Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM001110S
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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, 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 has proven infinite returns, 00:42 driven by the dedication to helping 00:44 those 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, giving them a sense of place, 01:03 a home, but above all, 01:05 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. 01:31 Bangladesh is small, 01:33 but due to its mostly rural development, 01:35 the distance is much larger in between cities. 01:40 KMMS is around six hours from Dhaka, 01:43 yet SAMS the other school that we visited 01:45 is a bit farther from KMMS. 01:49 Early one morning, a hired van started us 01:51 on the journey from KMMS 01:53 to the Seventh-day Adventists Maranatha Seminary 01:56 or SAMS for short. 01:58 This school which is home 02:00 to many other Child Impact sponsored children 02:02 is 190 miles from KMMS, 02:05 which would normally take between two to three hours 02:08 of driving in the United States. 02:10 But the journey there took nine hours 02:12 due to the difficult road conditions. 02:17 The conditions we pass through on our way to SAMS 02:20 showed us many of the challenges 02:21 people face making a living here. 02:24 This was clear when the faculty 02:26 from KMMS told us how students might stay there all year, 02:30 because their parents cannot afford to get them 02:33 during holidays or school breaks. 02:36 The distance is too far and cumbersome, 02:38 let alone the cost of traveling there 02:40 becomes more than they can afford. 02:46 At one point on our trip to SAMS, 02:48 we encountered two men 02:49 blocking the road with elephants. 02:52 They were trying to get motorists to pay them 02:54 to move out of the way. 02:56 This is apparently quite common 02:58 and people do various tactics 03:00 like this in order to get money. 03:03 Later we were stopped by police 03:05 who escorted us the rest of the way 03:07 out of concern for our safety and of all tourists 03:09 who go into their country. 03:12 At the end of that very long, bumpy day, 03:15 Jim Rennie from Child Impact 03:17 and the camera crew arrived at SAMS, 03:19 which is on the outskirts of Saidpur, 03:21 a growing city of over 200,000 people. 03:25 We were greeted in a spectacular fashion. 03:27 In Bangladeshi culture, 03:29 ceremony is considered very important, 03:32 and foreign visitors are rare. 03:33 So the students at SAMS prepared 03:35 an elaborate welcome ceremony 03:37 with songs, cultural dances and flower garlands. 03:43 To understand how important this is to them, 03:45 they knew we were headed there to document the school, 03:48 so they prepared and rehearsed for three weeks 03:50 just to be ready for that moment. 03:53 Even after we asked them 03:54 not to worry about an elaborate show, 03:55 they couldn't see it as a possibility 03:57 because it is important for them to show the respect. 04:01 Many times understanding their culture 04:03 and what they value can greatly improve relations 04:06 and forward the mission. 04:09 We saw that the first day we visited SAMS. 04:13 They had a diverse religion group 04:15 and all work together learning the gospel 04:17 and being respectful. 04:19 We've been told this at KMMS, but we saw it firsthand 04:22 because of the way we were greeted. 04:25 At KMMS, we had a ceremony of our own 04:27 but small because we'd asked them 04:29 not to worry about anything grand. 04:35 Mike at KMMS, SAMS is very diverse 04:37 with different religious groups, 04:39 and we got to experience it the first day. 04:54 Well, we're still in Bangladesh 04:57 and we're at what they call SAMS College, 05:00 which is Seventh-day Adventists Maranatha Seminary, 05:05 is located right up in the north of Bangladesh. 05:08 In fact, right up by the Indian border. 05:11 If we walk probably 10 miles that way, we'd be in India. 05:16 And yesterday we drove north from KMMS School. 05:20 Everyone told us it was going to be 05:22 a seven to eight hour journey. 05:24 But in fact, it was over nine. 05:26 And for one hour, we were on a rough road. 05:29 Trust me, I'm still feeling it in my neck. 05:33 There are a couple of things that come out of yesterday 05:36 that I want to share with you beside 05:38 it being a long way. 05:40 The first as we drove through 05:42 the countryside, the population. 05:45 Every 30 minutes, we came to a new town, 05:49 and it was just packed with people. 05:52 And it really gave us a sense of feeling 05:55 of why Bangladesh is one of the most 05:57 densely populated countries in the world. 06:00 The other factor, there were no cars, 06:04 or three wheelers, people don't have 06:06 any money for motorbikes or cars. 06:09 And so they use very cheap travel methods. 06:15 The other thing that struck us was, 06:17 as we drove through the fields, 06:19 we could see hundreds, if not thousands of people 06:23 working in the field, very labor intensive, 06:27 but also very poor paying. 06:30 And when there is no work, there is no work. 06:33 People don't get paid. 06:35 So the communities are very dependent 06:38 on rural country work, but also are very poorly paid. 06:43 And this reflects on 06:46 what we see in the villages we've been to. 06:50 Things are pretty ragged and half there. 06:54 I guess the other thing that became obvious 06:57 is the role of women in society. 07:00 Normally, the girls stay in the village 07:04 from a very young age, 07:05 they're married off at an early age, 07:09 and they start having children at an early age. 07:13 And these children are born into poverty. 07:16 The other thing we've noticed 07:17 is a high ratio of single mothers. 07:22 The husband has left 07:24 and the mother is left with nothing. 07:27 He sends so no support, 07:29 and there is no government support. 07:31 And I was very, I was amazed at the number 07:36 of single parents at KMMS School. 07:39 We went out and met one, 07:40 a very dedicated lady to her children, 07:43 but she has to work in the field, 07:46 she has to take menial tasks. 07:49 And for her children to have an education 07:51 is just not an education for them, 07:54 it gives hope because of the reality 07:57 was they were at home or even at home 08:00 and going to the government school, 08:02 then she could not afford to feed them. 08:05 And so, the education, the sponsorship 08:09 has a much bigger impact 08:11 on the family and the community. 08:15 This school, Seventh-day Adventists Maranatha Seminary 08:18 was established 08:19 as Mohipur Adventist Seminary in 1993. 08:23 And education was limited to pre high school. 08:26 It was the first school of its kind 08:28 in the West Bangladesh mission. 08:30 And despite limited resources, 08:32 it started with 160 enrolled students. 08:36 A few years later, 08:37 thanks to the work of a single American donor, 08:40 the school was able to build five campus buildings 08:42 and sidewalks throughout the campus. 08:45 The school continue to grow. 08:47 This school is very beautiful. 08:50 The architecture is modern and built to last. 08:52 The attention to detail is evident. 08:55 The layout of the school is very well thought out. 08:59 The kids are able to really take advantage of this place, 09:02 and because of the order and how nice everything looks, 09:05 it's able to take them away 09:06 from the poverty that is all around them. 09:09 This lets them not worry 09:11 about tomorrow's income or food, 09:13 but lets them focus on their educational future 09:15 and ambitions. 09:20 Now in 2020, the school has a student body 09:23 of over 800 children, 09:24 many of whom are sponsored to attend, 09:27 and many more who still need sponsorship. 09:30 The school is dedicated to keeping as many students 09:33 as it possibly can, 09:34 which often places it at the edge of financial peril. 09:39 SAMS opened a vocational school in 2004 09:42 through the work of the same donor 09:44 who started the construction 09:45 of most of the campus several years prior. 09:49 The vocational school offers 09:50 classes in sewing, carpentry, and motorcycle repair. 09:55 Motorcycles are high in demand in Bangladesh 09:57 as the economy is largely built around textiles, 09:59 construction is at its highest rate 10:01 in the country history. 10:02 And most Bangladeshis do not yet own cars. 10:06 Much like KMMS, SAMS also has 10:08 its own agricultural facilities, 10:10 growing rice and vegetables, 10:12 and maintaining goats and cows. 10:15 The culture at SAMS is a joyful one, 10:17 and the students find time 10:19 to live full lives with each other. 10:22 SAMS is very similar to KMMS in its mission. 10:26 They are mostly supported through sponsors 10:28 and have a focus on ministry. 10:31 They are much better schools 10:32 compared to the public schools in the area. 10:35 SAMS and KMMS 10:37 are especially making a difference 10:38 with the poor communities. 10:40 It's incredible how many parents 10:42 ask for their children to enter the school. 10:45 Everyone was very happy at SAMS. 10:48 You walk around and see students 10:49 sitting on the grass together talking or studying, 10:53 while others are running around playing. 10:55 Our time there was during their exams, 10:57 so the pressure was a lot for them. 10:59 But even that didn't keep them from enjoying life. 11:03 Our presence there made everybody excited. 11:06 Our first positive impression kept true throughout the visit. 11:13 The story of our first day at SAMS however, 11:15 ended with a light moment. 11:17 Ever the attention grabber, 11:19 when we took our drone 11:20 to get aerial footage of the school, 11:22 the children came from all directions. 11:24 Word spreads quickly on the small campus. 11:27 This wasn't even the last time we intended to use the drone, 11:30 but the children were happy to see it more than once. 11:55 SAMS is a lovely school 11:57 with many lovely children and workers. 12:01 Our time there showed us that. 12:03 The affects of sponsorship 12:04 and how these children are able to have a life 12:07 is only possible 12:08 because of the support they receive. 12:14 It was truly heartwarming to see, 12:16 they have a future because of all your help. 13:16 Hi, I am Jaime Jorge 13:18 and I am honored to be an ambassador 13:21 with Child Impact International. 13:23 I have traveled to India and Myanmar 13:26 with Child Impact and have seen with my own eyes 13:29 the difference that the sponsorship program 13:32 makes in the lives of countless needy children. 13:36 A sponsorship provides an education for the child, 13:39 hope for the family and supports 13:42 an Adventist Mission School. 13:44 Would you consider sponsoring a child with Child Impact? |
Revised 2020-06-11