Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000158A
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00:19 In today's episode of Hope in Motion,
00:21 we visit Sulochana and her family 00:23 and see how sponsorship in education 00:26 is not only helping Sulochana realize her dreams 00:28 but helping ease her family's burden. 00:31 We spent a few days at the Immanuel English School 00:34 in Jeypore, India 00:35 and learned how it not only provides education 00:37 to children from poor tribal communities 00:39 but helps provide shelter to boys like Suraj Harijan. 00:59 Children are our future. 01:02 They are full of dreams and desires. 01:04 But in a world of unspeakable despair, 01:07 these ignited minds live in poverty and privation, 01:10 helpless and hopeless. 01:15 Child Impact International is an organization giving hope. 01:19 It is an organization fostering permanent positive change 01:22 in the lives of disadvantaged children 01:24 and those who are in need, 01:27 serving communities in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, 01:30 Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and beyond. 01:34 For the last 15 years, 01:36 Child Impact has invested in the futures of children, 01:39 and their investment has proven infinite returns. 01:42 Driven by their dedication 01:44 to helping those who have the least, 01:46 Child Impact is an organization 01:48 focused on the welfare of children, 01:51 implementing diverse development projects 01:53 and sponsoring thousands of children. 01:56 Their outreach spans from child rescue operations 01:59 to providing an education for orphans, 02:01 deaf and the blind children, 02:04 giving them a sense of place, a home. 02:07 But above all, Child Impact is an organization giving hope, 02:12 giving hope to children, giving hope to communities, 02:16 giving hope to the ones who need it the most. 02:24 This is Hope in Motion. 02:47 Education can transform a person's life. 02:50 In remote villages in India where poverty is a way of life, 02:54 going to a school and receiving an education 02:56 can have a dramatic impact on a child's life, 02:59 especially a girl child. 03:01 Child Impact International 03:02 has been sponsoring children's education in India 03:05 for nearly 10 years now, 03:07 focusing on helping children from poor backgrounds 03:10 attend Adventist schools. 03:12 It has also been instrumental in assisting these schools 03:14 to achieve its potential 03:16 to complement its sponsorship program. 03:18 The Immanuel English School in Jeypore 03:21 in the state of Odisha is one such school 03:23 where Child Impact has made a real difference. 03:26 One of the schools that we're really proud of 03:29 school where the donors have made a real difference 03:32 is the Immanuel School of Jeypore. 03:35 I think it's got over 700 children, 03:38 and those children getting a quality of education, 03:41 they're well-disciplined, they're wearing a uniform, 03:44 but the amazing thing is that 03:47 they come from very poor tribal areas. 03:50 And this school was established with that in mind, 03:53 that it would take children from poor tribal areas 03:56 who really don't have much of a chance 03:59 and give them a reasonable quality education. 04:02 And that's what Jeypore does. 04:04 It's just really amazing to go there 04:06 and see the children. 04:08 And if you could just go home with one child 04:11 and see what they go home to, 04:13 you'd see the difference it's making on their lives 04:16 as well as getting an education. 04:22 Jeypore and most parts of Odisha 04:25 come under the so-called Tribal Belt of India 04:27 where people live unaffected by civilizing influences, 04:31 largely cut off from the mainstream societies. 04:33 They live in remote regions 04:35 with little or no basic amenities. 04:37 Life is a struggle 04:39 and the plight of the children from these communities 04:40 can only be described as deplorable. 04:43 Sending their children to school 04:44 is not in the minds of parents 04:45 who struggle to provide the needs for their children. 04:48 The Immanuel English School was established in Jeypore 04:51 to bring in children from these backward communities 04:54 and provide them with a good quality education. 05:22 Sulochana Diyari is 10-grade student at the school. 05:25 She comes from Mitaput, a small tribal village 05:28 about 30 minutes drive from the school. 05:31 Her parents are farmers who own a small patch of land, 05:34 cultivating whatever is possible 05:35 during the monsoon season. 05:47 He says he has half acre of land 05:50 where they grow vegetables and some crops. 05:53 When they are done with the work, 05:55 they both husband and wife 05:57 go to find some odd jobs to support the family. 06:03 The family has four girls, 06:06 and out of these, two are studying in our school 06:10 and two are at home. 06:12 And in Indian culture, 06:15 if there are girls in the family, 06:18 it is a matter of concern, 06:20 especially when they don't have money, 06:23 when they are poor. 06:26 And the parents find it difficult to educate them. 06:31 And the girls don't have any option. 06:33 They grow up... When they grow up... 06:35 When they are little bigger, 06:37 even those girls who are living with parents, 06:39 they too go with them as daily laborers. 06:42 And once they attain certain age, 06:46 then they get them married. 06:55 Sulochana is the oldest of four girls in the family. 06:58 In a gender biased world, 07:00 bringing up four little girls in a rural community 07:02 can be a burden, for the parents 07:04 and girls grow up with all the pressures of the society. 07:07 But education can change these perceptions 07:09 and make them more aware of the world outside. 07:13 Education can transform a girl child. 07:17 Sulochana and her sister 07:19 who are getting educated in our institution, 07:22 their lives are transformed. 07:25 They no longer will depend on the parents. 07:29 They no longer will depend on the traditions 07:31 that they need to get married at a certain age. 07:34 They have their own choice. 07:36 They study and they have a good future. 07:40 They can earn. 07:42 And so they are not dependent on their parents, 07:44 but they become independent. 07:48 And in turn, they are the ones 07:50 who will be able to guide these illiterate and poor parents. 07:56 A sense of freedom and self-belief 07:58 that education instills in a child 08:00 is there for everyone to see. 08:01 For the school administration and teachers 08:03 to see their students grow into fine young men and women, 08:06 it's gratifying, and they are proud of the association 08:09 they have with these children. 08:13 The first time I met Sulochana, she was very small girl and she 08:17 was shy. 08:19 But as I see her, 08:21 she is growing into as very young woman and very active. 08:25 She takes part in all the school activities. 08:28 And one year, she served as a sick monitor 08:30 and took good care of the sick girls, 08:33 and she is very helpful to her little sister 08:35 who is also studying in this school. 08:38 And I'm so happy to say that 08:40 I see a lot of development in her. 08:45 Although Sulochana's parents, like many in rural India, 08:48 struggle to earn two dollars a day 08:50 and cannot afford to send their children to school. 08:52 They do view education as a catalyst for change. 08:57 Well, the reality is, John, in a developing country, 09:00 it's very hard to break the poverty cycle. 09:03 And one of the key ways of giving child a chance 09:07 to break their poverty cycle is giving them an education. 09:11 The reality is that they don't have that education 09:14 that really locked in to what's available back in the village, 09:18 and the reality not a lot. 09:20 So the education gives them a chance of breaking out 09:24 into a far better career, job, 09:28 which once again impacts their family 09:31 because most of them do give money back to their family 09:34 once they get a job. 09:37 Well, if the parents don't have the insights and the ability 09:41 to encourage them and to send them to school, 09:44 often these parents have not had an education themselves, 09:48 so understanding the value of education is not there either. 09:52 So often these families don't promote education, 09:56 don't support them. 09:57 When these children come home from school, 09:59 can they do any homework with them? 10:00 No, they don't have the ability. 10:02 So the ability for these families, 10:04 the really poor families, 10:06 to help the child is non-existence... 10:09 non-existent. 10:10 They are striving, 10:11 they are struggling to get food to eat. 10:13 If they get one meal a day, they're doing well. 10:15 So where is the opportunity for them 10:17 to help the child to break out? 10:19 So Child Impact helps these children 10:24 who really don't have a supporting environment, 10:26 not that the parents don't want it, 10:28 they just don't know how to. 10:30 So Child Impact gives these children 10:32 the opportunity to make the difference. 10:37 Today, over 3,000 children in India 10:40 are sponsored by Child Impact, 10:41 and because of their commitment to the welfare of children, 10:44 especially children from tribal communities 10:46 and villages, 10:47 these children are reaping the benefits 10:49 of an Adventist education. 10:52 Sponsorship is very important for this institution. 10:55 Without sponsorship, many of the poor children 10:59 and especially Adventist children, they'll be... 11:03 They'll remain backward, they'll remain illiterate. 11:06 There have been so many requests of Adventist parents, 11:11 coming and requesting for sponsorship. 11:13 So many times, 11:15 we just refuse saying that there is no sponsorship. 11:18 And without fees, we cannot keep them 11:22 because the school can't afford to educate. 11:24 We are educating a few of them 11:26 but we cannot educate many of them. 11:29 And that is how... 11:30 That is why we need sponsorship and without sponsorship, 11:35 these children will not have a future. 11:39 Sulochana and her sister Moumita 11:41 had been sponsored by Child Impact 11:43 ever since they came to live and attend school 11:45 at Immanuel English School in Jeypore. 11:48 For girls like Sulochana, 11:49 attending school and receiving an education is a blessing, 11:52 and without sponsorship, 11:54 she and her sister would face an uncertain future. 12:11 He says that they're very happy that their two children... 12:15 Somebody is helping them to study. 12:17 And he says with his financial problem, 12:22 he would have never been able to send 12:24 his two daughters to the school. 12:26 And he is so thankful 12:28 to whoever is helping them for the studies, 12:31 and he's grateful to them and he says that 12:34 I pray to the God to bless them 12:37 and give them good health and strength. 12:57 Moumita Malik lives with her grandparents. 12:59 She lost her mother 13:01 when she was just a little baby, 13:02 and her father abandoned her. 13:04 When a child is orphaned or abandoned 13:06 at such a young age, 13:08 the unfortunate burden of caring for them 13:10 falls upon their elderly grandparents, 13:12 who barely have any means to support them. 13:18 This is Moumita's grandmother. 13:20 Her daughter was married 13:22 and when the baby was born after six months, 13:24 the in-laws and husband started ill treating Moumita's mother. 13:29 So the grandparents brought 13:32 their daughter and Moumita to their home. 13:35 And after a year, she felt sick and had a kidney problem, 13:39 so she died. 13:43 Seeing the elderly couple 13:45 struggle with their granddaughter, 13:46 a government employee from the village 13:48 who had knowledge about 13:49 the Adventist boarding school at Jeypore 13:51 suggested Moumita be taken there. 13:54 Like a majority of students at Immanuel School, 13:56 Moumita received sponsorship through Child Impact. 14:00 Our sponsorship obviously gives the child an education, 14:03 but has a real impact on the family. 14:07 You can't imagine living in poverty, 14:09 struggling day to day to feed your children. 14:13 So first of all, the parents were just so excited 14:16 that their child's getting an education. 14:18 But it also brings relief to the family 14:21 because in many cases, 14:23 the children go to boarding school, 14:24 and so they know their child is being fed, 14:27 they know their child is being looked after. 14:30 And then when the child comes back to the village, 14:33 they have a stronger willingness to work. 14:35 And in fact, when they come back as older students, 14:38 they can do things around the village. 14:40 They can help with English. 14:42 They can help people with computers. 14:44 It has a dramatic effect on the impact of the family, 14:48 and in turn their community. 14:52 Grandparents like these, it is quite difficult 14:54 to take care of their grandchildren 14:57 who have no parents. 14:59 So if Moumita would not be in the school, 15:01 she would just go for manual labor 15:04 when she is at the age of working. 15:06 And later on, when the time would have come for marriage, 15:10 that's the life. 15:12 There would be no bright future 15:13 if she didn't have the opportunity 15:15 to study in this school. 15:22 Life in rural India is simple. 15:24 During the day, 15:25 people either go to the fields or graze 15:27 what little livestock they have. 15:29 There is a clear order of social precedents 15:31 based on gender. 15:32 And women have little or no say in its structure, often 15:34 leading to unjust practices and misery. 15:38 If it weren't for Immanuel School 15:39 and the timely intervention of Child Impact, 15:42 girls like Moumita and Sulochana 15:44 would have seen misfortunes 15:45 of so many young girls like them in their villages. 15:51 So what do you want to do when you finish your studies? 15:55 I want to be a nurse. Nurse? 15:57 Yes. Why? 15:59 Because my grandmother aim is that to... 16:04 Oh, your grandmother's aim is that you become a nurse. 16:07 Yes. Okay. Very good. 16:14 And what would you like to tell your sponsors, 16:17 you know, if they see this, 16:18 what would you like to tell them? 16:21 I'd like to thank them from the bottom of my heart 16:24 because when I'm small, from that time, 16:27 they take care of me and. 16:29 And when I came here, 16:32 they help me, for that I'm really happy. 16:36 If they could not help me, 16:37 I could not have been here at this time 16:39 because my parents, they cannot pay any money. 16:43 For that, I thank them from my heart. 16:49 Sulochana's emotions are testimony 16:52 to what a simple gesture of sponsoring 16:54 a child's education can achieve. 16:57 To our sponsors of Child Impact, 16:59 we thank you for your generosity. 17:01 Every smile we get to see on the face of a child, 17:04 every anxiety removed from a parent's life, 17:07 and every folded hand that are grateful, 17:10 bear witness to your kindness and good will. 17:12 Thank you. 17:14 You are making a difference. 17:26 I just got a letter from our sponsored daughter Sheila. 17:29 And I've got to tell you, 17:31 there is nothing like getting one of these letters. 17:33 Our family has been able to sponsor her 17:35 through Child Impact International. 17:37 Because of that, 17:38 she's got a great place to live. 17:40 She's got good food. She's got great clothing. 17:43 Best of all, I now found out she's in college. 17:46 She's in nursing school. 17:48 There's nothing like getting a letter like this. 17:51 You need to start getting these letters too. 17:53 Listen, through Child Impact, 17:55 you can make a huge difference in the life of a child, 17:58 and I promise you, it's going to make 18:00 a huge difference in your life too. 18:15 At Adventist mission schools like this one in Bangladesh, 18:19 Child Impact International sponsors hundreds of children. 18:22 We often think that 18:24 sponsorship only impacts on the life of the child 18:27 but it's much wider than that. 18:29 It impacts on the parents and on the community, 18:33 but more important, it impacts on the school. 18:36 It becomes valuable income for the school, 18:39 and then in turn, 18:40 it impacts on hundreds of other children. 18:43 I just ask that 18:44 you would consider sponsoring a child with Child Impact 18:48 or supporting one of its valuable projects 18:51 that will improve education and Adventist mission schools 18:54 like this one right here. 19:29 The Immanuel English School in Jeypore, India 19:32 is a boarding school that has over 700 students. 19:35 This large school facility was built in 2006, 19:38 largely to support and educate poor tribal children 19:41 from Adventist backgrounds in this region. 19:59 Eight-years-old Suraj Harijan 20:01 is a second-grade student at the school. 20:03 And Arun Panda, the school principal, 20:05 took us to the village 20:06 where we met with Suraj's mother Pramila. 20:08 Her husband had died two years ago, 20:11 and soon after 20:12 the family came to live with Suraj's grandparents. 20:29 Suraj's father was suffering from fits, 20:32 and he was taking so many medicines, 20:35 but there was no cure. 20:37 So one day, he went to a nearby pond 20:40 and he suddenly he was attacked with fits 20:43 and he fell down there. 20:45 There was less water, 20:46 but there was no one around and he was drowned in the pond. 20:50 And that is how he expired. 20:53 And after that, 20:54 her mother is staying with her brother 20:57 in a nearby village. 21:01 Fits is what epilepsy is commonly referred to in India. 21:05 Suraj's father suffered a convulsion 21:07 while he was bathing in a village pond. 21:09 Although, the water was only knee deep, 21:11 there was no one around to help, and he drowned 21:14 leaving Suraj's mother widowed at a young age. 21:18 For the life of widow in our Indian culture, 21:21 especially those women 21:23 who are in a small village, a traditional village, 21:28 it is very, very difficult. 21:30 Life becomes almost like a curse we can say, 21:34 where the widows, they need to have to depend on someone 21:38 for any little help. 21:40 They become helpless. 21:41 And the more children they have, 21:43 the more burden they have. 21:44 And in some families, the in-laws 21:46 or their brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, 21:49 they never take care of them. 21:51 And indeed, they try to put, you know, 21:56 negative allegations on the widow. 21:59 And everyone, since there is no husband, 22:02 they feel that they can say anything 22:03 because there is no one to support them. 22:06 So their life becomes really tragedy. 22:09 So being a woman, I know how they undergo, 22:14 what stigma they undergo 22:15 in the Indian traditional village. 22:31 Although they had a house of their own, it was unlivable. 22:34 Monsoon rains had destroyed 22:36 a portion of their tiny thatch-roofed mud house, 22:39 and living in it was impractical and insecure. 22:42 Unable to repair the house 22:43 and not having a safe place to live, 22:45 Suraj's mother moved into her brother's house. 22:51 When husband dies, the mother is not secure. 22:56 And the main breadwinner for the family is the husband. 23:00 So after the husband dies, the mother was helpless. 23:04 Suraj's uncle 23:06 who has recently joined as a staff in our school, 23:11 he told us 23:12 that his sister's condition is pathetic 23:17 and especially the children need help. 23:20 And so he was the one who contacted us 23:24 and then we were able to get Suraj 23:28 to come to this institution, 23:30 and we are happy that he is sponsored, 23:32 and now Suraj is studying in this institution. 23:37 Suraj's uncle, Manoj Dayalu 23:40 had just joined as a teaching staff 23:42 at the Immanuel School during this time. 23:44 And he requested the school administration 23:45 to help his nephew get admission at the school. 23:50 If Suraj did not come to the school to study, 23:54 he would have spent his childhood 23:57 roaming around in the village and playing. 24:00 After few years, he would have helped his mother, 24:05 he would have done some work, 24:07 and he would have spent his remaining life 24:11 as a daily labor. 24:15 Suraj is small now, but I could see, 24:19 he is a very active and clever child, 24:21 studious child. 24:23 He is doing very good in his studies. 24:24 And in near future, 24:25 I know he will stand on his feet 24:27 and he's going to take care of his mother 24:30 and the little sister that he has, 24:32 and the mother also need not to depend 24:33 on his brother or other relatives. 24:36 And this boy is... 24:37 I'm sure, he's going to take care of his mother 24:39 and his little sister when he grows up. 24:44 Suraj is fortunate 24:45 to have received sponsorship through Child Impact. 24:48 Sponsorship for boys, like Suraj, 24:50 is like lighting a candle in the darkness. 24:52 And his sponsor has lit this candle, 24:54 not only for him 24:55 but for his widowed mother as well. 24:58 When we talk about children 24:59 and helping children and impacting on children, 25:02 and the Child Impact is only the conduit. 25:06 We help you, the sponsor, connect with the child 25:11 and the two of you are the people 25:13 that transform this world. 25:15 So we are here to serve you as sponsors 25:18 to do the best for you, 25:20 ensure that the policies and the guidelines 25:22 of the procedures are in place. 25:24 So what you give out of your generosity 25:27 is used to the best effect. 25:30 They impact the child in the most profound way possible 25:34 and create the best opportunities. 25:36 So to our, sponsors, you are on one side, 25:38 the key player in this whole picture 25:41 and the child is the other. 25:42 We are just the canvas. 25:44 You guys paint the picture. 25:46 So thank you for your sponsorship. 25:48 It is making a brighter picture for all these children. 26:20 She says, "In this village and everywhere, 26:24 widow's life is very difficult. 26:26 And I was struggling 26:28 but someone whom I don't know 26:31 came forward to help my son Suraj 26:33 to get an education in good school. 26:38 So like me, there are so many 26:40 in surrounding villages and everywhere, 26:43 and they too are struggling. 26:45 I wish more people will come forward 26:48 and give such help 26:52 as they have given to my son. 26:55 And I would like to thank all of them." 26:56 That is what she said. 27:04 The growing realization 27:06 of the need to support many such single parents 27:08 and their children can be overwhelming, 27:10 but it is reassuring to know that with sponsorship, 27:13 we can go about making a difference 27:15 one day at a time. 27:18 Today, Child Impact continues to fulfill its commitment 27:22 to the welfare of children who are in need, 27:24 providing them education through sponsorship, 27:27 giving them hope, and a chance for a better life. |
Revised 2018-10-29