Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM001117S
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00:04 Hi, I'm Jim Rennie,
00:06 CEO of Child Impact International. 00:10 Our ministry operates in India, Bangladesh, 00:13 Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Zambia. 00:17 In these countries, the situation is grim. 00:22 The virus is spreading quickly 00:24 in densely populated poor villages 00:27 where there is no testing, 00:29 no medical help, and little government support. 00:33 Mission schools who were on a financial edge 00:36 before the pandemic now have no income. 00:40 Some staff are on reduced wages, 00:43 but many have not been paid for two months or longer. 00:47 Things are pretty tough. 00:50 We've had to look at our sponsorship program 00:53 to see how we can help the thousands we sponsor 00:57 who are at their homes right now. 01:00 If you sponsor a child with Child Impact, 01:03 please look for a letter in your mailbox 01:06 in the next few days, or go to our website 01:09 and see what we're doing 01:11 for the sponsored children in this time of crisis. 01:16 We have had to extend 01:17 the Coronavirus Emergency Rice and Health Appeal. 01:22 This appeal was originally to help 01:24 Adventist Mission boarding schools 01:26 in India and Bangladesh 01:29 as rice costs were rising. 01:31 When the pandemic struck, 01:33 we extended it to provide rice for mission schools 01:37 when they open and also soap and health education. 01:42 Now that the situation has got much worse, 01:45 with schools having no income, 01:48 some teachers and local ministers 01:51 are simply not being paid. 01:53 So from now on, 01:55 we want to tell you what the special fund will do. 01:59 It will ensure unpaid mission teachers 02:02 have food in this time of crisis. 02:06 We will do our best to send food relief 02:08 to our students at their homes. 02:12 We will ensure that 02:13 there are six-months supply of rice 02:16 for all mission boarding schools 02:18 when the schools open. 02:20 And likewise, we'll supply hand sanitizer 02:23 and health education when the schools open. 02:27 And if the appeal is successful, 02:30 we'll extend it to other schools in need, 02:33 and help unpaid pastors. 02:36 We're just so grateful for your support. 02:39 It's been overwhelming and I thank you. 02:42 But unfortunately, 02:43 we're being overwhelmed with requests. 02:46 So if you can help with one of these two appeals, 02:49 the first one, the Rice and Health Appeal, 02:53 that's the Rice and Health Appeal 02:55 or the Where Needed Most Fund, 02:58 that's the Where Needed Most Fund. 03:01 Please go to our website, childimpact.org. 03:07 We are very grateful. 03:16 I'm Jim Rennie, CEO of Child Impact International. 03:20 And I'm really excited that today, 03:23 we're able to sit down and talk to Stephanie Dawn. 03:27 Stephanie is a renowned singer. 03:31 Stephanie is blind, 03:32 but she is a great advocate of those with disability. 03:37 And more importantly, 03:39 so she's an ambassador for Child Impact. 03:43 She has been doing concerts 03:46 and fundraising and sharing the message 03:49 of our blind school in India. 03:52 So, Stephanie, welcome today. Thank you. 03:54 It's so good to be here. Yeah. 03:56 Tell us about yourself as a child? 03:59 Tell us about your blindness? 04:01 I was born totally blind 04:03 due to detached retina in both eyes. 04:06 And from a very young age, I loved music. 04:10 My mother, I had, when I was a toddler, 04:13 I had a little tiny cassette player 04:15 that I carried around with me 04:17 and listen to music on all the time 04:18 and my mom always made sure, 04:20 I had plenty of good music to listen to. 04:22 And I started singing at a very young age as well. 04:25 Music has been 04:27 a very, very crucial part of my life 04:31 for as long as I can remember. 04:33 And I received a very good education as well. 04:36 I knew what Braille was from toddlerhood on. 04:39 And I had all the Braille I needed 04:41 and all the technology I needed to, 04:44 to complete my studies 04:45 and to keep up with my sighted peers 04:48 all through the year. 04:49 So I was very blessed that way. 04:51 So you have formed a ministry, 04:53 Dawn of Hope Ministries 04:55 and you travel all over the country. 04:57 I'm amazed how much driving your family does. 05:01 So you travel with your family? Yes. 05:04 So tell us what role, 05:05 who they are and what role they play? 05:08 My stepfather is my pianist. 05:10 He has been my pianist since 1991. 05:13 So a very long time. 05:15 My mother travels with us as well. 05:18 She just helps me with anything I need. 05:20 She's an incredible, incredible source of support 05:24 just in any aspect that I need assistance with. 05:27 She's been there as a rock-solid support. 05:30 My grandmother is now traveling with us as well. 05:33 So the four of us travel together 05:35 around the United States presenting programs. 05:39 And we are just truly privileged 05:42 to now be presenting benefit programs 05:45 for the Child Impact International Blind School. 05:48 So you travel around the US? Yes. 05:51 You visit concert schools? 05:54 Tell me about what where you go and what you do? 05:57 Churches, camp meetings, 05:59 any venue where God has opened the door. 06:01 We've done women's ministries things. 06:04 In the past, we have also done things 06:06 for Lions Clubs and so forth. 06:09 We've done disability awareness programs at public 06:14 and Adventist schools over the years, 06:16 which have always 06:17 that the children absolutely love it. 06:19 I give them an opportunity. 06:21 Of course I sing, 06:22 but I give them an opportunity to, 06:24 to ask questions 06:25 and of course in a public school, 06:28 you know, just 50 hands up in the air 06:30 whenever I give them that opportunity. 06:32 And I like to give them that opportunity 06:34 because I want children to understand that 06:38 people with disabilities are approachable. 06:41 I will never forget one day when a child started to ask me 06:46 about my blindness, and his mother immediately 06:49 went shush and I understand that 06:53 parents don't want their children 06:55 to offend someone but at the same time, 06:58 when you do that, that's one of the worst things 07:00 you can possibly do, you know, 07:02 they develop this fear because of that, 07:04 oh, what if I say the wrong thing. 07:06 And, you know, I just really want children 07:11 to understand that disabled people are like them 07:14 that they have the same interest, 07:16 the same passions, the same goals, 07:19 the same desires in life 07:21 and that they are approachable 07:22 that you can talk with them 07:24 and develop relationships with them that 07:27 you don't have to have, have a fear of that. 07:30 You mentioned about Braille. 07:32 I guess you're seeing 07:34 a change in technology for blind people 07:38 those that it must be exciting to be alive. 07:42 I've seen you using your phone. 07:45 So technology must be changing for the blind. 07:48 In a very good way. 07:50 Yes, technology is even more necessary 07:53 for the visually impaired community 07:56 than even for sighted people. 07:57 When special technology came along, 08:00 it just threw open the doors of learning 08:03 for visually impaired people because now they had 08:05 all of the information at their fingertips 08:08 that sighted people had over the years. 08:10 I know at the blind school, we're exploring 08:13 some new technologies there right now. 08:16 Yes, that's one of the reasons 08:18 why it's so important for me to try 08:22 and raise money for the school 08:23 because of how crucial technology 08:26 is for blind people, 08:28 but also how expensive it is. 08:31 I mean, I received the technology 08:34 I needed over the years due to financial help. 08:38 But, of course, I grew up in a country 08:40 that is much more advanced 08:43 when it comes to their views of disabilities. 08:46 And so, of course, in this country, 08:48 people with disabilities are much more integrated. 08:51 There is not nearly as much of a stigma in that regard. 08:56 And schools are able or strive to, 09:01 to promote or provide the technology 09:04 that blind people need, 09:06 blind children need in order to succeed in school. 09:09 And I am very aware that other children 09:13 who are blind in other parts of the world 09:15 do not receive that. 09:17 In fact, I remember talking to someone 09:18 in Africa on Facebook 09:20 and he said to me, "You know, in my country, 09:23 people like you don't make it to their Promised Land, 09:26 they end up begging on the streets." 09:28 And, so that's why the school in India 09:30 is so important to me 09:32 because it just thrills me to see them. 09:36 The communities that they have come from, 09:40 and being able to receive spiritually 09:43 and academically what I received 09:47 and I want to do everything I can to, for that to, 09:52 to continue happening in their lives, 09:53 because, you know, 09:55 when I look back at my life, sure, 09:56 there were challenges, 09:58 but when I started doing fundraisers for the school 10:02 and I learned more 10:03 about the conditions 10:05 that these children are in the difficult 10:08 and often horrific experiences 10:10 they have been through because of their blindness. 10:13 It really makes the challenges 10:14 that I've experienced quite small. 10:17 It's tough growing up as a child in these villages, 10:22 but if you're visually impaired 10:23 or you're deaf, or you've got 10:25 any other disability challenge, 10:29 they simply don't know how to deal with it. 10:34 The parents, there is stigma attached. 10:38 And so, we give hope, 10:43 and there's some amazing stories 10:48 at that school... 10:52 So for you to be able to do what is your passion, 10:58 singing and to be able to be helping a school 11:04 with very poor, visually impaired children 11:09 must give you an element of satisfaction. 11:11 It truly does. It just gives me... 11:15 I've always had God's calling in my life. 11:18 There was never a point in my life where I decided, 11:20 "Oh, I want to be a singer." 11:22 Singing has been all I've known from day one. 11:27 And I know this is what God is calling me to do. 11:30 And so raising money for the school 11:33 has just given me another layer of purpose. 11:35 Right. 11:37 So we just want to outline 11:39 to our supporters of Child Impact 11:42 and those watching this program 11:44 that Stephanie is traveling the USA, 11:49 and we are constantly 11:51 looking for concert opportunities 11:56 in your church and your school. 11:58 And, Stephanie, just tell us about that? 12:02 Well, as many programs that we can present, 12:06 the better for the school, 12:09 and so we are available everywhere in the US. 12:13 And if there is an interest in a certain location, 12:16 we build a tour around that. 12:20 And bring other churches on board. 12:22 And God has really opened the doors 12:24 for this in a mighty way 12:26 and He always provides for our means. 12:28 As you have experienced as well 12:29 with Child Impact International, 12:30 God always, God always steps in. 12:33 And, so if they want to contact us, 12:39 they can either email us 12:41 at dohminc@gmail.com 12:47 or they can call 218-340-1000. 12:52 And they can contact us that way as well. 12:54 Or, of course, they can contact you, 12:56 so there are different options. 12:57 Or you can contact 12:59 Child Impact through our website, 13:01 or call our office, and then Stephanie's team 13:06 will come back to you 13:07 and see where there's an opportunity. 13:10 This is a very important promotional opportunity. 13:15 Yes, it's fundraising. 13:17 Got to be honest, but Stephanie gives 13:19 a unique perspective on the school. 13:24 I have to say that the school 13:27 is very important to Child Impact 13:29 and its donors. 13:32 We now fund the school 100%. 13:36 It is administrated by the church. 13:39 But we are the funding agency. 13:42 And we really want to take the school to a new level. 13:47 Yes, I would love to see this school filled to capacity 13:52 because there's so many children 13:54 who are blind, who are at risk 13:55 that need the intervention that the school can provide. 13:59 Well, Stephanie, 14:00 we want to thank you for your ministry. 14:03 We want to thank you for your service. 14:05 We want to thank you for what you and your family 14:08 do for promoting Child Impact, 14:12 and the blind school in Bobbili, India, 14:15 and our prayers are with you. 14:17 And once again, I just say to our viewers, 14:20 that if you could have Stephanie 14:24 to visit your church 14:25 or you're interested in a concert, 14:27 please contact Stephanie or us. 14:30 So thanks very much, Stephanie. 14:31 Our pleasure. Thank you. |
Revised 2020-07-30