Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM001211S
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00:01 Child Impact International is an organization
00:03 that gives hope and fosters permanent, 00:06 positive change in the lives of disadvantaged children 00:09 and their communities. 00:11 Countries include Zambia, Kenya, 00:15 India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. 00:21 Child Impact's investment 00:22 in the lives of more than 3,500 children 00:25 continues to yield infinite returns. 00:28 Outreach spans from child rescue operations 00:30 to providing an education and a home 00:33 for deaf and blind children and orphans. 00:35 Above all, Child Impact's sponsors 00:38 give hope to the ones who need it the most. 01:00 Zambia is a country rich with history 01:03 and spectacular landscapes. 01:05 The Victoria Falls were discovered 01:07 and named by David Livingstone in 1855. 01:11 Describing them, he said, "Seems so lovely 01:14 must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight." 01:18 Geographically, Zambia is a landlocked country 01:22 located in South Central Africa. 01:26 The population of Zambia 01:28 has one of the youngest median ages 01:29 of any country in the world. 01:32 The population of 17.9 million is growing fast, 01:35 and is expected to double every 25 years. 01:39 This is putting a substantial strain 01:41 on the demand for jobs, 01:43 health care, and social services. 01:47 Education is key to ensuring that this growing population 01:50 is able to support itself and to help raise 01:53 the next generation out of poverty. 01:57 Though education is required by law up to grade seven, 02:01 often the quality of that education is lacking. 02:05 Many children are not able to go beyond grade seven 02:08 due to a lack of schools to support all of the students. 02:13 Learning of the great need in Zambia, 02:15 Child Impact International decided to expand 02:18 into the country Well, 02:20 Child Impact's just at the stage 02:22 where we're growing and we needed to find 02:24 a new country to go to. 02:26 And we had always had a strong request for Africa. 02:30 There are many people who have a burden 02:32 and a heart for Africa. 02:34 And so we looked at it. 02:35 And we were very excited to find Riverside Farms 02:39 that we could partner with. 02:41 Riverside Farms give us good management. 02:44 They operate a good school 02:46 so that we can be confident 02:48 that our sponsorship on the ground 02:52 is very effective. 02:54 The founders of Riverside Farms 02:56 were dedicated to helping the people of Zambia. 03:00 The history is there were two doctors, 03:02 a father and a son who came to Zambia. 03:06 And they actually flew 03:07 and served about seven countries there in Zambia 03:10 as flying doctors. 03:12 So one was an eye doctor, J.G. Foster, 03:15 and then his son, Ray Foster, did more surgeries 03:19 and other more general work under, yeah, tough situation. 03:24 And so he was the first doctor to treat Blacks, 03:29 Indians or Caucasians alike at home. 03:33 And so even today, 03:35 you can go and find people who will say, "No, 03:39 that Dr. Foster came to my home and he treated me as a child." 03:42 And so huge respect was built there. 03:45 But it wasn't there at Riverside. 03:47 It was in Zambia as a whole helped, 03:49 start one of the biggest churches 03:50 in Lusaka. 03:52 And then war broke out. 03:54 And the church pulled out all the missionaries. 03:57 And then after the war, he said, 03:59 "Hey, I want to come back." 04:00 And when he came back, the church said, 04:02 "Listen, you know, we've nationalized our system. 04:06 So we're not sending American missionaries 04:09 back to Zambia." 04:11 He says, "No problem. 04:13 I'll go on my own. I'll be a doctor. 04:15 I'm going to go back." So he went back to Zambia. 04:17 Bought one farm, sold that farm, 04:19 bought another farm, Riverside, 04:21 and began to work there. 04:23 As he got older, 04:24 his father actually the father of the older doctor, 04:27 the eye doctor he passed away, 04:29 he was buried actually on the farm. 04:34 Riverside Farms' rich history of missionary service 04:37 continued by expanding into education. 04:40 The school at Riverside Farms offers primary education, 04:44 but is continuing to grow 04:45 and will offer secondary education. 04:48 Education is a vital part of helping Zambia 04:51 to break the poverty cycle. 04:54 When I visited Riverside Farms, I was really taken by the need. 05:00 I mean, we operate in six other countries, 05:03 and I've seen a lot of need. 05:05 But here I saw families 05:08 that were really, really struggling, 05:11 I was actually very touched 05:13 by the commitment of the parents 05:16 who are fighting a drought, a real drought. 05:19 And so not only did they have a need 05:22 for their children to go to school for an education, 05:26 they actually have a need for their children 05:28 to have a meal every day. 05:30 And so I know that in the Zambian school, 05:34 the kids that are going there 05:36 are of very genuine need. 05:41 Zambia is still recovering from the effects of the drought 05:44 with a shortage of food and clean drinking water. 05:48 For many of the children that attend Riverside Farms, 05:51 the meal that they eat there 05:53 will be the only one they will have that day. 05:56 The work that Riverside Farms is doing is vitally important, 05:59 not only for these children's future, 06:01 but also for their immediate needs. 06:05 The partnership between Child Impact 06:07 and Riverside Farms 06:09 has opened the door 06:10 for Riverside to be able to do more for the children. 06:14 So the school when we built the new school, 06:16 we were planning to build it. 06:17 And then when we got in touch with Child Impact, 06:19 that's going to allow us to put the school at capacity. 06:22 There's no reason to run the school 06:24 with just a handful of people 06:25 who can afford to come to the school, 06:27 because they're working. 06:29 And you have this whole set of kids 06:31 who are completely unserved, the ones who need it the most, 06:36 who wouldn't be able to come. 06:37 And so this provides that opportunity 06:39 because even with the farm, 06:41 and us be able to do some, 06:43 it allows us to have teachers for the full set of teachers, 06:47 and provide for a lot more kids that way who wouldn't get in. 06:52 And it also allows us to add the feeding program, 06:54 which this year with the drought, 06:56 we've had a very few inches of rain in the last two years. 06:59 So they already had a drought. 07:01 And then we had almost a complete drought this year. 07:03 I'd say 20 years, 07:05 we haven't seen a drought this bad. 07:07 I mean, people are obviously are starving to death. 07:09 And so when kids come to school, 07:11 one of the things that farm's done 07:12 is provided each of them with bananas, 07:15 because we grow bananas. 07:16 But that's not a complete meal. 07:17 And they need one 07:19 because they're not getting much. 07:20 And so being able to be involved with Child Impact, 07:22 there were some of the hungry money projects 07:24 that got involved, 07:26 they're going to be able to get a full meal, 07:29 one meal when they're there. 07:30 And that's an impact that we couldn't do otherwise. 07:34 And it just is going to allow the school 07:36 to have better books, 07:37 them to have a uniform, these kids, 07:42 a lot of them were coming in rags, 07:43 I mean, just straight up. 07:45 And so that's something if for them, 07:48 you know, they come to school, they're all in uniform. 07:51 They're all equal in the ability to learn, 07:54 and have God impact their life that way. 07:58 These children are being given a hope and a future, 08:01 thanks to the partnership of these two organizations 08:04 and sponsors like you. 08:07 But what they are being given goes beyond just a meal today, 08:10 and an education for tomorrow. 08:13 They are being given a knowledge 08:14 of the world to come. 08:16 This knowledge they are not keeping to themselves. 08:18 They are sharing 08:19 what they've learned with their family and friends, 08:21 which has had an amazing impact. 08:24 This one boy that we took, 08:26 he came to me and he started so bad 08:29 that I didn't know if I should take him into school. 08:33 But I decided to take him and he completed school. 08:37 And it's the same story. 08:38 He became baptized. 08:40 And now he's finished nursing school, 08:42 we sent him to nursing school. 08:44 And he's witnessing to all the people 08:46 that he is at school with. 08:48 And he's influencing his family. 08:51 And he's just such an amazing boy. 08:53 And he's giving even sermons without stuttering. 08:56 And I just see so many positive effects 09:00 of when these kids go to school. 09:01 So I'm so excited 09:03 that we're going to be able to even double in one time 09:06 through Child Impact the amount of children 09:08 that we're going to put in school. 09:12 Sponsored children remember the great gift 09:14 that they have been given, 09:16 and are eager to help others and tell them 09:18 about what they have learned about God. 09:21 You see children who go to school, 09:23 and their parents get baptized, 09:25 and you see kids going to school and you see, 09:27 yeah, they're telling the stories, 09:28 they're singing the songs they now know 09:30 and have a background and go on to school. 09:32 I mean, one of the big doctors in town went to Loma Linda, 09:36 who put him all the way through, 09:38 came back and now he runs the Adventist clinic, 09:40 a big part of running the Adventist clinic in town. 09:42 And yeah, my kids, that's where we take them, 09:45 you know, they have a major problem 09:47 or if I got sick, 09:49 you're going to someone 09:50 who went to the school right there. 09:52 So it's cool to see that impact and that's from someone who, 09:58 you know, the education changed their life. 10:00 These are just a few examples of changed lives. 10:02 Thanks to the support of donors and sponsors, 10:05 there are so many who are now unable to help others. 10:08 There are many more who are wishing 10:11 for the same opportunity. 10:13 You know, when someone gives to sponsor a child, 10:16 that child gets an opportunity, we always talk about, 10:19 well, you know, your kids, hey, they that your kids can, 10:21 anything they can dream of they can be 10:23 and we all use these kinds of things. 10:25 It's a lie in Africa. 10:27 Oftentimes, kids have no chance 10:29 and their future looks very monochromatic. 10:33 You know, it's one thing they're going to do, 10:34 they're going to be a sheep herder, 10:36 they're going to be a goat herder, 10:37 they're going to be a cattle herder. 10:38 Or they're going to burn charcoal, 10:40 or they're going to die. 10:41 And when you give kids an education, 10:43 you've changed their life. 10:45 Everything becomes possible, 10:46 they actually have that opportunity 10:48 to change the world. 10:49 And you see them, some of them doing it, it's really cool. 10:51 So that's really what happens 10:54 when you sponsor a child is they have a chance 10:57 when they would have otherwise had none. 11:06 It's very important for us to find a partner on the ground 11:12 that supports our mission. 11:14 And so they need to be 11:16 a strong Adventist Mission partner. 11:19 And Riverside is the ideal 11:21 because not only do they have strong management, 11:24 they operate a well-run school, 11:28 and then in turn, their job 11:31 is that they're serving the community. 11:33 And so Riverside for us is a very unique partner 11:38 in that they ensure that the school's well run, 11:41 but then in turn, 11:42 we're helping them with their mission 11:45 in the local community. 12:05 Have you experienced a miracle in your life? 12:08 Many times, miracles come through the actions of others 12:12 who God uses in powerful ways. 12:15 My name is Tom Evans, 12:16 CEO of Child Impact International. 12:18 I believe that our sponsors provide 12:21 a miracle for children 12:22 who are in desperate need of hope. 12:25 The children sponsored through the ministry 12:27 of Child Impact International 12:28 come from a place of extreme poverty. 12:31 Their future is bleak. 12:33 Matthew 18:10 reminds us, 12:35 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, 12:38 for I tell you that there are angels in heaven 12:40 always see the face of my Father in heaven. 12:43 The word translated despise 12:45 literally means break further down. 12:49 These children need hope, 12:51 they need a path to a brighter future. 12:54 I want to encourage you to contact 12:56 Child Impact International today. 12:59 Help build these children up, give them hope, and a future. 13:04 Please visit childimpact.org That's child impact.org 13:08 You can also click on the sponsorship link there 13:10 where you can see children 13:12 who are waiting to be sponsored. 13:14 If you are already sponsoring a child, 13:16 please encourage others in your sphere of influence 13:19 to consider doing the same. 13:21 Let's be the miracle a child is waiting for. |
Revised 2021-11-11