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Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000029
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00:13 In this episode of Hope in Motion
00:15 we go to Bobbili, India where blind children find solace 00:19 in the Asian Aid School for the Blind. 00:21 As the new children walk inside, 00:23 this really is a small heaven 00:25 where they feel that they are safe and secure. 00:28 We meet a local washer man family 00:31 whose poor socioeconomic life was compounded 00:34 when their third child was born blind. 00:38 When he goes into the street other children made fun of him. 00:41 He is blind, God made him that way, what can we do. 00:45 And find out how sponsorship is helping the Asian Aid School 00:48 for the Blind prepare children for eternity. 00:51 The faith of a blind child cannot be explained, 00:57 you need to come and feel it. 01:13 Asian Aid is an organization giving hope, 01:16 an organization fostering permanent positive change 01:19 in the lives of disadvantage children and their communities. 01:22 An organization that is committed 01:25 to making a difference in the lives of children 01:27 and those who are in need. 01:29 Serving communities in Nepal, Bangladesh, 01:32 Sri Lanka, Myanmar and India. 01:42 For the last 40 years Asian Aid 01:45 has invested in the futures of people 01:47 and their investment has proven infinite returns. 01:51 Driven by their dedication 01:53 to helping those who have the least. 01:55 Asian Aid is an organization 01:57 focused on the welfare of children, 02:00 implementing diverse development projects 02:02 and sponsoring thousands of children. 02:05 Their outreach spans from child rescue operations 02:08 to providing an education for orphans, 02:11 deaf and the blind children. 02:14 Giving them a sense of place, a home 02:17 but above all Asian Aid is an organization giving hope, 02:21 giving hope to children, giving hope to communities, 02:25 giving hope to the ones who needed the most. 02:28 This is Hope in Motion. 02:57 Situated amidst the lush green paddy fields 03:00 of Bobbili, in Andhra Pradesh, India 03:02 is an institution that is home to 03:04 some of the most disadvantaged children in society. 03:06 This is the Asian Aid School for the Blind. 03:11 In a world where blindness is considered a curse 03:13 and blind children are abandoned, 03:15 this campus is a refuge 03:17 for children seeking care and comfort. 03:21 The Asian Aid School for the Blind 03:23 was established here mainly by the efforts 03:25 of Asian Aid co-founder Helen Eager. 03:28 The Asian Aid School for the Blind is very important to me 03:31 because actually I did find that 03:35 we were supporting a few blind children up in Jharkhand 03:39 and they were being supported by someone in the US 03:41 and I thought, oh, this is so wonderful, 03:43 I'm so glad our church is doing something for the blind. 03:46 And then I went home to Australia 03:48 and then I got a letter just few weeks later saying 03:53 this person in US is no longer supporting 03:55 these children so we sent them all home. 03:56 So that was basically the start of a blind program. 04:01 I said, well, bring them all back 04:03 and we supported them there in Jharkhand 04:05 and then we started the blind school 04:09 actually in Andhra Pradesh. 04:10 It is quite natural everyone wants to help children 04:16 and people who are normal but to find someone 04:20 who has got a lot of interest in the children 04:23 who are visually impaired, it is very rare to find. 04:27 And that is a time I think God has correctly selected 04:30 Mrs. Helen Eager to be a part 04:33 of this great big project in India. 04:37 Started with just a few children at its new location 04:40 in Bobbili the number of children at the school 04:42 steadily increased each passing year. 04:45 All things bright and beautiful 04:49 The Lord God made them all 04:54 We discovered that there are various circumstances 04:56 that have contributed to these children losing their sight. 04:59 Some of them are victims of accidents, 05:01 some due to vitamin deficiency 05:03 factored by lack of nutritious food, 05:05 but most of them are born blind. 05:07 We found that the main reason children are born blind 05:10 in these parts of Andhra Pradesh 05:12 is due to socioeconomic practice 05:14 that is prevalent in this cultures. 05:16 We have found that with the children that we support 05:20 in the blind school that nearly all of them, 05:22 the parents are blood relatives. 05:24 Now the reason they do this is basically poverty as well. 05:28 Because if there is, you know, a small piece of land 05:31 they don't want that piece of land 05:33 to leave the family kind of thing. 05:36 And so they will often-- 05:38 it's often uncles marrying their nieces. 05:41 And of course if your daughter marries a relative 05:47 then you don't have to pay a dowry. 05:49 The relatives are very much concerned 05:52 about the ancestor property that comes. 05:55 So they want to have the marriage 05:57 right within the family close relations 06:00 and this is one of the possible reasons 06:03 that makes a child go blind or born blind 06:07 or somewhere in the later part of his life. 06:12 While rural traditions and socioeconomic difficulties 06:15 dictate life in rural India, their children pay the price. 06:19 Cultural issues are hard to understand, 06:22 it may even seem bizarre and cruel at times, 06:24 it's difficult to change people's perceptions 06:26 that are rooted deep. 06:28 But for all its traditions and practices, 06:30 the fact remains that all parents love their children 06:33 and want the best for them. 06:35 It's very difficult for you as a caring parent 06:39 to find a way of giving your child a better life. 06:43 So not only are we making a difference for the child, 06:48 we are actually giving the parents some hope, 06:52 they all care for their child. 06:54 And they overcome with guilt and community pressure 07:00 because their child is blind. 07:03 So it helps overcome all these issues 07:06 in giving the child a chance, but giving the parents hope 07:12 that they simply have no other way of getting. 07:15 Blind children from many backgrounds are at the school, 07:18 although there are students from other states, 07:21 the majority of them are from and around Bobbili area. 07:27 Jagan is a ninth grade student at the school. 07:30 He comes from a small village, 07:32 about an hour's drive from the school. 07:34 We have Jagan whose family background is 07:38 that the parents are washer men and they wash clothes 07:42 and they survive and earn their livelihood. 07:46 But this child the moment he has come here to our campus, 07:50 he has been getting his education 07:52 and all that family history 07:56 that has been coming all that will disappear. 07:59 He will not be the same anymore. 08:13 Jagan's parents are dhobis, a washer men community. 08:16 In a class divided world 08:18 they are at the bottom of the social structure 08:21 and are pushed to the edge of the village. 08:27 When my first son was born I was happy. 08:30 My second son was born and I was very happy. 08:34 But when my third child was born 08:36 my wife and I became very depressed. 08:41 As if living at the edge of the village wasn't bad enough, 08:44 their hardship was compounded 08:46 when their third child Jagan was born blind. 08:51 I am a dhobi, I go to the pond in the morning 08:54 and come back in the evening. 08:56 He was left alone at home. 08:58 When he goes into the street other children made fun of him. 09:02 This is how he spent his childhood here. 09:04 He is blind, God made him that way, what can we do. 09:08 In rural villages where being handicapped is considered 09:11 a curse, blind children facing uncertain future. 09:15 This is where Asian Aid School for the Blind in Bobbili 09:18 serves as a refuge for children born blind. 09:21 These children have very special needs. 09:25 Their needs are even greater than people who have-- 09:28 who do not have sight in a western system, 09:31 in a first world country. 09:32 Because they are ostracized, their families are ostracized. 09:36 So creating this environment 09:37 their focus is on them gives them an education 09:41 and gives them an opportunity to live a normal life. 09:44 It's so transformational 09:46 not just now for the child but the parents, 09:48 because now they don't have the same stigma. 09:51 Their children can get on and live a productive life 09:54 and contribute to society, a huge difference. 09:59 This environment that gave them an opportunity 10:01 to live a normal life is indeed transformational. 10:05 With the help of a local school teacher, 10:07 Jagan was brought to the school for the blind in Bobbili 10:11 far away from the struggles of his parents and his community. 10:14 And this community that we find they are the lowest of the low 10:20 and Jagan I think the education that he receives 10:24 releases him from this kind of family bondage 10:30 and makes him to survive on this earth 10:32 as a prestigious person thinking that 10:37 I'm now something worth and feel proud of himself. 10:42 I'm so happy he is studying there at the school. 10:45 When he gets a good education he will get a good job. 10:48 I'm really happy about that. 10:49 Now he can become whatever he wishes to be in life. 10:53 The appreciation from these parents sometimes 10:58 is just overpowering because they are so proud 11:02 that their child can go to the school 11:04 and they are so proud that when their child comes home, 11:08 they can see a dramatic difference. 11:10 Okay, read that first adding. 11:12 First adding, sir. Twenty four thousand. 11:16 Twenty four thousand. 11:17 Asian Aid sponsors every child 11:18 living and studying at the school. 11:20 Without sponsorship these children would not have 11:23 the opportunity for new chance in life. 11:25 I really thank the Asian Aid sponsors, the donors. 11:31 If it may not-- if the sponsorship 11:33 is not there my life will be not there. 11:40 Today Asian Aid is supporting 11:42 nearly a 180 blind children at the school 11:45 and their sponsorship is the key link in driving force 11:48 that helps them overcome their disabilities 11:50 and gives them hope and a chance for a better life. 11:54 The Asian Aid School for the Blind in Bobbili 11:56 is an important institution for the mission 11:58 of the Seventh-day Adventist church in India. 12:01 When we come back, we look at how the school's 12:03 is not only preparing these children for a world outside 12:06 but also preparing them for eternity. 12:09 The faith of a blind child cannot be explained, 12:15 you need to come and feel it. 12:32 My wife Angela and I are here in Andhra Pradesh, India, 12:36 visiting some of the Asian Aid projects to see for ourselves 12:39 how the work that is being done here is transforming lives 12:43 especially lives of orphaned children and abandoned children 12:47 children from the tribal communities. 12:49 And we've discovered that because of sponsors like you, 12:52 they now have a place that they can call home. 12:54 They have wonderful clothing, nutritious food 12:57 and they are being prepared to propel themselves 13:00 into the future for a promising career. 13:03 But above all that because of sponsors like you 13:06 they now have hope, hope for a better future. 13:23 Well, I am here in Sunrise Home with Sheela. 13:26 Now my family and I have been sponsoring Sheela 13:28 for just about a year now 13:30 and I can tell you being here and spending time with her, 13:33 I can see the difference 13:34 that sponsorship is making in her life. 13:37 She now has plenty of food, she has a beautiful place 13:40 to sleep each night, she has clothes, 13:42 she has a school uniform and an excellent education. 13:45 I can tell you it's made a difference in her life 13:48 and it's made a difference in our lives too. 13:51 Now through sponsorship you too can make 13:53 a difference in the life of a child everyday. 14:20 Today is a special day for the staff and students 14:22 of Asian Aid School for the Blind in Bobbili, India. 14:25 Standing on both sides of the entrance, 14:27 the students and staff welcome 14:29 the arrival of a special guest Garwin McNeilus. 14:34 Garwin in an Adventist businessman from Minnesota 14:37 who has sponsored hundreds of children in India. 14:39 He and his family has supported and built a number of urgently 14:42 needed buildings for Adventist schools 14:44 including the school for the blind at Bobbili. 14:48 The needs of the blind school 14:49 were first brought to me by Helen Eager. 14:53 And Helen showed a video of where they were, 14:56 the conditions they were and how they had to take 14:59 their sleeping mattresses out, lay them outside, 15:05 sometimes it's raining, put the desk in have their class 15:09 and it made an impression 15:12 that just wouldn't go away on my heart. 15:16 Moved by the plight of the children 15:18 in an old crowed building in town, 15:20 Garwin drew out a plan to move them 15:22 to a bigger campus just outside Bobbili town. 15:25 He also designed the buildings. 15:27 This is beautifully designed 15:30 for the blind children who cannot see. 15:33 And once they get inside they take a single walk. 15:37 They can easily understand which side is a boy's hostel, 15:40 which side is a girl's hostel, 15:42 there is nothing to be confused. 15:48 The children now have a beautiful campus 15:50 where they can feel safe and secure, 15:52 their own home away from home. 15:56 The Asian Aid School for the Blind is not just 15:58 an institution that provides food and shelter for the blind, 16:01 but it's an institution that prepares them 16:03 for the world outside. 16:04 And remember when they finish year 12 16:06 for example I'm talking about the sight impaired children, 16:11 they can go into university and by giving them 16:13 these opportunities they can get jobs that are already there 16:17 that government has set aside 16:18 for people with these sort of disabilities. 16:21 So we are channeling them, giving them the skills, 16:24 giving them the qualifications, preparing them for employment 16:28 but also we are giving them life skills. 16:34 Yes, sir. 16:35 These children may not have the ability to see 16:38 but this disability has not deprived them 16:40 of the ability to learn. 16:41 They are perfectly capable of acquiring skills 16:44 needed for employment. 16:45 In fact, the Indian government referred to them 16:47 not as disabled but differently abled. 16:50 And the Asian Aid School for the Blind provides them 16:52 an ideal place for these differently abled children 16:54 to acquire skills. 16:58 Special needs children need special care 17:01 and the staff and teachers of the school deeply respect 17:04 and care for these children. 17:05 The school also has two specialized educators 17:08 Bhaskar and Raghavendra. 17:11 My name is Raghavendra and I've been working 17:14 in this school from three years onwards. 17:16 By birth onwards I'm blind. 17:17 Because of this-- because of school 17:20 like this I have received an education 17:22 and I'm able to come here and teach to this children. 17:26 So I'm feeling very happy 17:28 and because Asian Aid has given this opportunity to me, 17:33 I'm really thankful to Asian Aid 17:36 for this great opportunity. 17:39 And these two teachers since they are blind, 17:42 they can understand the other children 17:44 who are visually handicapped. 17:46 Their feelings, their thoughts 17:48 and they have their own innovative ways 17:51 where they can help them and try to support them 17:55 whenever there is a difficultly that they find. 17:58 And these two teachers 17:59 are really a blessing to the school. 18:01 I think the most important thing is that, 18:04 that the people who work with these children really love them 18:07 and care about them and try to understand, 18:10 you know, what they are going through 18:11 and somehow try to understand although I don't think we can, 18:15 you know, what would be like to be in their situation. 18:24 The blind community understands each other 18:26 and they are there to help one and another. 18:28 This helping nature helps anyone coming into the campus 18:32 for the first time adjust quickly 18:33 to this new environment. 18:35 We all remember Priyansu from one of our previous episodes. 18:39 We have one boy Priyansu who walked into the campus 18:42 along with his parents and the boy began to cry 18:46 and he began to think what's happening to me? 18:48 Are my parents going to leave me and go away? 18:50 But I can see the way he came inside little bit disturbed 18:54 because he has to live all alone now. 18:57 So he comes here to the campus 18:58 and then he stays with the children 19:00 and I've been noticing him 19:02 and days have passed by he slowly began to get adjusted. 19:05 So this is what happens when a child walks inside 19:09 and he gets adjusted along with his friends. 19:11 Friends are there, other blind children 19:14 who share their happiness and sadness. 19:17 And as the new children walk inside 19:20 this really is a small heaven 19:22 where they feel that they are safe and secure. 19:41 Priyansu has been at the blind school for two years now 19:44 and is surrounded by friends who give him comfort 19:46 and support and has well adjusted to his new home. 19:57 While we were chatting with Pastor Paulson at the school, 19:59 he revealed to us some thing momentous. 20:02 This Asian Aid High School for the Blind 20:06 has started in the year 2004 in March 21st 20:10 and this year it so happened that it is a tenth year. 20:15 Ten glorious years have passed by successfully. 20:20 And it so happened, Garwin McNeilus 20:22 was visiting the school after 10 years. 20:25 How do you feel coming back 10 years later? 20:28 We discover that it's a tenth anniversary. 20:30 Yes. And you have come back. 20:32 How do you feel about what you see? 20:34 Ten years goes fast but I lived 20:38 the blind school daily in my mind. 20:41 The campus is beautiful, 20:43 the area where there were no trees, trees are grown. 20:47 Fruit is being produced, the children are having gardens 20:52 and I see happy children, I see a campus 20:58 that's united in love for the children. 21:05 It's gratifying but I know that this all is impossible 21:10 without individual sponsors. 21:12 Correct. 21:14 Without individual sponsorship 21:16 these children would not be here. 21:18 Today because of Asian Aid sponsorship program 21:21 and individual supporting its program, 21:23 hundreds of differently able children 21:25 like Priyansu, Jagan can receive an education, 21:29 an education that will help them to lead a dignified life. 21:32 I went to all the sponsors and donors 21:35 who have been helping us out 21:37 and the Adventist church at large around the world. 21:41 I'm always thankful for their support 21:45 for the children who get their pre-education here. 21:48 Every pie that you give has been utilized 21:53 to the maximum for the benefit of the children 21:55 to get their education and we are always grateful 21:58 and thankful for the whole Adventist church 22:02 and the Asian Aid 22:04 and I'm sure that they have a great big reward 22:08 for the small little contribution to make 22:10 when we all get together in heaven. 22:13 Whether one is able to contribute 22:15 in a small way or in a big way, 22:17 sponsorship endows these children's future. 22:20 Whether the Lord has blessed in different ways 22:25 we are accountable for what we have. 22:28 We all know the Bible parable of the widow's mite, 22:32 how she gave what she could. 22:34 Some can do a child, some can do half a child, 22:38 some can do many child but the combination 22:43 of what the Lord has blessed you with is essential 22:46 for the welfare of the children 22:49 and it will make a difference till eternity. 22:55 The Asian Aid School for the Blind 22:57 is an important institution 22:58 for the Seventh-day Adventist church in India. 23:01 Blind children from many non-Christian families 23:03 attend the school and it gives us an opportunity 23:06 to reach out to them with our good news 23:08 and share the love of Jesus with them. 23:12 Each day begins with worship 23:14 and church activities are lively occasion. 23:17 Every child gets to learn 23:18 and sing songs of praise and learn how to pray. 23:21 Now they also have a chance to read the Bible. 23:25 Well, I'm here at the Bobbili blind school in India 23:28 which is totally supported by Asian Aid 23:31 and it's always a challenge for us to find resources 23:35 that can help teach the children. 23:37 We are very excited that the company 23:39 that makes the God Pods has designed a recording device 23:43 that is very small and on this device 23:46 there is a total copy of the Bible 23:49 in both their own language Telugu and in English 23:52 and then on top of that 23:54 there are ten plus Bible stories 23:57 both in their native language Telugu and in English. 24:00 The other thing is that it's totally solar powered 24:04 so they have the ability to either plug it in 24:06 or just charge it in the sun. 24:09 What an opportunity to reach out 24:10 to these differently able children. 24:13 Thanks to the untiring efforts of Helen Eager, 24:16 organizations like Asian Aid and individual sponsors 24:19 like Garwin McNeilus, children at the blind school 24:22 not only have a place where they can acquire 24:24 life skills for the world outside, 24:26 but they have a place where they can prepare 24:28 their souls for the world to come. 24:31 I think of the blind school 24:34 if not daily sometimes several times a day 24:37 and I think of the story when we were taking the children 24:43 to get their eye operation and-- Dorothy Watts 24:49 a long time friend of India who is not with us anymore 24:56 and I were sitting on the bench had a little girl 25:02 and the little girl Dorothy says, 25:04 what do you want to do 25:06 if your operation is successful? 25:08 What is the first thing that you want to see? 25:12 And she said, well, I've held a kitty, 25:17 I petted a cow, she says I want to see Jesus. 25:22 And Dorothy said, well, we can see 25:26 but we can't see Him. 25:29 And she says well, then show me a picture. 25:34 And Dorothy said well, your operation 25:37 may not be successful. 25:39 And she said she thought, she had a look 25:42 on her face she says, that's okay, 25:45 I'll see him in heaven. Wow. 25:47 Here this little girl, the first thing 25:50 she want to see if she could see is Jesus. 25:53 And I think when we wake up 25:54 in the morning is that our thought? 25:58 The first thing we want to see is Jesus, 26:00 it has such an effect. 26:02 Jim, I think about it daily. 26:05 The faith of a blind child cannot be explained, 26:11 you need to come and feel it. |
Revised 2014-12-17