Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000702A
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00:15 Child Impact International is an organization giving hope.
00:19 Previously called Asian Aid, Child Impact International 00:22 is an organization fostering permanent positive change 00:26 in the lives of disadvantaged children 00:28 and their communities. 00:29 Child Impact is committed to making a difference 00:32 in the lives of children and those who are in need. 00:35 Serving communities in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, 00:38 Sri Lanka, Myanmar, 00:40 and will soon expand to other countries. 00:42 For the last 50 years, 00:44 Child Impact has invested in the futures of people 00:47 and their investment is proving infinite returns, 00:50 driven by the dedication to helping those 00:52 who have the least. 00:53 Child Impact is an organization 00:55 focused on the welfare of children, 00:57 implementing diverse development projects 01:00 and sponsoring thousands of children. 01:02 Their outreach expands from child rescue operations, 01:05 to providing an education for orphans, deaf, 01:08 and the blind children 01:09 giving them a sense of place, a home, 01:12 but above all, Child Impact is an organization giving hope, 01:16 giving hope to children, giving hope to communities, 01:19 giving hope to the ones who need it the most. 01:22 This is Hope in Motion. 01:28 Hi, I am Rob Raney, 01:29 Vice President for Donor Relations 01:31 at Child Impact International. 01:33 Each day I get to read letters and emails 01:35 and answer phone calls from sponsors and donors. 01:38 Today, I am going to be visiting 01:39 with Leslie and Nick Evenson. 01:41 Leslie and Nick are sponsors. 01:43 Every year, they receive an annual progress report. 01:46 They receive a new picture of their child 01:49 and they'll receive a Christmas card 01:50 from their child as well. 01:52 These are all things that we do to help you be able to know 01:55 a little bit more about your child 01:56 that you are sponsoring. 01:58 So sit down with me as I go in and listen 02:00 to Leslie and Nick 02:02 as they tell their story about what it's like to be a sponsor 02:05 with Child Impact International. 02:07 So tell me a little bit about yourself, 02:09 your family, et cetera? 02:12 My name is Leslie Evenson. 02:13 I live here in the Collegedale, Tennessee area now. 02:16 I teach in the school PA health and wellness 02:18 at Southern Adventist University. 02:20 And I have two young boys, a two-year-old 02:24 and a three-and-a-half year old, 02:25 and we are a busy family. 02:27 And I'm Leslie's husband, Nick, and we actually met here 02:30 at Southern when we were students, 02:32 and we've been married for about ten years now. 02:36 And we have a couple of great little boys 02:39 and we love all our lives here in Tennessee. 02:43 How did you become involved 02:44 with Child Impact International? 02:46 Early in our marriage, we had the opportunity 02:49 to live in India for about six months, 02:52 and we were working 02:53 with another mission organization. 02:56 I was travelling just a little bit 02:57 throughout the country. 02:58 Nick was doing quite a bit more travel. 03:01 And during one of the trips, we were in a school 03:05 that had children sponsored by Child Impact International. 03:09 And, of course, throughout the country 03:11 there were many needs, and lots of poverty evident, 03:15 and at that school were a lot of kids 03:17 that relied heavily or solely on sponsors to provide 03:23 food, clothing, education, shelter for them. 03:28 And at that time, we were given the opportunity 03:29 to actually meet and sponsor a kid 03:33 through Child Impact International, 03:35 and so we chose a boy 03:38 of maybe seven years of age at that time, 03:42 and have sponsored him or his predecessors ever since. 03:46 You're traveling with another ministry, he said, 03:49 what was it that you saw that caused you 03:51 to want to become a sponsor? 03:53 We had both had opportunities to go on other mission projects 03:56 where we visit orphanages and you know, 03:59 had done some mission work in other countries, and for me, 04:03 it really showed me that we are so blessed 04:05 here in America and have so much 04:07 and just be able to give just a small amount 04:10 would have a huge impact on these kids 04:12 in other parts of the world that weren't so fortunate. 04:15 And so when we were there in India, 04:18 I think for me one of the hardest things 04:19 to see was when we just first arrived 04:21 and we were in the taxi going to the place 04:23 where we'd be staying, and kids would come up and be 04:26 begging and knocking on the windows, 04:28 and they were just so many people in poverty there 04:33 and then just to think that, you know, 04:35 just a small amount from us can make a huge impact 04:38 and provide Christian education for the kids there 04:41 was a really intriguing and very positive approach. 04:47 Although you are no longer sponsoring that original child, 04:50 what caused you to remain as a sponsor? 04:54 It's something that I believe is very, very helpful 04:59 and it's a tangible way to give back and help people. 05:02 And at the time we originally sponsored that young boy, 05:06 I had considered it a long-term commitment, 05:10 potentially all the way through high school 05:13 and maybe beyond that, I don't know. 05:16 So when he moved on 05:19 and someone else was presented to us, 05:21 it was not really a question in my mind 05:24 whether we'd continue to help support a child 05:26 even though it wasn't the original kid. 05:29 What would you tell somebody 05:31 who might be thinking about becoming a sponsor? 05:34 I'd say that if you are interested 05:35 in sponsoring a child, 05:38 I think it's a great opportunity, 05:39 and so you certainly should. 05:41 There's so many mission fields in the world, you know, 05:44 the kid who lives just down the street from you, 05:45 that's a mission field, 05:47 your own children, your own family, 05:48 that's a mission field but, you know, 05:52 we were called to go into all nations 05:54 and make disciples. 05:55 And when you sponsor a child for a Christian education, 05:59 you know, it's more than just giving them education, 06:02 teaching them also about Christ, 06:03 and the plan of salvation. 06:05 And so you know, it's gonna benefit that child, 06:09 it's gonna benefit that child's community, 06:11 and you know, 06:12 the money that we spend every month 06:15 to support this child, it's an easy sacrifice for us 06:19 but it makes just the world of difference in their lives. 06:22 I really enjoyed that conversation that we had 06:25 with Leslie and Nick, 06:26 and I hope that you enjoyed it as well. 06:28 And as I said before, that's my favorite part 06:30 of being the Vice President for Donor Relations 06:32 at Child Impact International 06:34 is visiting with people in their homes. 06:37 Keep your phones near you 06:38 because you might be the next person I call 06:41 to come visit with you. 06:47 On my trip to India, one of the highlights 06:49 was the visit to the blind school 06:52 in a town called Bobbili. 06:54 The school is an Adventist church school, 06:57 but it is 100% funded by Child Impact 07:00 and Asian Aid Australia. 07:02 It was build just over 12 years ago, 07:04 thanks to the generosity of the McNeilus family. 07:08 And it is in the rural setting surrounded by lots of farms. 07:12 The school has over 160 students 07:15 from grade 1 to grade 12. 07:18 The students are either partially blind or fully blind, 07:22 and come mainly from poor farming communities all around. 07:27 When we arrived, they gave us an amazing welcome. 07:32 They lined up on both sides, they threw flowers on the road 07:36 and we walked through, 07:38 and then we had to shake the hand 07:40 of every single student. 07:42 They asked us questions, they touched us, 07:45 because they wanted to know what we were all about. 07:48 I was really moved by the excitement 07:51 that I saw in them. 07:52 They were genuinely interested in us. 07:55 We shared a beautiful evening that night, we had a concert. 07:59 Some of them played instruments and then I did a part for them. 08:04 I talked to them and I played my violin. 08:07 I don't think many or most of them 08:10 had ever heard a violin before. 08:12 So it was really exciting. 08:14 There were two things that I remember in particular. 08:17 Number one, they listened intently 08:21 and then when they knew the songs, 08:23 they sang at the top of their lungs. 08:25 Number two, they clapped so hard 08:29 when every song was over. 08:31 It was a beautiful experience. 08:33 It is a marvelous place. 08:36 The facilities are great. 08:37 The classrooms are expansive and they are large, 08:41 but there are still some serious needs. 08:44 I'm delighted to have Jim Rennie, 08:45 the CEO of Child Impact here again today. 08:48 Jim, why is this school so important? 08:53 Well, first of all, Jaime, it's one of my favorite schools 08:56 to visit in India. 08:57 The kids just are so hungry to talk to you to, 09:00 to find out about you and they touch you, of course, 09:05 because of they can't see... 09:06 They want to feel you, yes. 09:08 They want to feel and see you. 09:10 This school is important because it fulfills a need 09:15 that no one else is delivering in that region of India. 09:19 First of all, these kids come from very, very poor, 09:23 mainly farming families. 09:26 And when you're born blind in a village 09:30 in that part of India, there's no way to go. 09:34 The parents have no idea what to do. 09:37 There's an element of shame in having a blind child. 09:41 And so, this school fulfills the need, 09:45 and I've seen so many of the parents 09:48 of the blind children are so proud 09:52 that their child is getting an education. 09:55 And I went to the blind school one day 09:59 and there was a seven-year-old girl there, 10:02 and she had just come to the school 10:05 and to be honest, it was distressing. 10:08 She couldn't talk, her head was down, 10:11 she would sit in the corner, it was just terrible. 10:16 And I had found her at her house 10:19 and she had been locked in her room 10:22 for three to four years. 10:24 The parents were just so embarrassed 10:26 and didn't know what to do. 10:28 But the exciting thing was, 10:30 when I went back to the blind school 10:32 a year later, 10:34 I just about came to tears because here she was... 10:38 She was playing with the children. 10:40 I saw her singing, I saw her praying, 10:44 just amazing change. 10:47 It was all there, but she had no way of letting it out. 10:51 So this school makes a huge difference 10:54 with blind children, 10:56 but the need is just overpowering 10:58 from the environment in which they come. 11:02 Yes. 11:03 And even though it is a beautiful facility 11:06 as I've mentioned, 11:07 what are the needs that we currently have there? 11:11 Well, we always have special needs children, 11:14 blind children that need sponsorship, 11:17 but if you can't sponsor a child, 11:20 you can make a donation to the blind school, 11:23 it has a separate fund. 11:25 It's very costly to run the school. 11:27 Yes. 11:29 And these children have exactly what it says special needs. 11:33 So you can either sponsor a child, 11:36 or you can support the blind school fund. 11:39 Okay. 11:41 Now Child Impact also operates and funds a deaf school. 11:46 Can you tell me a little bit about that 11:47 because I haven't been there? 11:49 Yes. 11:50 Well, this is located in southern India, 11:52 south of the city of Bangalore, in a city called Kollegal, 11:56 it has just over 95 students. 12:00 Once again, it's a boarding school. 12:02 It's an Adventist mission school 12:05 and the children come from similar backgrounds 12:08 to the children at the blind school, 12:10 very rural community. 12:12 And once again, when a child is born deaf, 12:15 the parents simply don't know what to do. 12:18 They don't know what sign language is? 12:20 It's an embarrassment 12:22 and so these children are given hope. 12:24 And once again, you go there and you see them 12:27 singing with sign language, 12:30 and it's just a school that's having a huge impact. 12:36 One hundred and sixty blind children 12:39 and over ninety-five deaf children 12:42 are getting opportunities to do things 12:44 that they'll never do otherwise 12:46 and that's thanks to your generosity. 12:49 We thank you and we ask for you to continue 12:53 to be a part of Child Impact to reach these 12:56 and many other young people in there. 13:02 I'm Shawn Boonstra, Speaker/Director 13:04 for the Voice of Prophecy, 13:06 and I've been involved with Asian Aid for many years. 13:09 I'm excited that they are growing 13:11 and helping more children in need 13:12 and very excited with their new name, 13:15 Child Impact International. 13:18 Voice of Prophecy continues to partner with Child Impact, 13:21 both in rescuing girls from trafficking in India 13:24 and with outreach in Myanmar. 13:27 My family continues to sponsor Sheila, 13:29 the young lady we sponsored in India. 13:32 Child Impact International is going to have a big impact 13:36 on the lives of thousands of children 13:38 in Adventist mission schools and other projects, 13:41 and we at Voice of Prophecy 13:43 are really excited to be a partner. 13:51 Our television series Hope in Motion 13:54 has been a big success. 13:56 And we want to continue to share with you 13:58 some of the field stories that we have filmed 14:01 over the years. 14:03 So just from time to time, it may refer to Asian Aid 14:07 as we reflect on these great stories 14:10 as we share them with you. 14:29 Bobbili, a small town near the coastal city of Vizag 14:32 in India 14:33 has nothing to offer to a visitor. 14:35 Its streets often bustling and chaotic 14:37 are typical of rural towns in India. 14:44 Poverty is widespread 14:45 and people struggle to meet ends, 14:47 doing menial jobs 14:49 and often attending to paddy fields 14:50 owned by landlords. 14:52 Visits to villages around here only amplify one's perception 14:56 of abstract poverty people live in on a daily basis. 15:00 But it is in this despairing and gloomy environment, 15:03 we often get to see and experience hopefulness 15:06 and optimism. 15:07 Over the last 15 years, Child Impact International 15:12 has undertaken numerous developmental work 15:15 in and around the Bobbili area. 15:17 It has supported schools through its sponsorship program 15:19 and built a school for the blind. 15:23 One of its recent projects is the construction 15:25 of a brand new orphanage in Karada village, 15:28 the Sunrise Children Home. 15:38 From its humble beginning in a cramped building in town, 15:41 the orphanage has shifted to a spacious campus 15:44 in the countryside, 15:45 situated about 10 miles from Bobbili, 15:48 the new campus gives the children 15:50 an ideal place to live, learn, and play. 15:56 How many of you like this room? 16:00 Okay. So you want to sleep here? 16:02 Yes. 16:17 You know, it's taken time to build the new orphanage 16:21 and the children have been brought along the journey. 16:23 So they were given an idea 16:24 that you're going to have a better home. 16:27 It's like asking, you're going to go to heaven 16:29 and we've got a better home. 16:30 So they had this idea of having a better home, 16:33 and they've been asking questions 16:35 as this whole thing was in progress, 16:37 and now they have it and they are just so excited. 16:40 It is such a wonderful place to go 16:42 from such a cramped environment 16:45 to such an expansive free environment. 16:59 The children still attend 17:00 the Seventh-day Adventist school in town. 17:03 But Sunrise Home has its own bus 17:05 that takes them to school every day. 17:07 And the bus ride is something that children look forward 17:09 to every morning. 17:16 August 2nd, 2014 was a special day 17:19 for Child Impact International and everyone at Sunrise Home, 17:23 a new boys' dorm was inaugurated 17:25 by renowned Adventist violinist, Jaime Jorge. 17:28 It was very emotional for me to be here 17:31 at the opening of the boys' dormitory. 17:34 It was just so great that Jamie Jorge could be here 17:37 to do the dedication and arguably we could say 17:40 it's the end of the project, but it's not. 17:44 Yes, the donors have build a great facility, 17:47 but the ongoing need for orphans in this home, 17:51 the ongoing operating needs, 17:53 the ongoing needs to sponsorship 17:56 simply means it's not over. 18:02 Although there is ongoing need for sponsorship 18:04 and other needs at Sunrise Home, 18:06 it is encouraging knowing 18:08 that this facility has the capability 18:10 to double the number of children and in the future, 18:12 there is facility to build another floor, 18:15 thereby having the capacity to facilitate 18:17 the ever increasing inflow of children 18:19 arriving at Sunrise Home each year. 18:22 In my union, we have 18:27 850,000 members 18:29 and there are hundreds of needs in this union, 18:32 especially there are orphan children, 18:34 there are semi-orphan children, 18:36 and therefore we really face challenge. 18:37 Today, expanding and adding these facilities 18:40 in the boys' hostel will really be a great blessing 18:42 because these children are adjusting somewhere 18:44 and they don't have proper facilities. 18:46 They want to feel with their friends 18:48 as if it is their own home 18:50 and this will be a unique identity 18:51 that will build confidence in them, 18:53 and they will really develop in the proper way 18:55 in the Adventist atmosphere. 19:23 Twelve-year-old Durga Prasad 19:25 and his 11-year-old brother Rajesh 19:27 came to Sunrise Home three years ago. 19:29 They were rescued from the streets 19:31 by a local NGO Child Line, 19:33 after a newspaper article appeared in a local daily 19:36 with the title "mother for sale." 19:38 Child Line immediately followed up the story 19:41 with the concerned people and rescued the boys 19:44 and took them in their custody. 19:48 After we brought them here, we came to know that 19:50 their father died 19:52 and the mother found another man, 19:54 and she moved in with him. 19:56 But he forced her into prostitution 19:59 and forced the boys on to the streets to beg 20:01 and sell newspaper and fruits. 20:04 He used that money, drinking and gambling. 20:17 Durga Prasad and Rajesh woke up every day 20:21 to the blaring sound of train horns 20:23 or the screeching halt of its iron wheels. 20:25 The buzz and hustle of the street 20:27 near the train station at Vizianagaram 20:29 was their domain 20:31 and the railway platform their shelter. 20:33 The boys were forced to go and beg or steal 20:35 by their mother's boyfriend, 20:37 and when they refused, they were beaten. 20:39 Fearing the beatings that awaited them at home, 20:42 they spend most of their time living on the railway platform, 20:45 earning some money selling fruits or begging. 20:47 After they were rescued and taken into custody 20:50 by Child Line, Durga Prasad and Rajesh 20:53 were brought to Sunrise Home. 20:57 I'm from Bobbili town and I used to live very close 21:01 to where the old Sunrise Home was. 21:04 Then I informed my superiors about it and recommended 21:07 these two boys to Sunrise Home. 21:11 Sunrise Home is highly regarded throughout the district 21:14 for its work with the shelter it provides to orphaned 21:17 and abandoned children like Durga Prasad and Rajesh. 21:21 Most of the children are coming to Sunrise Home 21:23 recommended by police department, 21:27 and non-governmental organizations, 21:29 and the Child Line, and rescued children, 21:33 most of them are here, the rescued children. 21:37 In this whole of the Vizianagaram district, 21:39 only this home is best home 21:41 and the government will recommend all the children 21:44 to stay here only. 21:46 Okay. Wow. 21:48 At our homes like Sunrise, we have children 21:51 from varied backgrounds, varied stories, 21:54 and honest some of them are hard to comprehend, 21:57 and just like these two boys 21:59 who were found on a railway platform 22:02 at the train station, could you imagine it, 22:05 could you imagine living there 22:07 having to scrape up an existence? 22:09 They were exploited by many people 22:12 and they had no hope. 22:14 Now, at least they have come to Sunrise Home 22:17 where they have a new direction, 22:21 and now they have hope of an education, 22:24 they have a hope of the future, 22:26 and the Asian Aid sponsorship program 22:28 will have a big difference in their lives. 22:32 Durga Prasad and Rajesh are in a place 22:35 where they can leave behind the fear 22:36 of being beaten and exploited, 22:38 leave behind the struggles of growing up in the streets 22:41 and instead are in a safe and comfortable place, 22:44 a place where they don't feel 22:46 like they're orphan or abandoned. 22:48 So by having an orphanage, we can access these children 22:51 who really won't have the basics in life, 22:53 who now can have the basics in life to go forward. 22:57 So that's what orphanage is doing. 22:59 They get the children who really need help 23:02 and don't have anyone to help them. 23:06 Child Impact is giving them that help. 23:08 Child Impact is giving them that new life 23:11 through its special need schools, 23:13 at an orphanage like Sunrise Home, 23:14 and is giving them an opportunity 23:16 to receive a proper education. 23:18 One of the great blessing is that 23:20 we cannot do everything by on our own 23:23 because of certain reasons. 23:24 I thank God for special organizations 23:28 like Asian Aid. 23:29 They are uniquely tuned to meet exactly our needs, 23:34 where we really need, especially we need 23:36 next generation to be prepared for the church work 23:39 and these children who are trained up in the homes 23:42 and with their help, with their support, 23:44 we educate our poor children, they're the next generation, 23:47 faithful workers for the church. 23:50 And it is really transforming. 23:51 I really thank God, every sponsor 23:53 that is supporting this work, 23:55 every leader in this organization, 23:57 they are really doing the work with dedication 23:59 and commitment. 24:01 They reach unto us, they openly talk their ideas 24:04 and we tell our needs, and they really fit in. 24:06 I'm proud of this important organization, 24:09 and they are truly beneficial to my union here 24:11 in East Central India. 24:13 It was painful for us to learn that the boys' mother 24:16 is still making her living through prostitution 24:18 and does not know the whereabouts of her sons. 24:21 Taking the children away from the mother 24:23 may sound cruel and callous, but extraordinary circumstances 24:26 call for extraordinary measures for the welfare 24:29 and the future of the children. 24:31 Like Rajesh and Durga Prasad, there are so many children 24:34 who are having very bad family backgrounds. 24:38 Sunrise Home is giving them good directions in their lives. 24:44 Today, Child Impact International 24:46 is reaching out to children in need. 24:48 And Sunrise Home is a safe haven 24:50 for these children, 24:52 providing not just their basic needs 24:53 and an opportunity for an education, 24:55 but giving them parental love and affection, 24:58 the chance and hope for a brighter future. 25:24 A couple of years ago, my daughters and I 25:26 had a wonderful opportunity to travel to India, 25:30 and while we were there, we met yet another part of our family 25:33 and that's our sponsored daughter, Sheila. 25:36 We had the privilege of sponsoring Sheila 25:38 through Child Impact International 25:41 for more than three years now. 25:43 And you know, while we were there, 25:45 she shared with us 25:46 that her dream was to become a nurse. 25:49 Now, what a wonderful privilege it is for us 25:52 now as a family to know 25:54 that she is fulfilling that dream. 25:57 Sheila is now studying to be a nurse. 26:00 She is in college 26:01 and we could not be happier for her. 26:03 It's been wonderful to be part of that journey with her. 26:07 And you know, sponsoring a child through Child Impact, 26:10 it's made an incredible difference 26:12 for our family. 26:13 And I know that for you sponsoring a child 26:16 can make a difference for you too. 26:18 And most importantly, 26:19 it can make the difference in the life of a child 26:22 every day. |
Revised 2018-09-17