Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000050A
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00:02 In this episode of Hope In Motion,
00:04 we take a look at how your contributions 00:06 are making positive changes 00:08 in the lives of so many children in India. 00:11 Sixty to seventy percent, 00:13 we are dependent on the sponsorship. 00:16 Without the support of any sponsorship, 00:20 those children would not be here. 00:22 We visited an Adventist school 00:24 that sprung from one woman's vision 00:26 to a sprawling beautiful campus today. 00:30 It just sort of amazes me when I think of, you know, 00:33 what we started from with absolutely nothing, 00:36 to see what is there today is just mind boggling, really. 00:42 And meet Devoki, a science teacher 00:44 at the school, who defied all social norms 00:47 to pursue a life of her own. 00:49 In villages that is a rule that when a girl is grown up, 00:53 she should be given in marriage to someone. 00:57 So in my case also it would have been like that 00:59 when I would not have come to the school and study. 01:01 By this time, I would have 01:03 even got married, having children, 01:05 all those things. 01:19 Asian Aid is an organization giving hope, 01:22 an organization fostering permanent positive change 01:25 in the lives of disadvantaged children 01:27 and their communities, 01:29 an organization that is committed 01:31 to making a difference in the lives of children 01:33 and those who are in need 01:35 serving communities in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, 01:39 Myanmar, and India. 01:49 For the last 40 years, 01:51 Asian Aid has invested in the futures of people, 01:53 and their investment has proven infinite returns. 01:58 Driven by their dedication 01:59 to helping those who have the least, 02:02 Asian Aid is an organization 02:04 focused on the welfare of children 02:06 implementing diverse development projects 02:09 and sponsoring thousands of children. 02:12 Their outreach spans from child rescue operations 02:15 to providing an education for orphans, deaf, 02:18 and the blind children, 02:20 giving them a sense of place, a home. 02:23 But above all, Asian Aid is an organization giving hope, 02:27 giving hope to children, giving hope to communities, 02:31 giving hope to the ones who need it the most. 02:35 This is Hope In Motion. 03:02 The beautiful landscapes, its people, 03:05 the colors and customs, that's India in a nutshell. 03:19 Asian Aid has been working in this vast land 03:22 since its very beginning, 03:23 which is nearly 40 years ago now. 03:26 Primarily focused on child sponsorship, 03:29 Asian Aid also has been instrumental 03:31 in building many children's homes and schools 03:34 to complement its sponsorshipprogram. 03:36 The Immanuel English School in Jeypore 03:39 in the state of Orissa 03:40 is one that has undergone a transformation. 03:44 In the beginning, we just were sort of picturing, 03:46 maybe, you know, just a small boarding school. 03:49 We were thinking a lot 03:50 of the very primitive tribal people 03:52 that were there in Orissa, 03:53 especially the Bonda tribals was what, 03:56 you know, we had on our minds 03:57 when we started the school. 03:59 Jeypore and most parts of Orissa 04:01 come under the so-called tribal belt of India 04:04 where primitive tribal people live. 04:07 Cut off from the mainstream societies, 04:09 they live in the mountains in remote regions 04:11 with no basic amenities, largely living off of the land. 04:22 Helen Eager, co-founder of Asian Aid 04:25 has been visiting these communities, 04:27 especially the Bonda tribe. 04:29 Moved by their backwardness and the plight of the children 04:32 from these communities, 04:34 she started a school for them at Jeypore. 04:37 Starting with around 50 children 04:39 and a few staff, 04:40 all under one roof, and without a boundary wall 04:43 to protect them from wild animals, 04:45 it was a testing time for the children, the staff, 04:48 and for principal, Arun Ponda. 04:51 And once Mrs. Eager brought Elder Garwin Mcneilus 04:56 and his wife to visit this place. 04:59 So once when he came over here, he was very much impressed 05:05 with the way children are learning over here, 05:09 and he felt that he will do something. 05:12 He'll take up this project. 05:14 Garwin McNeilus, 05:16 an Adventist businessman from Minnesota impressed 05:19 by what was being done at the school 05:21 took up the project of building a larger facility in 2004. 05:25 Within a year, the first phase of the new campus was ready. 05:29 And year later, it had grown to what it is now. 05:34 We just feel surprised how the things have changed. 05:39 Everything was just like the hill that you see behind, 05:44 full of bushes and unwanted plants. 05:48 So nobody from town 05:50 ever thought that there can be something here. 05:54 But God has blessed this place, and we can see a great change. 06:01 It just sort of amazes me when I think of, you know, 06:03 what we started from with absolutely nothing, 06:07 to see what is there today is just mind boggling, really. 06:26 The larger facility made it possible 06:28 to bring in more children from the tribal communities 06:30 as well as nearby villages. 06:33 As the news of the new facility spread, 06:35 many more children from Adventist 06:37 and non Adventist families 06:39 desired to be educated at the new school. 06:46 Many in rural India struggle to earn 06:48 even two dollars a day. 06:50 Their only way of earning a living 06:51 is grazing their livestock 06:53 or working in the fields. 06:55 Here poverty passes from generation to generation, 06:59 and education is not an option. 07:01 I mean some parts of India really seem to be growing, 07:04 and really, you know, 07:05 India seems to be really coming up as they say, 07:08 but when you go to the villages and the slums, 07:11 they have not improved 07:12 in all the years that, you know, 07:14 I've been coming to India 07:15 which is now more than 30 years. 07:17 You know, when you go to the villages, 07:19 and you see into some of the slums, 07:21 and you see how bad, 07:22 you know, the conditions are of the people 07:24 and the children are living under 07:26 because this, often, 07:27 it's not that they don't want to work, 07:29 but there's just not enough work available. 07:32 Although the majority of the people 07:33 cannot afford to send their children to school, 07:36 they do view education as a catalyst for change. 07:40 Sixty to seventy percent, 07:41 we are dependent on the sponsorship. 07:46 because majority of this children are poor, 07:50 and they don't have any support. 07:55 Without the support of any sponsorship, 07:58 those children would not be here. 08:01 Today over 6,000 children in India 08:04 are sponsored by Asian Aid. 08:06 And because of their commitment to the welfare of children, 08:08 especially children 08:10 from tribal communities and villages, 08:12 these children are reaping the benefits 08:14 of an Adventist education. 08:42 Devoki Moharia, 08:44 a science teacher at the Immanuel English School 08:46 was a former student here. 08:49 I finished my BSc degree in college, 08:52 and I'm very much interested in science 08:55 because I was good at science. 08:58 In this school, I teach mostly, 8th, 9th, 10th. 09:02 I teach them chemistry and biology. 09:05 Devoki was among the first batch of children 09:08 to be brought to the school 09:09 from neighboring villages 09:11 when Helen Eager and some of the staff 09:12 from the school visited these villages. 09:15 I sent messages to the church pastors. 09:19 If there are any children from poverty level, 09:23 and wherever there are no schools. 09:26 So many names came from different churches. 09:31 Then, first, I went to some orphan children, 09:35 then I came to know that there are two girls... 09:39 Very small girls nearby Kotpat town. 09:42 So I went there 09:43 and I met with her father, Devoki. 09:49 Then her father was not willing to send the girl here 09:54 because there was no boundary around, 09:57 and there was only one building build by Asian Aid. 10:01 Then when I went, 10:03 she was the smallest among the two. 10:06 Then she started crying not to take photo. 10:09 I carried her, I gave her chocolate. 10:13 Then I made her to stand, 10:15 then I took a photograph for Mummy Eager, 10:18 and that's how I found her. 10:21 I was very happy 10:22 thinking that I'm going to go to a school, 10:24 a hostel, English medium. 10:26 No one knows in my school what it mean, 10:28 they don't know how to talk in English and all. 10:30 So I was very happy that I will be the person 10:32 to learn English and all. 10:34 So when I came here, 10:36 first two, three days, I was nervous, means, 10:37 I used to remember parents, all this thing. 10:40 And only one single building was there and no boundary. 10:43 It was like jungle. 10:45 And jungle means I really get very, very scared of that. 10:48 And no boundary, no, nothing, only one building was there. 10:51 Boys, girls, staff, everyone in same building. 10:55 Doing all the activities, eating, sleeping, studying, 10:58 everything in the same building. 11:00 With the untiring efforts of Helen Eager, 11:03 and the prayers of staff and children, 11:05 the small school was transformed 11:07 into a huge campus. 11:10 And like a miracle, suddenly Garwin Papa 11:12 and Mama came here. 11:14 So we think and we believe 11:16 that God Himself has chosen this people, 11:18 and He has sent to help His children, 11:21 so that many more souls 11:22 will be added into His kingdom. 11:24 From right at the beginning 11:26 when the school was just one classroom, 11:28 then with the vision of Helen Eager, 11:30 and supporters like Garwin McNeilus, 11:33 this school sprouted into an institution 11:36 that now has, I think about 700 children. 11:39 And of those 600 are sponsored. 11:41 And now we see 11:42 the success stories coming through. 11:44 Devoki, who was right at the school 11:47 when it started, 11:48 she did her education at the school, 11:50 then she went away to university, 11:52 and now she's come back as a science teacher. 11:55 It's just so fantastic to see 11:57 the difference that has made with her, 12:00 but also with the children that are here. 12:03 If it weren't for the timely intervention, 12:05 if Asian Aid and people like Helen Eager, 12:08 Devoki Moharia's life would have seen 12:10 the same misfortunes of many young girls 12:14 just like her in her village. 12:16 In villages that is a rule that when a girl is grown up, 12:20 she should be given in marriage to someone. 12:24 So in my case also it would have been like that 12:26 when I would not have come to the school and study. 12:28 By this time, I would have even got married, 12:30 having children, all those things. 12:41 One of the huge problems that is existing 12:43 in the world today is that of human trafficking. 12:47 Of course, it is a global thing 12:49 but because I have worked a lot in India and Nepal, 12:52 I know that it is huge in these countries. 12:55 And the way these children are treated 12:57 is just unbelievable 12:59 and what they suffer, you just could not believe. 13:03 And so with your help, and we're so excited 13:07 that Asian Aid has now got the project 13:10 called Operation Child Rescue, 13:12 we can make a difference and do something 13:14 for these children before this happens to them, 13:18 and for some of them, 13:20 they can be rescued from this situation. 13:22 If you would like to become involved, 13:24 we would just be so very, very grateful. 13:41 A few years ago, 13:42 I had the privilege of visiting India 13:45 to see how the Asian Aid projects 13:46 are making a difference in that country, 13:49 how lives are being transformed, 13:51 lives of abandoned children, 13:53 tribal children, orphan children, 13:56 children that are being raised 13:57 without the advantages we have here in America. 14:00 And sometimes we take for granted. 14:02 And I discovered one very important thing, 14:04 because of sponsors like you, 14:06 these lives are being transformed, 14:07 the future is made brighter 14:10 because of your prayers and your financial support. 14:13 Because of what you do, they now have nutritious food, 14:16 clothing, and they are able now 14:18 to propel themselves with education 14:20 to look to the future with hope and courage. 14:24 And so on behalf of Asian Aid, 14:25 I want to thank you for all you do, 14:27 your sponsorship. 14:29 And now because of you, they have hope, 14:32 hope for brighter future. 15:00 Life in rural India is simple. 15:03 People live in close quarters 15:05 and as a unit. 15:10 During the day they either go to the field or they graze 15:13 what little livestock they have. 15:15 And there's a clear order of social precedents 15:17 based on gender. 15:19 Women have little or no say in it structure, 15:22 often leading to unjust practices and misery. 15:25 So in villages, parents are uneducated 15:28 and they don't send their children 15:31 when they are small to the school. 15:34 So that is the reason I never went to school. 15:37 In villages that is a rule that when a girl is grown up, 15:40 she should be given in marriage to someone. 15:44 So in my case also it would have been like that 15:46 when I would not have come to the school and study. 15:49 By this time, I would have even got married, 15:51 having children, all those things. 15:54 Child marriage is a common practice 15:56 in South Asia, 15:57 and it's more prevalent in India. 16:00 According to the United Nations Children's Agency, UNICEF, 16:04 80% of girls are married by the age of 15. 16:08 Although Indian law has made child marriage illegal 16:11 and the practice is in decline in recent years, 16:14 customs and traditions dictate life in rural India. 16:18 It is like so in Devoki's village, Besuli. 16:22 At present, I don't have any of my friends to my age. 16:24 Only I'm the girl in my village. 16:27 All are younger to me. 16:28 All have got married. 16:30 By now, she would have got married 16:32 if she would not have studied here. 16:34 By now she would have got married, 16:36 so by now she would have been lost 16:38 in that way. 16:40 But now she is in God's hand. 16:42 She is doing wonderful. 16:45 If my daughter didn't go to school 16:47 like others and get an education, 16:49 her life would have been like others. 17:16 Although Devoki grew up in a boarding school in Jeypore 17:19 and went to college in bigger cities, 17:21 she has not forgotten her roots, 17:23 and is always happy 17:24 to visit her family in her village. 17:28 Yeah, I feel very happy 17:30 because I'm born and brought up in this village. 17:33 And even though I stay in town or something, 17:35 but I still have love for my village, 17:38 for my family members. 17:39 I feel very happy when I come back to my home 17:41 and see them. 17:44 Devoki is the only girl from her village 17:46 to have successfully received a college education. 17:50 And in a community 17:51 where women have little or no say, 17:53 she is treated with the utmost of respect. 17:59 We feel very proud. 18:01 Whenever someone comes to visit us, 18:03 we always tell them about our daughter. 18:05 When she comes here, we are very happy and proud. 18:16 Boys and girls 18:18 from underprivileged backgrounds 18:19 are today able to follow in the footsteps 18:22 of someone like Devoki. 18:24 It's because of institutions like Immanuel English School 18:27 and the people who envisioned it 18:29 to make a difference 18:30 in the lives of so many children. 18:33 Well, as an administrator 18:35 who travels to India and regularly, 18:37 we're just faced 18:38 with so many challenges and demands, 18:41 and it's just so refreshing to stop 18:44 and think about the actual blessings 18:46 that we have. 18:48 We see the problems, 18:49 but we lose sight of the children, 18:51 the children who are in the schools, 18:53 the children who we've made a difference with. 18:59 Ellen White said, 19:01 "Education is the harmonious development 19:03 of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers." 19:07 It prepares the student 19:08 for the joy of service in this world. 19:10 And for the higher joy 19:12 of wider service in the world to come, 19:14 this school campus, 19:16 although situated in a remote region 19:18 of one of India's backward states 19:20 is a fine example of true Adventist education. 19:25 The local community feels that this is the best campus 19:29 that we have. 19:31 No school has such a campus, 19:33 and there is peaceful atmosphere 19:38 to study. 19:39 There is no disturbance. 19:41 And everyone feels 19:44 that their child should be educated here. 19:48 Taking care of such a large campus 19:50 requires hard work. 19:51 But for Principal Ponda, that's not an issue. 19:55 Every child and staff member living on campus 19:58 has their work cut out, 19:59 and they do it with enthusiasm. 20:02 I travel to many schools in India, 20:04 but it's just so delightful to come to this one at Jeypore 20:08 because when you walk in the gate, 20:10 the grounds, the trees, they always keep it clean. 20:14 They repaint from time to time. 20:17 The children are involved in doing the maintenance, 20:20 and doing the gardens, and that just makes 20:22 a total difference not only in the grounds 20:25 but on the development of the children themselves. 20:29 A harmonious development indeed. 20:42 Education in India is highly competitive 20:45 and the school as big and beautiful 20:47 as it may be has to compete 20:49 with other institutions for it to be influential, 20:52 and to continue to be held in high regard. 20:55 The trend of education is changing. 20:58 And the latest, we have digital classes. 21:03 And as you know throughout India, 21:04 there is a change in the education system, 21:08 and we want to go with the latest technology, 21:11 and that is why we opted for this digital class. 21:14 It is very user-friendly. 21:16 Students also can operate. 21:18 It's just like a TV remote. 21:21 Even if a teacher is absent, 21:23 still they have the subjects, 21:24 they have the chapters, 21:26 and they have the evaluation test. 21:28 The students can take the test by themselves, 21:32 and they can know 21:34 what score they are getting 21:35 in particular chapter or lesson. 21:37 Whatever the student needs to understand, 21:40 everything is given clearly. 21:42 And whatever the teacher is teaching in the classroom, 21:45 and what questions they have finished 21:47 in the classroom, 21:49 we can access that in the server room. 21:54 Cutting edge technology for the changing times. 21:57 Today, the Immanuel English School 21:59 at Jeypore is not only a boon for children 22:02 from tribal communities and villages, 22:04 but it's also a huge draw 22:06 for children from neighboring states. 22:34 Wow, look at that. 22:35 Just so many kids, 22:37 most of them from poor backgrounds, 22:39 most of them from tribal areas, 22:41 and look they're getting an education, 22:43 they're disciplined, 22:44 they're learning to be organized. 22:46 And the education is making a real difference to them. 22:49 I just wish I could bring some more in this. 22:51 So many out there and put them in this environment. 22:54 Look at it, it's just fabulous. 22:57 The growing realization of the need to bring 22:59 in many more children can be discouraging, 23:03 but it's reassuring to know that with sponsorship, 23:06 we can go about making a difference one day at a time. 23:10 When we are at home, 23:12 sometime we are not getting three meals to eat, 23:15 no good place to sleep. 23:17 So when schools are that, like this school, 23:20 they are providing meals, education, everything, 23:23 sponsors, they are struggling hard 23:25 to educate some other's lives. 23:27 That is something very great to understand. 23:29 Since sponsorship was there, I studied. 23:34 So I'm so much grateful to my sponsor. 23:37 And to me, it's really wonderful 23:39 just to see the changes, 23:40 you know, when you see a child come looking dirty, 23:44 and unhappy, 23:46 and know that nobody cares about them. 23:48 And then after a very short time 23:50 to see the transformation, 23:52 and then after a few years to see them really doing well, 23:56 I think that's what makes it worthwhile. 24:00 Devoki, although having better offers 24:02 to teach outside in bigger cities, 24:04 has come back to teach in the place 24:07 that gave her a new chance in life. 24:10 Actually my education, 24:13 my foundation started from here. 24:16 So I thought first let me serve to my place, 24:20 the place where I belong to, 24:21 where I've got my foundation. 24:23 Whatever talent I have, let me show to those people, 24:25 so that those students also will learn about that. 24:29 That's so lovely to see some of the young people 24:32 with that kind of commitment and gratitude to Asian Aid, 24:35 and for the sponsors that have helped them 24:37 to get an education and to be where they are. 24:41 I feel very proud because whatever I did for her, 24:46 I got the fruit. 25:01 Today, Asian Aid continues to fulfill its commitment 25:04 to the welfare of children who are in need, 25:06 and to provide them 25:08 with an education through sponsorship, 25:10 giving them hope and a chance for a better life. 25:16 They are building lives. 25:18 Students and children they are in darkness. 25:21 They are receiving the light in their lives. 25:25 If they are at home, 25:26 the lights are being off or gone away, 25:28 but once they're coming here, 25:30 their light of their lives is being on. 25:33 Because since I think that... 25:35 I feel since I was in this school, 25:37 I'm blessed to be in this position today. 25:50 I just got a letter 25:51 from our sponsored daughter, Sheila. 25:52 And I've got to tell you, 25:54 there is nothing like getting one of these letters. 25:56 Our family has been able to sponsor her 25:58 through Asian Aid, 25:59 and because of that 26:01 she's got a great place to live, 26:02 she's got great meal, 26:03 she's got great clothing, and best of all, 26:06 I found out she is now in college, 26:08 she is in nursing school. 26:10 There is nothing like getting a letter like this. 26:12 You need to start getting these letters too. 26:14 Listen, through Asian Aid, you can make 26:17 a huge difference in the life of a child, 26:20 and I promise you, 26:21 it's going to make a huge difference 26:23 in your life too. |
Revised 2018-08-02