine prolapse. 22:01 Without these volunteers it would be a tough task 22:04 to facilitate them all. 22:06 In the hospital we have 2 to 300 surgery 22:08 will be there in the year, 22:10 out of 2 to 300 22:11 we have 30 to 40 percentage 22:14 of surgery will be done the uterine prolapse. 22:17 The only thing that is stopping us to doing more 22:21 it is basically the financial aspect. 22:23 If we'll have more, more funding we can do even more, 22:27 right now we do have some funding 22:29 some other Adventist station 22:30 that they come and do the surgery them self, 22:33 but how many we can do 22:34 it is basically 300, 400 is countless, 22:40 because the incidents are extremely high. 22:47 Over half a million women are suffering 22:49 from prolapse in Nepal 22:50 and Scheer Memorial Hospital is a place they can come 22:53 to get it fixed and ease their suffering. 22:56 It's so apt to say that Scheer Memorial Hospital 22:59 is truly a beacon on the hilltop. 23:02 To have an institution and for Asian Aid 23:06 to provide the opportunity to these ladies, 23:09 who don't have to live with this, 23:11 this is curable, this is fixable, 23:15 you know, that's the benefit. 23:16 Imagine it when a lady has the operation, 23:19 she goes back, she is now accepted into the home. 23:24 She can mend relationships. 23:26 She can add value to the family. 23:29 She can add value to the community, 23:31 to the other ladies, spread the good news. 23:34 Tell them about how people love them 23:36 and want to make things different for them. 23:39 Isn't that a blessing? 23:43 The good news is spreading among women in Nepal, 23:46 the more women are identified, educated 23:49 and brought to these camps, 23:50 the more women are willing to come out 23:52 and seek medical care. 23:53 This one here, her name is Punyaswari, 23:56 and she actually has-- 23:58 because she has been so grateful 24:00 for what has happened in her life, 24:02 she has now brought 25 more ladies 24:05 who had operations 24:07 and I think that's really special 24:09 and so they just when we tell them 24:11 we were having the filming today, 24:13 they were just so thrilled to think 24:14 that they could come and say how grateful 24:17 they are for the transformation that's happened in their lives. 24:23 Well, it's changed their lives 24:24 and now that they can walk comfortably, 24:26 they are able to work 24:28 and help again and care for their families, 24:30 it's just it's a totally transforming thing 24:34 that I think we just couldn't understand 24:37 unless we had actually been 24:38 through the same experiences they have been. 24:41 And for this lady to bring 25, 24:43 I think that's really something 24:44 because that shows how grateful she is 24:48 for the operation that she has had. 24:55 Today Adventist missions like Scheer Memorial Hospital, 24:58 organizations like Asian Aid 25:00 and the goodwill of hundreds of volunteers 25:02 and missionaries is making a difference 25:05 and bringing a healing touch to women in Nepal, 25:08 transforming their lives every single day. 25:11 Together it is possible to facilitate this transformation 25:14 for these grateful women. 25:16 It is possible to put smiles back on their faces, 25:19 just to hear them say thank you. 25:28 They are a nation who are so loving and thankful 25:33 and if I can just help a little bit, 25:36 I'll keep coming back. |
Revised 2015-01-22