Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM001207S
|
00:01 Child Impact International
00:03 is an organization that gives hope 00:05 and fosters permanent, 00:07 positive change in the lives of disadvantaged children 00:10 and their communities. 00:12 Countries include Zambia, Kenya, 00:17 India, Nepal, 00:18 Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. 00:22 Child Impact's investment in the lives of more than 00:24 3,500 children continues to yield infinite returns. 00:29 Outreach spans from child rescue operations 00:31 to providing an education 00:33 and a home for deaf and blind children 00:35 and orphans. 00:36 Above all, Child Impact's sponsors 00:39 give hope to the ones who need it the most. 01:03 Life in India is very difficult 01:05 for those in rural regions. 01:08 Things that we take for granted like education and medical care 01:12 are a luxury beyond their reach. 01:15 This is especially true for children with disabilities. 01:19 A child who is born blind 01:21 or becomes blind from an accident 01:23 or disease has little hope for a positive future. 01:28 To be brought up blind in the village by a family 01:31 who has to work nine or ten hours a day means that 01:35 the child is left on their own 01:38 often in the house on their own, 01:40 because they're scared to venture out 01:42 because they simply don't know 01:44 where they are or what they're doing. 01:46 We've even found children 01:48 who are chained or tied inside the house. 01:52 Not because the parents don't like them or not 01:55 because there's an issue. 01:56 It's just that the parents don't want them wandering off 01:59 and getting into danger or tripping or falling. 02:04 Child Impact International saw the need 02:06 that these children had and opened a school designed 02:09 to help them reach their full potential. 02:12 On my first trip to India, one of the first places 02:15 I visited was the blind school 02:18 and it's located in rural India at a town called Bobbili. 02:22 And it's out in the countryside. 02:25 The school gives hope to blind children 02:28 who normally struggle in the villages. 02:33 The school for the blind in Bobbili 02:35 did not start out as a large school. 02:37 It started as most great things do. 02:40 And that is by a few good people 02:42 doing what they can to help where they can. 02:45 The Adventist Church 02:46 had been a few spots 02:51 given some teachers, 02:53 some training about how to teach the blind. 02:58 There was just maybe four or five 02:59 in different schools. 03:01 And then somehow we actually started 03:07 with the idea 03:08 in the Flaiz Memorial School at Narsapur. 03:12 There was Gloria, 03:14 a lady who was teaching there 03:16 and she was very interested in the blind. 03:19 And so, we decided that 03:23 we would start a blind program. 03:26 And that also started in Bobbili 03:28 the same as our Sunrise Orphanage. 03:33 And the first year, 03:36 I can't remember how many children we had, 03:39 but in the first year 03:40 we had the children living in a building 03:44 just behind 03:46 the Bobbili Seventh-day Adventist day school. 03:49 And so, the children were living there 03:51 and then just coming, you know, to, 03:54 into the classroom area to go to school. 03:58 And then I think maybe we only had it 04:02 like that for about a year. 04:04 And then after that, 04:05 we had them in another building 04:10 also in Bobbili. 04:12 The school was growing slowly, 04:14 but surely, then the arrival 04:16 of a special guest changed everything. 04:19 Garwin McNeilus was actually coming to India for a visit. 04:23 And I thought, wouldn't it be nice 04:25 if he could just hear our blind children sing. 04:28 That was the only thing I actually had in my mind. 04:31 And so we took the blind children down. 04:33 I think at that time there was probably only about, 04:36 I'm not sure whether it was 10 or 20. 04:39 So we took some down to the Ibrahimpatnam School 04:41 because Garwin was visiting that area 04:45 and they sang and, you know, 04:48 he spoke to them and it's a real blessing 04:50 because the Adventist school system in India 04:54 has always been English medium. 04:56 So, you know, you are able to communicate with the children. 05:01 And so, that was a really nice program 05:04 as the children put on there. 05:06 And it was after that that Garwin decided that 05:10 he would build a school for our blind children, 05:13 which is what is there now, 05:15 and which has blessed so many children 05:18 through the years since we started. 05:22 One of these children 05:23 that has been blessed is Shankar 05:25 who lost his eyesight at an early age. 05:28 When I was born, I born like a sighted person. 05:33 When I have three years 05:35 that time I lose my eyes because of eye cancer. 05:39 That time I went to hospital doctors told that 05:42 you got eye cancer, we have to take one eye, 05:45 then there's another way it'll not going to attack. 05:50 That time they took one of my, 05:53 after two years passed again it connected to other eye. 05:58 Again, they took another eye also. 06:00 Due to the case of cancer I lose two eyes. 06:04 When I lose one eye that time I didn't felt any bad 06:07 because I don't know that time I'm a small boy. 06:10 When they took my second eye, that time I felt so bad 06:13 because I know some knowledge at that time. 06:18 I felt so much of bad 06:20 and I was unable to express my badness view. 06:25 It's hard to imagine what Shankar went through 06:27 losing first one eye 06:29 and then another, several years later. 06:31 The realization that any hope that 06:33 you have for the future is now gone, 06:36 but things changed 06:37 when he arrived at the blind school. 06:39 When I lose my eyes from that time 06:42 I am doing like a sighted person only. 06:45 I am not feeling bad 06:46 because when I came to this school, 06:49 they taught me everything. 06:51 And they taught me studies 06:54 and how to pray and how to be in religion 06:59 and how to stay in all the people. 07:03 They taught me so many things, 07:04 they thought us Bible scriptures. 07:07 And they thought us about Jesus Christ. 07:11 Education for this world and the next 07:13 is so vital to every young person, 07:16 but it was not always an easy academic road for him. 07:20 Shankar is a very good child. 07:22 When I was teaching him maths in sixth standard. 07:26 The child feared for maths. 07:29 He said, "Sir, I feared for maths." 07:32 And when we had given him the very good topic 07:34 and good inspiration of how to learn maths, 07:37 math is a very simple learning 07:40 and very good attempt to learning 07:43 where it can be useful in life. 07:45 And the child had got good inspiration. 07:48 Now at present, 07:49 the child has come to 10th standard 07:52 and he is inspired to learn maths very well. 07:55 And he's a very first ranking child now. 07:59 And the child is very attentive in learning really 08:03 and his studies and is doing 08:05 very excellent work in learning. 08:10 The great help that Shankar has received in the classroom 08:13 has inspired him and guided him to know 08:15 what job he wants to have. 08:18 Oh, when I'll become a teacher so that I can feed my parents 08:24 or I can help them when they are in old age. 08:28 It is inspiring to see how great aspirations like his 08:31 are possible through the specialized education 08:34 that the blind school provides. 08:37 He is being empowered to live the live that he wants to live. 08:42 I've seen the change in the children's lives. 08:46 I saw a girl that came in that 08:48 had been chained in the basement 08:49 of her house for many years. 08:52 And when she first arrived at the school, 08:54 she wouldn't talk to anyone. 08:56 She wouldn't interact with anyone. 08:58 And she sat in the corner. 09:01 When I came back three weeks later, 09:03 it was just so exciting 09:05 and just about brought me to tears, 09:07 to see her singing a song, 09:10 to see her playing with other children. 09:13 And I not only realized 09:14 does it give an education to the children, 09:17 but it gives hope to the children. 09:19 And it also gives hope to the parents. 09:24 By helping their students scholastically 09:26 is not the only thing that the blind school does. 09:29 They also help their students to understand that 09:31 they can have a joyful, fulfilling life. 09:34 And it's transformative when you come here. 09:36 It's such a wonderful thing to see these children. 09:40 And if you spend time with them over the years, 09:42 grow and understand that they too can experience life. 09:46 Their smiles, their vision on life, 09:49 their ability to play musical instruments, 09:52 enjoy life, play cricket. 09:55 It's just a different opportunities 09:58 that you give these children, you know, access to. 10:10 I was privileged to be present when Jaime Jorge, 10:13 the violinist from the USA 10:15 visited the blind school, 10:17 and you should have seen them 10:19 when he started playing the violin. 10:21 They really didn't understand what a violin was. 10:24 They wanted to touch it and feel it. 10:27 But when Jaime started playing, they were just so excited 10:31 because they really loved music and they loved singing. 10:34 And they quickly related to the Christian tunes 10:37 that he was playing. 10:41 Even though they are not able to see, 10:44 there is still so much life that they can experience. 10:47 They can have dreams that are possible. 10:49 And it is that hope that shines through their smiling faces. 10:57 As sponsors, you can know that it is your sacrificial giving 11:01 that has put that joy in their hearts. 11:15 Child Impact is very, very committed 11:18 to the blind school. 11:19 Even though we face many challenges 11:22 like getting qualified teachers to go to the location, 11:26 we are very committed 11:27 to improving the quality of education, 11:30 to improving the quality of long term education, 11:36 so that these children have a chance for a future 11:39 and are able to get a job. 11:59 The Child Impact School for the blind in India 12:02 is a key project for Child Impact International. 12:05 Being born blind or partially sighted 12:07 and coming from a poor rural village 12:09 can be a real challenge. 12:11 Parents don't know how to handle the child 12:13 and sometimes will chain or even tie them up 12:15 as they're worried that 12:16 they may wander off and hurt themselves. 12:19 Often they're embarrassed or shamed in the community. 12:21 And they're hesitant to let their child 12:23 go to a boarding school. 12:25 But when they see the change in the child 12:27 they transition from being embarrassed 12:30 to being a proud parent. 12:33 Under COVID parents are struggling. 12:35 And when the school opens, we will face many challenges. 12:40 Please pray for this school. 12:41 And if you wish to help these special children, 12:43 go to our website, childimpact.org 12:46 That's childimpact.org and donate to the blind, deaf 12:51 and orphans fund. 12:53 My name is Tom Evan, CEO of Child Impact. 12:56 And I really appreciate your prayers and your support. 12:59 Thank you. 13:33 I just got a letter from our sponsored daughter Sheila. 13:36 I've got to tell you, 13:37 there is nothing like getting one of these letters. 13:39 Our family has been able to sponsor her through 13:41 Child Impact International. 13:43 And because of that, 13:45 she's got a great place to live. 13:46 She's got good food. 13:47 She's got great clothing. 13:49 Best of all, I now found out she's in college, 13:52 she's in nursing school. 13:54 There's nothing like getting a letter like this. 13:57 You need to start getting these letters too. 13:59 Listen, through Child Impact 14:01 you can make a huge difference in the life of a child. 14:04 And I promise you, 14:06 it's gonna make a huge difference 14:08 in your life too. |
Revised 2021-11-16