Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000229S
|
00:07 Child Impact International is an organization giving hope.
00:11 Previously called Asian Aid, Child Impact International 00:14 is an organization 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, 00:29 Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, 00:32 and will soon expand to other countries. 00:34 For the last 50 years, Child Impact has invested 00:37 in the futures of people, and their investment 00:40 has proven infinite returns, 00:41 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 spans from child rescue operations 00:57 to providing an education for orphans, 00:59 deaf, 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 need it the most. 01:14 This is Hope in Motion. 01:23 Bobbili, a small rural town in Andhra Pradesh, 01:27 India has nothing to offer to a visitor. 01:30 Its streets, often bustling and chaotic, 01:32 are typical of rural towns in India. 01:37 Poverty is widespread 01:39 and people struggle to meet ends 01:41 doing menial jobs and often 01:43 tending to paddy fields owned by landlords. 01:52 Visits to villages around here 01:54 only amplify one's perception 01:57 of abject poverty people live in on a daily basis, 02:00 but it is in this despairing and gloomy environment 02:03 we often get to see 02:04 and experience hopefulness and optimism. 02:15 Over the last 15 years, Child Impact International 02:19 has undertaken numerous development work 02:21 in and around the Bobbili area. 02:24 The Sunrise Children's Home, situated about 10 miles 02:27 from Bobbili, is one such project 02:29 that gives orphaned and abandoned children 02:31 an ideal place to live and learn. 02:45 Ten-year-old Akhil Muttaka and his younger brother Charan 02:49 were orphaned at a very early age 02:51 and came to live at Sunrise Home two years ago. 02:55 Their family belonged to a tribal community 02:57 who live in the mountainous region 02:58 bordering the states of Odisha 03:00 and Andhra Pradesh in southeastern India. 03:04 This is Akhil and Charan's aunt's house. 03:06 They're living here. 03:08 Actually, they're up on the mountains, 03:09 live up on the mountain. 03:11 They came down and they came down. 03:14 This is a very poor village. 03:15 And this village has no water facilities, 03:18 no agricultural facilities. 03:20 The poor tortured people 03:21 are depending on the forest products. 03:23 They collect the forest products 03:24 and they survive. 03:26 Every day afternoon, they'll eat some porridge. 03:29 There's no rice and no other stuff 03:31 to fill their stomach. 03:32 In the nighttime only, 03:34 they'll cook some little bit rice 03:36 and some vegetables and they'll eat. 03:37 Every day, they'll eat one meal. 03:39 The majority of children at Sunrise Home 03:41 come from tribal villages and communities around Bobbili. 03:45 And the home is well regarded 03:46 in and around Bobbili because of Child Impact's 03:49 development work among the tribal people. 03:52 A few years ago, Child Impact 03:54 had conducted a vocational training program 03:56 for young men and women from the tribal community. 03:59 It was during one such project that Raj Varma, 04:02 field officer of Child Impact, came across Akhil and Charan. 04:06 In 2014, I came to this village 04:09 for tribal development project. 04:11 So at that time, 04:13 the Child Impact International wants to do 04:16 some development project for the tribal people, 04:19 improve their living standards and the livelihood. 04:22 So that time, these ladies showed these children 04:26 and explained their story and requested me 04:31 to take them to the Sunrise Orphanage. 04:35 Raj Varma had learned from the boys' relatives 04:37 that their father had fallen from a tree and had died 04:40 and the boys came to live with their aunts 04:42 who took turns to look after them. 04:43 When inquired about the whereabouts 04:45 of their mother, 04:46 Raj Varma was told that she had died of malaria. 04:49 Seeing their pitiable living conditions, 04:52 he brought Akhil and Charan to Sunrise home. 04:54 It was at Sunrise the boys revealed 04:57 the real whereabouts of their mother. 05:00 According to my knowledge, when I asked the children, 05:03 when I'm writing the story, Akhil, elder one, 05:07 he said my mother went away with another man. 05:11 I felt very sad and very bad. 05:14 Children, when they're grown up, 05:17 they won't have love towards the parents. 05:20 When they are grown up, parents will come. 05:23 When the mother comes, when the children see them, 05:27 what respect will they have? 05:28 Parents, they will never have respect 05:31 because she just left them and went away. 05:34 And immediately, 05:36 when the children told like that, 05:37 I felt very bad and very sad also. 05:40 But as a mother, I'm giving them love. 05:44 And they know I am the mother, so they love me, 05:47 and I too love them. 05:48 Now they're very happy. 05:50 They says, "Momma, you don't send us to home. 05:54 We don't want to stay there." 05:56 It is not uncommon for a single parent 05:58 in tribal communities to abandon their children 06:00 when his or her spouse dies. 06:02 And the children's relatives don't reveal the whole story 06:05 because they're ashamed of the truth 06:07 and are unwilling to reveal the customs and practices 06:09 that are prevalent in their community 06:11 that may seem bizarre and cruel to an outsider. 06:16 Well, I don't think we can understand 06:17 the life of an orphan. 06:19 They may not know who their parents are 06:21 or they may know the tragic circumstances they come from. 06:25 So we not only give them an education, 06:28 we give them a home. 06:29 But we give them hope, we give them a future. 06:32 And just for a child knowing that 06:34 they've got a future, 06:36 knowing that they've got somewhere 06:37 they can go in their life makes a huge difference to them, 06:41 and we're just so excited that 06:43 we can be a part of making that total difference. 06:48 If they didn't come to Sunrise Home, 06:50 today, they might be somewhere, no one knows, 06:54 no education facilities, no proper facilities, 06:56 and also no food. 06:59 Even though they fill their stomach 07:01 with some porridge, 07:02 that's not a valuable food here, 07:05 not valuable food, but most of the children 07:08 are malnutritious. 07:12 If they didn't come to Sunrise Home, 07:15 by this time, 07:16 the children might have been disappeared. 07:30 Sunrise Home has given Akhil and Charan 07:32 a sense of belonging, a sense of place 07:35 that is safe and comfortable, 07:36 a place where they don't feel like 07:38 they're orphaned or abandoned. 07:40 Thanks to Akhil and Charan's sponsors, 07:42 Child Impact is giving them a new life at Sunrise Home 07:46 and giving them an opportunity to receive a proper education. 07:50 Really, I want to thank Akhil and Charan's sponsors 07:54 for playing an important role in their lives. 07:57 And now they're very happy here, 07:59 I'm only the caretaker, 08:00 who is taking care of them and molding them, 08:02 but they are important persons who had given them good life. 08:08 Well, when I go to Sunrise Home, 08:11 children like Akhil and Charan just come running towards you. 08:15 They're just so happy to see you. 08:17 It's as if they have the sense 08:19 that you are a part of their family, 08:22 and it's one of the most rewarding aspects of the job 08:25 that I have. 08:27 And I'm very grateful that I've had this experience 08:30 of having children just so happy, 08:32 beaming, and if you saw them 08:34 when they had first come in to where they are now, 08:37 we're not only giving them education, 08:39 but we're making their lives. 08:41 We literally become a part of their family. 08:44 And it's just so exciting, and I'm just so grateful 08:49 that I can be a part of this work 08:51 that the donors do. 08:59 Today, Child Impact International 09:01 is reaching out to children in need. 09:03 And for brothers like Akhil and Charan, 09:05 Sunrise Home is a safe haven, 09:07 providing not just their basic needs 09:09 and an opportunity for an education, 09:12 but giving them parental love and affection, 09:14 a chance and a hope for a brighter future. 09:18 Coming, where I do, from America, 09:22 I knew, I read, I've heard the stories, 09:26 I've seen the film clips, 09:29 but until you walk... 09:39 Until you walk on these sidewalks of the home 09:44 where the children are staying and you see 09:47 what is going on in their faces, 09:52 you can be assured that a good work is happening, 09:56 that you can rest assured that 10:00 lives are being changed, children are being made happy, 10:04 and it was a powerful experience 10:06 that allayed any concerns 10:10 that I had about the value 10:13 that I am getting for my sponsorship. 10:16 There's no problem. 10:18 I just love, love what's going on. 10:27 It's been my privilege to be in the role of CEO 10:31 for Child Impact for over 12 years. 10:34 One of the most satisfying parts of the job 10:37 is being able to visit the field 10:39 and meet the children and see the projects 10:42 that you support in six countries. 10:45 It's a privilege to be able to evaluate on your behalf 10:49 how your generous donations are utilized. 10:52 At this time of year, we are very dependent 10:55 on your generous support for our special 10:58 November/December Impact Gifts appeal. 11:03 This is the key appeal for the 3,500 children we serve 11:08 and the special homes and schools we support. 11:12 There are three projects in our special appeal this year 11:15 and each have a need of $100,000. 11:19 The first appeal is for our Where Needed Most fund. 11:23 This fund is exactly what it says, 11:26 where needed most. 11:28 It helps with the cost to run our operation, 11:31 to serve the kids and the projects we do. 11:34 And has also fill the urgent needs 11:36 that just seem to keep coming 11:38 that Where Needed Most fund is key to us 11:42 serving over 3,500 children. 11:46 I just want to share for a moment a story 11:49 from the blind school. 11:51 This is a story of Mali. 11:52 We found her as a five year old girl 11:55 chained in a family home. 11:57 Now you may wonder why was she changed? 12:00 Did the parents not care? 12:02 But the reality was they were a very poor farming family 12:07 who had no idea how to deal with a blind child. 12:10 And after falling down into a hole, 12:14 they felt it was best to restrain her. 12:17 So we convinced them that 12:18 she should go to the blind school. 12:20 And I was actually there the day she arrived. 12:23 She was shy. 12:25 She was reserved. 12:26 She sat in a corner. 12:28 She talked to no one. 12:29 It was sad to see. 12:31 I then came back a month later, 12:33 and you just wouldn't believe the change. 12:36 She was smiling. 12:37 She was happy. 12:39 She was playing with other children. 12:41 And I even saw her singing during the worship time. 12:45 That shows the difference that it makes. 12:48 Our second project is 12:50 for the Blind, Deaf and Orphans. 12:52 We fully support the church run schools 12:55 for the blind school and a deaf school in India. 12:58 These special needs children come from poor communities 13:02 and these schools give them hope. 13:05 The orphan supported are at Sunrise Home, 13:08 a very special home located 13:10 in a lovely setting in rural India. 13:15 These special needs children need support. 13:19 And so giving to this appeal will make a difference. 13:22 The third project is Operation Child Rescue. 13:26 The key activity in Operation Child Rescue 13:29 is the rescue of young girls 13:32 from brothels in the city of Bangalore, India. 13:35 Child Impact supports a rescue home for these girls. 13:40 In the city of Bangalore, we also support a home 13:43 for abandoned babies. 13:46 The trafficking of girls is simply terrible 13:48 and hard to understand. 13:51 You can make a real difference here. 13:54 Once again, we ask for your support 13:56 and you can make an impact with your generous gift. 14:00 Any gift is a generous one. 14:03 Please go to our website, childimpact.org 14:07 or call us on 423-910-0667. 14:14 Please pray for the people we serve 14:17 and us an organization 14:19 and on behalf of the kids, I just wanted to say thank you. |
Revised 2020-01-15