Participants: Carl Ginger (Host), Jim Rennie
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000051A
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00:22 Asian Aid is an organization giving hope,
00:25 an organization fostering permanent positive change 00:28 in the lives of disadvantaged children 00:30 and their communities, 00:32 an organization that is committed 00:33 to making a difference in the lives of children 00:36 and those who are in need 00:38 serving communities in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, 00:43 and India. 00:51 For the last 40 years, Asian Aid has invested 00:55 in the futures of people, and their investment 00:57 has proven infinite returns. 01:00 Driven by their dedication 01:02 to helping those who have the least, 01:04 Asian Aid is an organization 01:06 focused on the welfare of children 01:09 implementing diverse development projects 01:11 and sponsoring thousands of children. 01:14 Their outreach spans from child rescue operations 01:18 to providing an education for orphans, deaf, 01:21 and the blind children, 01:23 giving them a sense of place, a home. 01:25 But above all, Asian Aid is an organization giving hope, 01:30 giving hope to children, giving hope to communities, 01:34 giving hope to the ones who need it the most. 01:37 This is Hope In Motion. 01:53 Hello, I'm Carl Ginger 01:54 and I'm on the board of Asian Aid, USA. 01:57 I'm going to talk a bit about Asian Aid and its beginnings. 02:00 Asian Aid started about 40 years ago, with a vision. 02:05 And in that time it's grown from a thought, a vision, 02:09 a purpose and a mission 02:10 to something really significant today. 02:12 And it's making a significant difference 02:15 in the lives of children, families and communities. 02:18 Today, I'm going to be talking with Jim Rennie, 02:20 the CEO of Asian Aid USA. 02:23 Jim, good morning. Good morning, Carl. 02:25 It's very nice seeing you again. 02:28 It's more than just being the CEO, 02:31 it's having a relationship and a friendship. 02:33 And I'm really grateful for that. 02:35 Jim, can you tell us a bit about Asian Aid, 02:38 to those who are not really familiar with Asian Aid. 02:41 What it does? Some of the programs it does? 02:44 Well, Carl, as you said Asian Aid was established 02:47 just about over 40 years now in Australia. 02:50 And Asian Aid USA has been going about six or seven years. 02:56 Asian Aid is a really child focused organization. 03:00 And the main activity that we carry out 03:03 is sponsorship. 03:05 And we have over 2800 children 03:08 and each child has an individual sponsor. 03:12 That's our main activity. 03:14 But on top of that we are involved 03:16 in over five orphanages, a school for the blind, 03:19 a school for the deaf in India. 03:21 And then in recent times, 03:24 we've become involved in operation child rescue 03:27 which is really exciting, because we are involved 03:30 in the rescue of young girls 03:33 from the sex trade and also children 03:36 from hard labor situations and beggary. 03:40 So Asian Aid is very child focused, 03:43 but it's involved 03:44 in a wide range of child focused activity. 03:50 Well, Jim, you mentioned that Asian Aid is primarily 03:53 about children and child sponsorship. 03:55 Can you give us a bit more information 03:57 on sponsorship? 03:59 Whether there are different categories 04:00 for the sponsorship and how it works, please. 04:03 Yes, Carl, well there's a number of levels 04:05 of sponsorship. 04:06 The first one is a Day Student. But let me just go back a step. 04:10 Asian Aid basically takes children 04:12 based on need and places them in an Adventist school. 04:16 The first category is the day student, 04:18 so this is the child, who walks or catches the bus 04:23 from their local village to the school 04:26 and so that supplied an education. 04:29 Then we have the smaller category 04:31 called Day Plus, where it's the Day Student 04:33 and we provide them the mid-day meal. 04:36 Our biggest category is Boarder. 04:39 So this is a child who boards at the school, 04:42 obviously goes home for the holidays. 04:45 But they're getting education, they get their meal, 04:47 they get accommodation, 04:49 they get a uniform and a book allowance. 04:52 And then, of course, above that is tertiary, 04:55 that's where they go to college or university 04:59 and a major part of their costs are subsidized by Asian Aid. 05:05 The unique thing about Asian Aid is that 05:07 when a child is accepted, 05:09 whether they have a sponsor or not, 05:11 they stay in the education program. 05:16 We always have a pool of un-sponsored children, 05:20 so that we have children in reserve for new sponsors. 05:23 But also if the sponsor is unable to continue, 05:26 the child support continues. 05:30 Each child has an individual sponsor. 05:33 And that sponsor gets updates on the child, 05:36 annual report and in most cases the child writes them 05:40 two or three letters a year. 05:42 Now with the sponsorship, with these various categories 05:48 especially the Boarders, 05:50 how do we select them? 05:53 Well, the children are selected on need. 05:56 So when we have a need for additional children, 06:00 we allocate it to a particular area or school. 06:03 And then based on the recommendation 06:05 of either pastors, community workers 06:07 or of the principal, 06:09 the children's names are put forward to Asian Aid. 06:12 And we have about eleven field officers in India. 06:15 So the field officer checks on their situation 06:20 and if possible visits their home. 06:22 And when they are accepted, 06:24 they go to the designated school. 06:28 And you mentioned orphanages. 06:30 Now in India we call them Children's Homes, I guess. 06:32 Correct. 06:33 Now running an orphanage or children's home 06:35 must have challenges. 06:37 It does. 06:38 How do you see this working? What are the challenges? 06:41 And how do we manage that? 06:44 Well, our biggest orphanage is one that Asian Aid USA built 06:49 in recent years, it's called Sunrise Home. 06:52 And it's in a beautiful location 06:54 in the country, 06:56 in a town called Bobbili in Andhra Pradesh. 06:59 It has 10 acres of property. 07:01 And it's a fantastic home for the children. 07:05 There is a river flowing nearby. 07:07 And you know when we go there, we always enjoy them seeing, 07:12 playing in the river. 07:13 I think the main challenge with these homes 07:16 is obviously finding the right staff. 07:20 I mean it's hard enough bringing up 07:22 two, one two or three kids of your own. 07:25 Could you imagine having to bring up 70 to 100 orphans? 07:29 I mean, these kids are just normal children. 07:31 They want to do all the things a normal child does. 07:34 But so finding dedicated staff, dedicated Christian staff 07:40 who can be a parent to these children, 07:43 can manage a large number of children, 07:46 but most of important give them a Christian influence 07:50 in their lives is our biggest challenge. 07:55 I think the second challenge 07:57 is obviously meeting the legal requirements 08:00 of the government. 08:02 And we're very blessed that Sunrise home 08:05 is one of the first government approved orphanages 08:08 that the church and Asian Aid has and... 08:12 But the work these homes are doing is just amazing, 08:18 just amazing. 08:19 And so it's always just great to visit these homes. 08:23 Now with all of these children, you mentioned before 08:25 that we have sponsors. 08:28 What makes a sponsor want to be involved? 08:32 And how do they actually get the joy 08:34 and the pleasure of being involved? 08:37 Well, I think, sponsorship is a very unique way 08:40 of making a difference. 08:42 We all can't visit the mission field. 08:43 We all can't go on mission trips. 08:47 And so sponsorship means that every morning 08:51 you are making a difference in the life of a child. 08:54 That child is dependent on you for its education 08:57 and in some cases its food and not only that, 09:01 you're giving the Christian influence 09:03 to that child. 09:04 And hopefully, the child writes to you, 09:07 you can write to the child. 09:09 You get their annual school report. 09:11 "Oh! My child is getting an A or a C." 09:17 So you're involved in the life of a child 09:19 and you're making a difference every day. 09:22 And I guess that the big thing 09:23 is that the sponsors stay there for the long term. 09:27 I see them like postage stamps. 09:29 They stick to their cause 09:31 and their commitment to the end. 09:33 And I would assume that, often, 09:36 when they get to the end of the child's education, 09:38 they might sponsor another child too. 09:40 Oh, yes, yes. 09:41 We have, in fact I, just the other day 09:45 I was talking to a sponsor, 09:46 who had sponsored the particular child 09:48 for 10 years and now have left tertiary. 09:51 And that particular lady took a new child. 09:55 So she's been sponsoring with Asian Aid over 10 years. 09:59 Now, that's a good news story. 10:01 So, Jim, when we're talking about Bobbili, 10:03 it's in a rural area. 10:05 We not only have the children's home, 10:07 but we involved in the community, 10:09 in the local area. 10:10 Could you give us an idea of what we do there, 10:12 and the impact it's making on these people? 10:14 Well, as you remember, 10:17 Bobbili is not far from the major city of Vizag. 10:20 Now, in the city of Vizag, 10:22 you remember we went to the slum school. 10:24 I remember that well. 10:26 Yeah, it's a very unique school that Asian Aid funds 100%, 10:30 it's located right in the center of the slum. 10:33 There's 80 small children there, 10:35 in fact, I think there's about 90 at the moment. 10:39 And the amazing thing here is that, 10:42 if that school wasn't where it is, 10:44 right on the heart of the slum, 10:47 50% of those children wouldn't be at school. 10:50 It faces tremendous pressures, 10:52 because the parents quite often want the children 10:55 to be on the streets begging. 10:57 So there is a lot of pressure to keep the kids at school. 10:59 And so Asian Aid is very proud of that ministry 11:03 and what it had achieved. 11:04 And every time I visit that school, Jim, 11:06 I just see the faces of these children. 11:09 Their smiles are so broad 11:12 and they're so happy to be at school. 11:14 It's an inspiration. 11:15 That's right. It's a delight. 11:17 Then as you get nearer to Bobbili, 11:20 there's a number of day schools, 11:23 where Asian Aid have sponsored children, 11:27 there's the Sunrise home as we mentioned. 11:30 But then right on the other side of Bobbili, 11:32 the Sunrise, 11:33 we have the Asian Aid School for the blind. 11:36 And once again this is a very unique school. 11:38 We have 160 either blind or partially blind children. 11:44 And once again these are from 11:45 very, very poor remote villages. 11:50 And in most cases, these are shunned by society. 11:54 They are rejected by society. 11:56 So a lot of these kids 11:57 would have never got an education. 11:59 And what would happen if they don't get an education? 12:02 Well, we've seen some pretty sad stories. 12:04 One day when I was there, a girl was brought in 12:07 and her parents had chained her in the basement 12:09 of the house for three years 12:11 because they didn't want... 12:13 They were filled by, 12:14 were ashamed in having this daughter. 12:16 And when she arrived, she couldn't speak. 12:19 And I went back a couple of months later 12:21 and that brought tears to my eyes, 12:22 as I saw this little girl singing a song. 12:27 As I said, people like this are rejected by society. 12:31 The parents don't know what to do with them. 12:33 And so it has a big impact on the family that their child 12:38 came to get education, and now we see them at tertiary 12:41 and we have some actually working in call centers. 12:44 So it's truly a blessing. 12:47 And so it's not only the child that's having a new future, 12:51 the parents also can have a new start 12:54 because their child can do something 12:56 and they can support the child. 12:58 And as you said, when they grow up 13:00 the child can be of a blessing to the parents too. 13:03 Yeah. 13:04 So, Jim, with such a lot of influence in the community, 13:07 the things we're doing in the community 13:09 and I'm sure the community participating in these things. 13:13 Do they see us as Christians, as Adventists? 13:16 How do they see us? 13:18 Well, I think it's exciting how they see us 13:21 because, yes, they know we're Christians. 13:24 Yes, they know we're Seventh-day Adventists. 13:26 Now sometimes, they don't understand 13:28 what a Seventh-day Adventist is. 13:30 But over time they learn and understand who we are. 13:34 Eighty percent of these children 13:36 are not from Christian homes. 13:38 So it builds a unique relationship 13:42 between the church and the community. 13:45 And quite often these children take the Christianity 13:48 back to their homes. 13:50 So it's one of the most amazing outreach programs 13:54 that you are a part of, 13:56 when you are involved in sponsorship. 13:59 Thanks, Jim. 14:01 Now, apart from all of these things that we do, 14:03 sponsorship programs, community development programs. 14:06 There are other issues that are emerging as well. 14:08 You mentioned trafficking of children into sex slavery 14:14 and the trade. 14:15 And, you know, it's... 14:17 There's so much more that Asian Aid is involved in, 14:22 and will be involved in. 14:25 So join me in a few minutes. 14:27 When we come back 14:29 and we will talk to Jim more about how Asian Aid 14:32 is participating in these new programs and projects 14:36 and how they are making a difference 14:39 in the lives of children, adults, families 14:43 and communities. 14:54 I just got a letter 14:55 from our sponsored daughter, Sheila. 14:56 And I've got to tell you, 14:58 there is nothing like getting one of these letters. 15:00 Our family has been able to sponsor her 15:02 through Asian Aid, and because of that 15:04 she's got a great place to live, 15:06 she's got great meal, she's got great clothing, 15:09 and best of all, I found out she is now in college, 15:12 she is in nursing school. 15:14 There is nothing like getting a letter like this. 15:16 You need to start getting these letters too. 15:18 Listen, through Asian Aid, you can make a huge difference 15:22 in the life of a child, and I promise you, 15:25 it's going to make a huge difference 15:27 in your life too. 15:42 The first time that I visited India, 15:44 which is now around 35 years ago, 15:46 there were two things that especially impressed me. 15:49 One was the numbers of children 15:51 who were suffering 15:52 without enough food, and clothing, 15:54 and no proper housing or parents to care for them. 15:59 And the other thing was the amazing potential 16:02 in those children to do something special 16:04 with their lives, 16:05 and also to do something for God. 16:08 The thing that was really needed 16:10 and is needed now is sponsors like you. 16:14 And to realize what a huge difference 16:17 you can make in the life of a child every day 16:20 through sponsorship. 16:35 Welcome back. 16:37 I'm in conversation with Jim Rennie, 16:39 the CEO of Asian Aid USA. 16:41 Jim, the majority of our work is in India. 16:45 But we also work in other countries 16:46 like Sri Lanka. 16:48 Could you give us an understanding 16:49 of what we do and where? 16:51 Yes, Carl. 16:52 Well, in Sri Lanka, our main activity there 16:56 is with Lakpahana College 16:57 and we have about 50 sponsored children there. 17:00 In Bangladesh, we have 300 children 17:04 and a number of Adventist schools. 17:07 We're shortly to enter Myanmar. 17:10 And in Nepal, we have about 150 children 17:14 in numerous Adventist colleges. 17:17 Now there are special issues in Nepal and, it's like, 17:23 child trafficking is a big issue there. 17:25 Correct. 17:27 And do we have programs to address this? 17:30 Where are we starting to address this sort of issue? 17:32 Well, we've made a decision with our program 17:35 called Operation Child Rescue 17:38 that we want to get involved in this area, 17:40 especially be targeting children. 17:43 So in Bangalore, we have partnered 17:45 with an organization. 17:46 And we're directly involved in rescues. 17:49 The main activity is rescuing girls 17:52 from the sex trade. 17:53 So we're involved directly in rescues. 17:56 They go and take these girls from the brothels 18:00 and do their best to rehabilitate them. 18:03 Now that sounds to me like a risky business? 18:05 It is. It is. 18:07 The team are constantly exploring, 18:09 exposed to danger 18:11 and there is obviously corruption at all levels. 18:14 And our team have to take very special precautions 18:18 in the work that they do. 18:20 And then also in Bangalore, we're working closely 18:24 with the trust that actually rescues babies. 18:27 These are babies that are rejected by society. 18:30 They're left on the side of the road. 18:33 And so the police and social services 18:35 bring those babies to the rescue center. 18:39 And, Carl, it's so heartbreaking 18:42 to see these children that have been rejected 18:44 by society but it's just so exciting to see 18:49 that these children have been saved from death. 18:55 And Operation Child Rescue 18:57 was an important part of Asian Aid's growing program. 19:02 So Asian Aid has an influence on children from babies, 19:07 you know, right through to adults. 19:09 Yes. 19:10 Asian Aid is a very unique ministry 19:12 that we're very child focused. 19:14 And yeah, we cover a spectrum of how our donors 19:18 and supporters can be involved in changing the lives 19:22 and saving these children from death. 19:26 Yeah. 19:27 And it's not just all of these, this whole spectrum of people. 19:30 We also are involved in special needs children, 19:33 like the school for the blind and the hearing-impaired. 19:36 Give us a bit more information on these schools 19:38 because they are, they serve special needs. 19:41 I know you mentioned previously about the school for the blind, 19:44 but tell us a bit more 19:45 about the school for hearing-impaired. 19:47 Well, you remember when you and I went there, 19:49 we drove in the gate 19:51 and it was just so exciting that these kids 19:53 just came rushing around the car. 19:56 And you hop out and then without thinking, 19:58 you start talking to them. 19:59 Absolutely. 20:01 You forget that they're deaf because they're so animated, 20:03 they're saying hello. 20:04 And once again, 20:06 this is a very, very important school 20:09 because these children 20:10 are from the poor villages where the society reject them, 20:16 it's embarrassing to the parents. 20:18 And to see them singing hymns using sign language, 20:23 to see them doing a skit to music 20:26 but they can't hear the music. 20:28 Wasn't that amazing? That was absolutely amazing. 20:30 The other thing, it's the concentration 20:32 on these children's faces. 20:33 Because they can't hear anything, 20:35 they just focus on what's being done. 20:37 That really amazed me. 20:39 I think the other important thing also, 20:42 is the difference it makes on the lives of the families. 20:45 All right, so we're not only sponsoring a child, 20:48 we're not only giving that child an education 20:51 but suddenly the parents, 20:53 the parents who have faced stigma, 20:56 the parents that have faced embarrassment 20:58 are suddenly proud of their child. 21:00 To see parents in the slum, 21:03 who are proud of their little child, 21:05 in their dirty uniform heading off to school. 21:08 To see parents of the blind children, 21:10 who suddenly have a child they can talk about. 21:13 And these children make a difference. 21:15 So the sponsor is making a difference 21:18 in the life of the family and that community. 21:21 So it has a very, very wide effect. 21:24 With our sponsorship program, 21:26 you're introducing the child to Jesus. 21:29 They come to the school 21:30 and suddenly they're learning hymns, 21:33 they're learning prayer and they become... 21:36 They really are introduced to Jesus 21:39 and it's just so exciting. 21:41 We see baptisms. 21:42 We see them taking the Christian influence 21:45 back to their family and their friends. 21:49 So sponsorship is a very effective evangelism tool 21:54 that you are involved in as a sponsor every day. 22:00 And what that really also means is, 22:01 it's not just people knowing Jesus Christ, 22:05 but hope gives them another reason to live. 22:09 That's right. 22:10 And in Asian Aid's logo, it says Asian Aid, 22:13 give hope today. 22:14 And that's what we're doing. 22:16 The hope that's bigger than the hope of an education, 22:19 that's the hope of eternal life. 22:21 So, Jim, to do all these stuff, we know, we need funds 22:24 and I know that at our board meetings, 22:27 one of the key items is funds. 22:29 How do we raise funds? 22:31 And what are we going to do with it? 22:33 What's the challenges? 22:34 Well, fund raising is tough. 22:37 Where there's a lot of ministries out there 22:40 seeking the dollar, 22:41 the dollar that people want to share for good causes. 22:44 So it's a very competitive environment, 22:47 but we've been very blessed with the Hope in Motion series, 22:50 that we're a part of right now. 22:52 And we've been very blessed with our partnership with 3ABN. 22:57 It's had a dramatic impact on people 22:59 understanding the work of Asian Aid. 23:02 We also have to travel all around America 23:04 going to ASIs and church meetings 23:08 and visiting churches. 23:09 So that comes with a high cost. 23:12 But the Lord's blessed us 23:14 and we plan to continue growing. 23:17 We plan to continue helping more children. 23:20 And, Jim, I know that this comes at a cost 23:22 but the long-term benefits far outweigh these costs. 23:27 Yeah, the unique thing about sponsorship, 23:29 there's an investment at the beginning, 23:31 but the donor stays with us for five, ten years. 23:36 Yeah, but it's also impacting on the child 23:39 for five to ten years. 23:41 So it's a great investment. 23:43 And when we talk about impacting on the child 23:46 for five or ten years, that's the immediate impact 23:49 but the future impact is priceless. 23:51 Correct. 23:53 Now tell me with all these sponsors, 23:56 how significant are the small, regular sponsors? 24:00 Well, no organization can survive 24:03 without the small donor. 24:06 We get very excited about large donations 24:09 but the secret is a large base of people who give regularly. 24:14 So the five dollars a month, the ten dollars a month 24:17 is critical to our success. 24:20 And I'm so grateful for the people, 24:22 who don't have a great income, 24:24 who really support us regularly. 24:27 And the Lord will bless them. 24:29 And they will be so excited 24:31 for seeing for their contribution. 24:34 Jim, with managing all of these children 24:38 and there must be a lag between getting sponsors 24:41 and having children. 24:42 So you must have some un-sponsored children. 24:45 How do the un-sponsored children work? 24:48 Well, Carl, at most times we can have 200 to 300 24:51 un-sponsored children, because we obviously 24:53 have to have a pool of children available. 24:56 But also sometimes, sponsors fall out 24:58 and once a child enters our program, 25:01 Asian Aid continues to support them. 25:03 So the un-sponsored child fund is critical to running 25:08 an efficient sponsorship program. 25:11 Now, the un-sponsored child fund is a unique way, 25:15 that someone who doesn't want to pay a monthly cost 25:18 or a monthly donation can make a one-off donation. 25:22 So one of the good ways 25:24 that a person can support a child 25:26 without the monthly commitment 25:28 is to contribute to the un-sponsored child fund. 25:31 It's a big need for us, but it's an important need. 25:35 And this fund actually guarantees 25:37 that the child can continue. 25:39 Correct. 25:40 It guarantees that the children can continue in the program 25:43 and it gives us a pool of children 25:46 to ensure our growth. 25:47 And, Jim, it sounds like Asian Aid, 25:50 it's a learning organization. 25:52 We learn from what's happened yesterday, 25:54 we do things today 25:56 and we create a future for tomorrow. 25:58 Correct. 26:00 So tell us how would others get involved with Asian Aid? 26:04 Well, I think the best place to start is our website 26:08 which is AsianAid.org. 26:11 It's www.AsianAid.org. 26:16 And there you can see the activity we're doing. 26:19 You can look up our phone number 26:21 and call us if you want to. 26:23 You can actually donate online. 26:25 You can sponsor a child online. 26:28 So that's the best way. 26:29 Or give us a call, or if you see us in an event, 26:32 come and ask us for some information. 26:35 We want to hear from new donors. 26:37 We want them to read about us and understand what we do. 26:41 So it's really easy to get involved? 26:43 Correct. 26:44 Just call. Talk to us. Yes. 26:47 So to all our sponsors, I'm sure you would say, 26:51 "Thank you for all your support." 26:53 Oh! Look, I'm just so grateful. 26:57 When we open the mail on a Monday morning 26:59 and I just see people, 27:01 who I know don't have a big income 27:02 but they're giving something for these children. 27:06 And I'm just so impressed. 27:08 And it's so emotional sometimes, 27:11 when we see what people are doing to help 27:14 our organization but more importantly 27:17 the hope for children 27:19 that we're educating or rescuing. 27:22 And I'm just so grateful to the donors 27:25 and the supporters of Asian Aid. 27:29 To all of you, who are watching this special edition 27:32 of Hope in Motion. 27:34 You can see that Asian Aid is making a difference. 27:37 They are committed to making a difference. 27:39 And they certainly can use you and your commitment 27:43 to further this cause. 27:45 I would encourage you to call Asian Aid 27:48 and give of your time and resources. 27:51 Because you can make a difference 27:54 in the lives of children, families 27:57 and communities and help create 28:01 and guarantee, tomorrow's generation 28:04 can be filled with hope. |
Revised 2018-08-02