Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000828A
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00:12 I am Jim Rennie, CEO of Asian Aid USA.
00:17 As you have heard by now, 00:18 the country of Nepal has been hit by a massive earthquake. 00:23 Thousands are dead and tens of thousands are injured. 00:27 Scheer Adventist Memorial Hospital 00:30 is the only church institution in Nepal 00:33 and it's very important to the outreach of the church, 00:37 but also the massive community that it serves. 00:40 Right now Scheer Adventist Memorial Hospital 00:44 is overwhelmed with the injured that are coming through 00:47 its hospital gates every hour. 00:50 Scheer Hospital have asked Asian Aid 00:53 to establish an emergency fund to help the hospital 00:57 cope with this massive emergency. 01:01 The program we're showing this evening is the one 01:04 from our Hope In Motion series that shows the work 01:07 that Scheer has done. 01:09 And during this program we will share with you 01:12 some information about the appeal 01:15 and how you can help this emergency situation. 01:31 Asian Aid is an organization giving hope, 01:34 an organization fostering permanent positive change 01:38 in the lives of disadvantaged children and their communities. 01:41 An organization that is committed 01:43 to making a difference in the lives of children 01:46 and those who were in need. 01:47 Serving communities in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, 01:51 Myanmar and India. 02:01 For the last 40 years, Asian Aid has invested 02:04 in the futures of people 02:06 and their investment has proven infinite returns. 02:10 Driven by their dedication 02:12 to helping those who have the least. 02:14 Asian Aid is an organization 02:16 focused on the welfare of children, 02:18 implementing diverse development projects 02:21 and sponsoring thousands of children. 02:24 Their outreach spans from child rescue operations, 02:27 to providing an education for orphans, 02:30 deaf and the blind children. 02:32 Giving them a sense of place, a home but above all, 02:36 Asian Aid is an organization giving hope, 02:40 giving hope to children, giving hope to communities, 02:43 giving hope to the ones who needed the most. 02:47 This is Hope In Motion. 03:11 Nepal is renowned 03:12 for its natural beauty and enduring culture. 03:15 Having existed as early as its neighbors 03:17 India and China, 03:19 Nepal has kept its cultural heritage intact, 03:21 offering an extraordinary 03:23 travel experience for a visitor. 03:28 With eight of the ten highest mountain peaks in the world, 03:31 including Mount Everest, 03:33 Nepal's landscape is truly inspiring. 03:36 Nepal is also 03:37 one of the poorest countries in the world 03:39 where one-third of the population live 03:41 below the poverty line, earning less than $2 a day. 03:46 For most of our work is in India, 03:49 but when we come to Nepal, 03:52 we see a different level of poverty. 03:55 The economy is certainly worse here, 03:57 the level of poverty, the level of pollution, 04:00 there's a huge need 04:01 and we want to do more in Nepal. 04:04 With the majority of Nepalese depending on their daily wages, 04:07 obtaining healthcare is one of the main challenges 04:10 people face in this developing country. 04:12 This is where Scheer Memorial Hospital plays 04:14 a crucial role in serving 04:16 the medical needs of the people of Nepal. 04:22 Scheer Memorial Hospital 04:23 was established over 55 years ago 04:26 by Adventist missionaries serving in Nepal. 04:29 Situated just outside Kathmandu, 04:31 the hospital is an important institution for the community 04:34 and the Adventist church in Nepal. 04:37 Well, at the beginning the hospital, 04:41 after the establishment of hospital 04:43 is when their church started to expand. 04:45 So Scheer Memorial Hospital is basically the best 04:49 of the Adventist community in Nepal. 04:52 Right now, the church has been growing. 04:55 Now we have over around 4,000 members, 04:59 but the main organization 05:02 of the Seventh-day Adventist church 05:03 in Nepal is our hospital. 05:07 Although the cost of the doctor's consultation 05:09 is only 33 cents, some cannot even afford that. 05:13 People come from miles around from rural villages 05:16 to hilltop settlements, seeking medical help. 05:20 The hospital also provides 05:21 ambulance services to emergency cases, 05:24 often traversing 05:25 through inaccessible and dangerous roads. 05:42 Asian Aid's focus has always been about children, 05:45 providing children 05:46 who are in need with an education 05:47 and giving them an opportunity for a better future 05:50 through its sponsorship program. 05:52 Along with the need to get healthcare 05:54 and access to medical centers, 05:56 the opportunity to get good education 05:58 is highly important to the people of Nepal. 06:01 The main thing is education, 06:03 and because in this part of the world 06:05 if you got no education you, your life is really, 06:11 you know, you can't, you can't earn hardly anything, 06:14 all you can do is labor 06:17 and in many places 06:18 what the laborers are paid is almost nothing. 06:21 So I think education just mean make so much difference 06:25 in this part of the world, 06:26 more than a dozen in western countries. 06:30 But in a world where earning $2 a day is a struggle 06:33 for the majority of the people, 06:35 sending their children to school 06:36 is a strain on their finances and it remains a distant dream. 06:40 Without sponsorship, it would be very difficult 06:43 for their children to receive an education. 06:46 I'm here at the school where Asian Aid USA 06:49 is sponsoring a number of children 06:51 next to Scheer Memorial Hospital in Kathmandu in Nepal. 06:56 We have about 40 children at the school 06:59 and we want to increase the numbers. 07:02 This school is very important, Asian Aid USA, 07:05 as we don't have many schools in Nepal 07:08 where we're involved in, 07:09 and we have chosen the school 07:11 because of its gross relationship 07:13 to the Scheer Memorial Hospital, 07:16 but also the need in the area. 07:22 Children from the local community 07:23 and some of the hospital staff's children 07:25 attend the school. 07:27 Although the church is trying 07:28 to develop more schools in Nepal, 07:30 without sponsorship it would be difficult 07:32 to attract students from the community. 08:12 Suman Pranja is a fourth grade student at the school. 08:16 Orphaned at a very young age, Suman grew up begging 08:18 in the streets in the town 08:20 close by Scheer Memorial Hospital. 08:22 A local church pastor found him 08:24 and brought him to a small orphanage 08:25 he was running for abandoned children. 08:27 His church members supported his work 08:29 and provided funding 08:31 for their food and accommodation. 08:32 But he found it difficult to pay their tuition fees. 08:35 Fortunately for Suman, 08:36 pastor knew people at Scheer Memorial 08:38 and Suman was enrolled at the school. 08:40 He is now sponsored by Asian Aid USA. 08:46 I'm very happy that Suman could go to the school 08:49 and he is getting sponsorship and this school at the hospital 08:53 is a Christian school. 08:55 And he could continue to learn about Jesus there. 09:25 My name is Goma Paudyal, I teach in play group. 09:30 These kids are lovely and I enjoy teaching them. 09:33 This is the best job I enjoy the most 09:35 and I don't even notice when the time pass, 09:38 when I'm playing with them and teaching them. 09:40 This is what I enjoy the most here. 09:45 The school provides employment to teachers 09:47 who are from the local community. 09:49 Like Goma Paudyal, 09:51 who otherwise would have to travel long distances 09:53 or go to Kathmandu to find a good teaching job. 09:57 The school also provides one nourishing meal a day 10:00 for all children as part of its incentive program 10:03 to encourage parents to send their children to school. 10:09 Education is highly valued in Nepal 10:12 as it is in rest of South Asia. 10:14 Parents perceive a good education 10:16 as a catalyst for change. 10:18 This perception is not 10:19 just for a better future for their children, 10:21 but they also believe 10:23 it will bring changes to their own fortunes. 10:26 In these cultures usually the educated children 10:29 will care for the parents also when they get old. 10:32 Because if a parent gets to the place 10:34 where they're too sick and too old 10:37 to work in the field, 10:38 so whatever laboring work they've been doing. 10:40 Well, what you do? 10:42 You basically beg and starve or you know, 10:45 depending where you live, maybe some beggars are, 10:48 you know, can make a little bit, 10:50 but in remote areas especially if they are in a village 10:54 where everybody is poor. 10:55 You know, they're lucky to, to get anything. 10:58 So I think a lot of parents also think about that, 11:01 that you know, 11:02 if my child gets a good education, 11:04 it will also be a blessing to me in my old age. 11:07 But she quickly read. 11:09 Read quickly. 11:10 Quickly describes, how you read. 11:12 My name is Andrew Rapp, 11:14 I'm from Walla Walla University. 11:16 I'm studying business, 11:18 marketing in international business, 11:19 but I took a gap year to come to Nepal 11:22 and work as a volunteer school teacher 11:24 and youth mentor. 11:26 Colorado native Andrew 11:28 is a volunteer teacher at the school. 11:30 Because of its close association with the hospital, 11:33 the school has been privileged to bring in overseas teachers, 11:36 who come here bringing a new approach to teaching. 11:39 This not only exposes the students 11:40 to an international array of teachers, 11:43 but also helps the missionary teachers 11:45 get a different outlook in life. 11:47 I think for me it was really important 11:50 just to be able to take a break, 11:53 take a step back from my life in school 11:55 and being so focused on what I wanted to do 11:58 and take a step back and see what other people need, 12:02 that there is more, 12:03 more important things than just my concerns. 12:06 There is, there is people 12:08 that have more immediate needs than, 12:10 than the fickle things 12:11 that I think might be so important back home. 12:15 No doubt, a good Christian education 12:17 and schools providing that opportunity 12:19 is a beacon of hope for the children here. 12:22 And Asian Aid's sponsorship program is helping them 12:24 see that ray of hope in this impoverished 12:27 yet idyllic region. 12:29 But all is not what it seems. 12:31 Underneath its beauty in the fields and hilltops, 12:34 villages and towns, women are living in pain. 12:37 When we come back, we look at how 12:39 over a half a million women are suffering 12:41 from Uterine prolapse and discover 12:43 how Asian Aid is helping ease their pain. 12:50 As you can see from this program 12:52 Scheer Memorial Hospital does some amazing work 12:55 in its partnership with Asian Aid. 12:58 But right now Scheer Memorial Hospital is overwhelmed 13:02 with injured people from this massive earthquake. 13:06 Every hour more people are coming through the gate 13:09 and patients are even been treated outside. 13:13 The damage is huge 13:14 and people are still coming in the gate. 13:17 This appeal will help Scheer Memorial Hospital 13:21 in treating these people and helping the community. 13:25 We ask for your help. 13:27 Please contact Asian Aid to help this urgent appeal. 13:35 Well, I am here in Sunrise Home with Sheela. 13:38 Now my family and I have been sponsoring Sheela 13:40 for just about a year now 13:42 and I can tell you being here and spending time with her, 13:45 I can see the difference 13:46 that sponsorship is making in her life. 13:48 She now has plenty of food, 13:50 she has a beautiful place to sleep each night, 13:52 she has clothes, she has a school uniform 13:55 and an excellent education. 13:57 I can tell you 13:58 it's made a difference in her life 14:00 and it's made a difference in our lives too. 14:02 Now through sponsorship you too can make a difference 14:05 in the life of a child everyday. 14:31 Nepal, sandwiched between Asian giants China and India 14:36 is a landlocked sovereign state in the Himalayas. 14:39 The mountain range in the north is home 14:41 to eight of the world's tallest mountain peaks 14:43 including the highest point on earth, 14:45 Mount Everest, 14:47 thus making it popular for mountaineering. 14:49 Hinduism is practiced by over 80% of the population, 14:52 making it the country 14:54 with the highest percentage of Hindus. 14:56 With the birth place of Buddha located in this region, 14:59 Nepal is also historically linked with Buddhism, 15:02 making it culturally very rich. 15:04 However, Nepal is also economically challenged 15:07 and is home 15:09 to some of the poorest people on the planet 15:11 and this economically backward environment 15:13 and harsh terrain 15:14 where infrastructure and transport is unavailable, 15:17 women become the beast of burden. 15:28 Economic difficulties and cultural perceptions 15:31 have made women of Nepal suffer silently, 15:34 the condition is called Uterine prolapse. 15:38 Yes, this is something very interesting 15:40 because this condition of Uterine prolapse 15:42 is not so common in most of the countries. 15:45 But interestingly in Nepal it is very common 15:49 to see Uterine prolapse in women. 15:52 And the reason, we don't know exactly the reason, 15:54 but over here the ladies have to carry a lot weight, 15:59 so weight carrying also provide the incidents 16:03 of prolapse more high, 16:06 also having more children 16:08 also provide more incidents of having this problem, 16:12 so it is multifactorial. 16:14 We cannot say, 16:15 we cannot point to one only one, 16:17 one thing but, well, we know in Nepal 16:21 it is very common to have this problem. 16:26 Uterine prolapse is a condition in a woman 16:29 where her uterus just falls off her body. 16:32 We learned that one of the main reasons women get prolapse 16:35 is because they are forced to carry heavy loads. 16:37 Sometimes around 50 kilos strapped around their forehead, 16:41 pressing down on their neck. 16:43 Often they have to continue with this heavy labor 16:46 right after child birth. 16:47 The stress and pressure this puts on their lower back 16:50 is so dangerous 16:51 and their delicate body cannot support their uterus. 17:02 We cannot go to detail of what is the condition, 17:05 but having this condition affect the women in a, 17:08 in a extreme way, to the extreme 17:12 that sometime their husbands leave them 17:15 because of their marital problems 17:18 that they may have. 17:19 So yes, it is 17:20 a very incapacitating condition for the women 17:24 and that effects not only the women, 17:26 but also the entire family. 17:29 In this patriarchal society, women suffering from prolapse 17:32 are ashamed of their condition 17:34 and they don't want to come forward 17:35 and suffer in silence for decades. 17:38 The psychological impact 17:40 this has on their well-being 17:41 affects their already battered physical condition. 17:44 Thousands go undetected and when they are discovered, 17:47 they become outcast, excluded and deserted 17:50 by their husbands and families. 18:04 Today women suffering from Uterine prolapse have hope. 18:08 Over the last 10 years Asian Aid has funded a program 18:12 along with Scheer Memorial Hospital 18:14 to identify these women 18:15 wherever they are and to facilitate surgeries 18:18 and provide much needed preventative health education. 18:21 Well, we are partnering with Scheer Memorial Hospital 18:24 because we truly believe they are doing a wonderful job 18:27 in their community. 18:29 It's the only Adventist hospital in Nepal. 18:32 It's a critical part of the church in Nepal, 18:36 and they now have the facilities 18:40 to do the prolapse operations. 18:43 And so our funding program is very valuable to them, 18:48 because they have plenty of capacity. 18:50 And so for us it's very rewarding 18:54 not only to make the lives-- 18:58 the change of lives for the women, 19:00 but also we are able to help the institution in gaining work 19:04 and doing work in the community. 19:07 Here at the hospital, 19:09 we have done a lot of prolapse operations. 19:12 I think I forget how many years we've been doing it now 19:15 maybe 10 or 11 years, 19:17 but during that time 19:18 we have now operated on between 8,000 and 9,000 ladies. 19:22 And to see the difference it makes, 19:24 you know, it's some-- 19:26 I just can't imagine have these women like this-- 19:30 I remember one lady, she told us that 19:32 she had been walking around with this prolapse 19:35 hanging out of her body for 50 years. 19:39 Well, as a hospital we can say 19:41 that we are very grateful for Asian Aid, 19:44 because they have been providing surgeries or support 19:47 for surgeries for the last two years. 19:49 And we are grateful in behalf of all the families 19:52 and the patient that we have been treating, 19:54 send thanks to the help of Asian Aid. 20:08 All throughout its history, Scheer Memorial Hospital 20:11 has been privileged 20:12 to host a number of medical professionals from abroad 20:15 who volunteer their time and expertise, 20:17 conducting camps. 20:19 This has benefited thousands of people 20:20 from the local community, especially women. 20:24 This week a group from Sydney Adventist Hospital 20:27 from Sydney, Australia, 20:28 is here conducting prolapse operations. 20:31 Just to see these women have it fixed, 20:33 not have that prolapse anymore, they're so happy, 20:37 they hug us, they kiss us, they want to shake our hand, 20:40 they want to touch us and it is just-- it's humbling, 20:44 very humbling because we are so grateful, you know, 20:48 in our society that you just don't realize 20:52 how hard it is for them here to be working 20:55 under the circumstances they've got to work under. 20:59 Karen is part of a volunteer group 21:01 Open Heart International from Sydney. 21:03 These are medical professionals 21:05 that go to various developing countries 21:07 each year conducting medical camps. 21:09 For Karen and her team, 21:11 camps such as these may seem just another day's work. 21:14 But it has a profound impact on these women 21:16 who suffered from prolapse 21:18 and for the volunteers it's an opportunity 21:20 to make a difference in their own humble ways. 21:23 Volunteering to me, it's emotional. 21:28 You will get very drawn into what they don't have 21:31 and what we can do to them. 21:33 We might think we're just doing 21:34 what we do every day back at home, 21:36 but for them it's life changing and even though it might seem 21:41 just a drop in the ocean. 21:44 For 80 to 90 women in the 10 days 21:47 that we are here operating, that changes their lives, 21:50 and that change of life for those people 21:53 that makes it emotional. 21:56 Scheer Memorial Hospital is overwhelmed 21:59 with the inflow of women 22:00 needing surgeries for Uterine prolapse. 22:02 Without these volunteers it would be a tough task 22:05 to facilitate them all. 22:07 In the hospital we have 200 to 300 surgery 22:10 will be there in the year, 22:11 out of 200 to 300 we have 30% to 40% of surgery 22:16 will be done the Uterine prolapse. 22:19 The only thing that is stopping us to doing more 22:23 it is basically the financial aspect. 22:25 If we'll have more, more funding 22:27 we can do even more. 22:29 Right now we do have some funding 22:30 some organization that they come 22:32 and do the surgery themself, but how many we can do? 22:36 It is basically 300, 400, it's countless, 22:41 because the incidents are extremely high. 22:48 Over half a million women 22:49 are suffering from prolapse in Nepal 22:52 and Scheer Memorial Hospital 22:53 is a place they can come to get it fixed 22:55 and ease their suffering. 22:57 It's so apt to say that Scheer Memorial Hospital 23:00 is truly a beacon on the hilltop. 23:04 To have an institution and for Asian Aid 23:07 to provide the opportunity to these ladies, 23:10 who don't have to live with this, 23:12 this is curable, this is fixable, 23:16 you know, that's the benefit. 23:18 Imagine it, when a lady has the operation, she goes back, 23:22 she is now accepted into the home. 23:25 She can mend relationships. 23:28 She can add value to the family. 23:30 She can add value to the community, 23:32 to the other ladies, spread the good news. 23:36 Tell them about how people love them 23:38 and want to make things different for them. 23:40 Isn't that a blessing? 23:45 The good news is spreading among women in Nepal. 23:47 The more women are identified, educated 23:50 and brought to these camps, 23:51 the more women are willing to come out 23:53 and seek medical care. 23:55 This one here, her name is Punyaswari, 23:58 and she actually has-- 24:00 because she has been so grateful 24:02 for what has happened in her life, 24:03 she has now brought 25 more ladies 24:07 who had operations. 24:09 And I think that's really special. 24:11 And so they just-- when we tell them 24:13 we were having the filming today, 24:14 they were just so thrilled to think 24:16 that they could come and say 24:17 how grateful they are for the transformation 24:20 that's happened in their lives. 24:24 Well, it's changed their lives 24:26 and now that they can walk comfortably, 24:28 they are able to work and helps that you know, 24:30 care for their families. 24:32 It's just-- it's a totally transforming thing 24:35 that I think we just couldn't understand 24:38 unless we had actually been 24:40 through the same experiences they have been. 24:42 And for this lady to bring 25, I think that's really something 24:45 because that shows 24:47 how grateful she is for the operation 24:50 that she has had. 24:56 Today Adventist Missions like Scheer Memorial Hospital, 24:59 organizations like Asian Aid and the goodwill 25:02 of hundreds of volunteers and missionaries 25:05 is making a difference 25:06 and bringing a healing touch to women in Nepal, 25:09 transforming their lives every single day. 25:13 As you can see from this program, 25:15 Asian Aid is proud of the support but you, 25:17 the donors have given to helping the women of Nepal. 25:21 But right now there are hundreds 25:23 and hundreds of people 25:25 who have been injured in this terrible earthquake. 25:28 We need to give Scheer Memorial Hospital 25:31 some urgent funds to help these people. 25:35 We would ask that you contact Asian Aid or go to our website 25:40 so that we can get this emergency appeal, 25:42 some strong support. 25:45 Please help the Scheer Memorial Adventist Hospital 25:48 in treating patients from this tragic earthquake. |
Revised 2015-10-15