Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000203A
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00:07 Child Impact International is an organization giving hope,
00:11 previously called Asian Aid. 00:13 Child Impact International is an organization 00:15 fostering permanent positive change 00:18 in the lives of disadvantaged children 00:20 and their communities. 00:21 Child Impact is committed to making a difference 00:24 in the lives of children and those who are in need. 00:27 Serving communities in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, 00:31 Myanmar, and will soon expand to other countries. 00:34 For the last 50 years, 00:36 Child Impact has invested in the futures of people 00:39 and their investment is proving infinite returns, 00:42 driven by the dedication to helping those 00:44 who have the least. 00:45 Child Impact is an organization 00:47 focused on the welfare of children, 00:49 implementing diverse development projects 00:52 and sponsoring thousands of children. 00:54 Their outreach expands from child rescue operations, 00:57 to providing an education for orphans, deaf, 01:00 and the blind children 01:01 giving them a sense of place, a home, 01:04 but above all, Child Impact is an organization giving hope, 01:08 giving hope to children, giving hope to communities, 01:11 giving hope to the ones who needed the most. 01:14 This is Hope in Motion. 01:42 The Immanuel English School in Jeypore, India 01:44 is a boarding school that has over 700 students. 01:48 This large school facility was built in 2006, 01:51 largely to support and educate poor tribal children 01:54 from Adventist backgrounds in this region. 02:11 Eight-years-old Suraj Harijan 02:13 is a second-grade student at the school. 02:15 And Arun Panda, the school principal, 02:18 took us to the village 02:19 where we met with Suraj's mother Pramila. 02:21 Her husband had died two years ago, 02:23 and soon after 02:25 the family came to live with Suraj's grandparents. 02:42 Suraj's father was suffering from fits, 02:45 and he was taking so many medicines, 02:48 but there was no cure. 02:50 So one day, he went to a nearby pond 02:53 and he suddenly he was attacked with fits 02:56 and he fell down there. 02:57 There was less water, 02:59 but there was no one around and he was drowned in the pond. 03:03 And that is how he expired. 03:05 And after that, 03:07 her mother is staying with her brother 03:09 in a nearby village. 03:14 Fits is what epilepsy 03:15 is commonly referred to in India. 03:17 Suraj's father suffered a convulsion 03:20 while he was bathing in a village pond. 03:22 Although, the water was only knee deep, 03:24 there was no one around to help, 03:26 and he drowned 03:27 leaving Suraj's mother widowed at a young age. 03:30 For the life of widow 03:33 in our Indian culture, 03:34 especially those women who are in a small village, 03:38 a traditional village, 03:40 it is very, very difficult. 03:42 Life becomes almost like a curse we can say, 03:47 where the widows, they need to have to depend on someone 03:51 for any little help. 03:52 They become helpless. 03:54 And the more children they have, 03:55 the more burden they have. 03:57 And in some families, 03:58 the in-laws or their brother-in-laws, 04:01 sister-in-laws, they never take care of them. 04:03 And indeed, they try to put, 04:08 you know, negative allegations on the widow. 04:12 And everyone, since there is no husband, 04:14 they feel that they can say anything 04:16 because there is no one to support them. 04:18 So their life becomes really tragedy. 04:21 So being a woman, 04:23 I know how they undergo, 04:27 what stigma they undergo 04:28 in the Indian traditional village. 04:44 Although they had a house of their own, it was unlivable. 04:47 Monsoon rains had destroyed a portion 04:49 of their tiny thatch-roofed mud house, 04:51 and living in it was impractical and insecure. 04:54 Unable to repair the house 04:56 and not having a safe place to live, 04:58 Suraj's mother moved into her brother's house. 05:03 When husband dies, 05:06 the mother is not secure. 05:09 And the main breadwinner for the family is the husband. 05:12 So after the husband dies, 05:14 the mother was helpless. 05:16 Suraj's uncle 05:19 who has recently joined as a staff in our school, 05:23 he told us 05:25 that his sister's condition is pathetic 05:30 and especially the children need help. 05:33 And so he was the one 05:35 who contacted us 05:37 and then we were able to get Suraj 05:41 to come to this institution, 05:43 and we are happy that he is sponsored, 05:45 and now Suraj is studying in this institution. 05:50 Suraj's uncle, Manoj Dayalu 05:53 had just joined as a teaching staff 05:54 at the Immanuel School during this time. 05:56 And he requested the school administration 05:58 to help his nephew get admission at the school. 06:02 If Suraj did not come to the school to study, 06:07 he would have spent his childhood 06:09 roaming around in the village and playing. 06:12 After few years, 06:14 he would have helped his mother, 06:17 he would have done some work, 06:19 and he would have spent his remaining life 06:23 as a daily labor. 06:28 Suraj is small now, but I could see, 06:31 he is a very active and clever child, 06:34 studious child. 06:35 He is doing very good in his studies. 06:37 And in near future, I know he will stand on his feet 06:40 and he's going to take care of his mother 06:42 and the little sister that he has, 06:44 and the mother also need not to depend 06:46 on his brother or other relatives. 06:48 And this boy is... 06:50 I'm sure, he's going to take care of his mother 06:52 and his little sister when he grows up. 06:57 Suraj is fortunate 06:58 to have received sponsorship through Child Impact. 07:00 Sponsorship for boys, like Suraj, 07:02 is like lighting a candle in the darkness. 07:05 And his sponsor has lit this candle, 07:07 not only for him 07:08 but for his widowed mother as well. 07:10 When we talk about children 07:12 and helping children and impacting on children, 07:15 and the Child Impact is only the conduit. 07:19 We help you, the sponsor, connect with the child 07:23 and the two of you 07:25 are the people that transform this world. 07:28 So we are here to serve you 07:30 as sponsors to do the best for you, 07:32 ensure that the policies 07:34 and the guidelines of the procedures 07:35 are in place. 07:37 So what you give out of your generosity 07:40 is used to the best effect. 07:42 They impact the child 07:44 in the most profound way possible 07:46 and create the best opportunities. 07:48 So to our sponsors, you are on one side, 07:51 the key player in this whole picture 07:53 and the child is the other. 07:55 We are just the canvas. 07:56 You guys paint the picture. 07:59 So thank you for your sponsorship. 08:00 It is making a brighter picture for all these children. 08:32 She says, "In this village and everywhere, 08:36 widow's life is very difficult. 08:39 And I was struggling, 08:41 but someone whom I don't know 08:43 came forward to help my son Suraj 08:46 to get an education in good school. 08:50 So like me, there are so many in surrounding villages 08:54 and everywhere, and they too are struggling. 08:58 I wish more people will come forward 09:01 and give such help as they have given to my son. 09:07 And I would like to thank all of them." 09:09 That is what she said. 09:17 The growing realization of the need 09:19 to support many such single parents 09:21 and their children can be overwhelming, 09:23 but it is reassuring to know that with sponsorship, 09:26 we can go about making a difference 09:27 one day at a time. 09:31 Today, Child Impact continues to fulfill its commitment 09:35 to the welfare of children who are in need, 09:37 providing them education through sponsorship, 09:39 giving them hope, and a chance for a better life. 09:55 Imagine with me for a moment 09:57 that you're a small child living on the streets of India, 10:00 the sandals on your feet lost their comfort weeks ago, 10:04 your favorite shirt just got another hole. 10:07 It's sad, mommy died last year 10:09 but what makes you feel even worse 10:11 is that your dad 10:13 chose not to be your dad anymore. 10:15 Hey, I'm Shawn Boonstra, 10:17 Honorary Ambassador for Child Impact International, 10:20 an organization that is a supportive ministry 10:22 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 10:25 Something like 15 to 25 million little girls and boys in India 10:29 share similar stories to the one I just told you. 10:32 Many are orphaned at a young age 10:34 with little food to eat and no hope. 10:37 Child Impact serves to bridge the gap 10:39 between hardship and education. 10:42 It's a unique ministry that serves children in poverty 10:45 in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. 10:50 Over three and a half thousand children 10:53 are provided an Adventist education 10:55 and lives are changed 10:57 through the numerous development projects. 11:00 Working in these countries, 11:01 Child Impact has come face to face 11:04 with issues like child slavery, poor or no education, 11:08 child trafficking, abandoned babies, 11:11 lack of clean water, and a high number of orphans. 11:15 This list is not short on challenges, 11:18 yet the needs are being met. 11:20 You know, my family sponsors Sheila, a young lady 11:23 at the Sunrise Orphanage in India. 11:26 For the past couple of years, 11:27 I'm proud of how my family has been able 11:29 to impact her life for the better. 11:32 Word has it, she just started college. 11:36 What I've come to understand 11:38 is that the children Child Impact supports 11:41 are more than just names, or faces on a screen, 11:44 or a flyer, 11:46 they're people with a story, 11:48 a story whose ending has not been written, 11:51 instead another chapter is being composed. 11:55 It reminds me of something that Jesus once said, 11:58 "Whatever you do 11:59 for the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, 12:02 you do for Me." 12:04 Join me and others like me throughout the world 12:08 who are sponsoring a child monthly 12:10 to provide like Jesus did, 12:12 to support like Jesus did, 12:14 to love like Jesus did. 12:17 You too can make a lifelong impact 12:19 on the life of someone 12:21 who is waiting for you to say yes. 12:23 Yes, today you will consider sponsorship right now 12:26 with Child Impact or one of our other projects. 12:29 Yes, to give hope to a precious child today. 12:42 Sponsoring children in activities 12:47 like these mission schools and opportunities 12:50 is a tremendous way 12:52 to help form the character of young people 12:56 as they look to the future. 12:58 They will never forget their association 13:01 in a Christian environment. 13:03 And by God's grace, 13:04 many of them will become 13:06 members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 13:08 It is absolutely a powerful witness 13:12 to sponsor a child in Child Impact 13:15 and so many other organizations 13:18 that help young people to find Jesus. 13:23 Sponsoring a child not only has short-term effects 13:27 but it has a long-term effect. 13:30 Sponsoring a child is investing 13:33 in the character of a young person for eternity. 13:36 We're taping this right here in Myanmar, 13:40 at the Myanmar Union Adventist Seminary, 13:43 and about one-third of the students 13:46 or one quarter of the students 13:48 are being sponsored by Child Impact. 13:51 People who become workers in God's church, 13:55 people who make an impact in the community 13:58 have been people who have been sponsored. 14:01 Your sponsorship is absolutely an investment 14:05 in the future of the church. |
Revised 2019-04-25