Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM001108S
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00:04 Good evening.
00:06 Welcome to another program 00:08 about the work of Child Impact in Bangladesh. 00:12 Before it starts, 00:13 I just want to share two items with you. 00:17 Is Child Impact is facing pressure 00:20 in the communities where we sponsor children, 00:24 especially in India and Bangladesh? 00:26 The reality is that the lockdowns 00:29 are really affecting the poor, and those that don't have jobs. 00:34 We are helping where we can. 00:36 And if you can help, just in some small way, 00:40 a donation to where we are needed most fund 00:43 or our Rice and Health Appeal will make a difference. 00:47 Just go to our website, childimpact.org. 00:52 We're very excited to announce that world renowned violinists, 00:56 Jamie Jorge has made two amazing mini concerts 01:01 for the kids for Child Impact. 01:04 Like he's after being in lockdown, 01:06 we all need to relax 01:08 and listen to some special music. 01:10 The first concert will premiere 01:12 here on 3ABN right after this program in 15 minutes, 01:18 and then again tomorrow 01:20 after the program at 4:30 Central. 01:23 The second concert 01:25 will follow the following week at the same time. 01:29 Jamie is amazing, 01:30 and you'll enjoy these concerts. 01:32 So join us right after this program again tomorrow 01:37 and the following weekend to enjoy this amazing music. 01:42 Meanwhile, please sit and enjoy this new story 01:46 from Child Impact's work in Bangladesh. 02:19 Bangladesh has made tremendous gains 02:20 in development over the last 20 years, 02:23 with many people leaving extreme poverty. 02:27 But it is still a very densely populated place 02:30 with many lingering issues and food remains one of them. 02:34 Despite being a largely agricultural country, 02:37 40 million people or one in four Bangladeshis 02:40 are presently food insecure. 02:45 This affects around five and a half million children 02:48 under the age of five which causes them to suffer 02:51 from stunted growth. 02:53 Much of this food insecurity is concentrated in rural areas. 02:58 Rural areas suffer from lack of money. 03:00 Even though many of the workers are farmers. 03:03 A lot of the work goes 03:05 into selling food in order to survive, 03:07 and people cannot afford much of the food that's around. 03:10 Agriculture has had a huge impact 03:12 on reducing poverty, 03:14 but there's also been an increase of overpopulation. 03:16 And with that comes a scarcity of food. 03:20 This episode focuses on 03:22 how much effort is taken to feed 03:24 all the students on campus and about Ajoy. 03:27 My name is Ajoy. 03:29 A boy who also lost a family member 03:32 and depends on KMMS to have food and housing. 03:38 When did you come to KMMS? 03:58 It is challenging to communicate 03:59 when you don't know the language. 04:01 And Ajoy was very shy once he was on camera talking, 04:05 but he's still impressed us with his dreams for the future. 04:09 What does he want to do when he's finished the school? 04:15 Doctor. 04:16 Why do you want to be a doctor? 04:27 Poverty is tough. 04:29 And growing up, the children 04:31 have a desire to see a change in their world. 04:35 There are many roles to play in helping with poverty. 04:40 Food is a very important role in making Bangladesh improve. 04:45 Agriculture will both serve to help the economy 04:48 as well as provide more food for the population. 04:51 KMMS has focused a lot on food and it's a main focus 04:55 for generating income for the school. 04:59 In order to keep the school running 05:00 they have to bring in a lot of food 05:02 for all the students at the school. 05:04 A large portion is actually grown at KMMS 05:08 and is both sold and cooked for the children. 05:12 They focus on giving a variety and abundance of food. 05:19 Part of operating in a rural area 05:21 means that most children would have 05:23 no other means of food. 05:25 The school provides the students 05:26 all the necessary food they would need to be healthy. 05:33 The students are assigned chores of both 05:34 cooking the meals with the staff 05:36 as well as taking care of the farms 05:38 on the school grounds. 05:40 A large part of the land 05:41 is used for farming and raising animals. 05:45 Ajoy is one of the students that has to help maintain 05:48 and take care of the school. 05:51 The day we filmed him 05:52 he was in charge of passing the food 05:54 for students during lunch. 05:57 Children are separated into groups 05:59 and each a different student will be responsible 06:02 for passing the food to everyone. 06:07 Ajoy is currently in fifth grade. 06:09 He's been at KMMS for six years now 06:12 and came when he was seven. 06:14 Since then he's been doing really well in school, 06:17 and the teachers love him. 06:19 Ajoy when he was a small boy, 06:21 so he lost his father because of cancer maybe, 06:27 cancer, so he passed away. 06:30 He lost his father when he was very young. 06:32 And so his mother has struggled to raise four children. 06:35 Ajoy has already three elder siblings. 06:40 Two brothers and one elder sister. 06:45 All of them are at KMMS, 06:46 which helps the mother a lot 06:48 since she can't afford to provide for them. 06:53 His mother works as a cook, 06:55 but it's not enough money to even help one of them. 06:57 And she went to Dhaka city for government works 07:02 and after as she knows about this school 07:05 and she put them all in the school 07:08 and she is now freely can work. 07:11 And all of his brother and sister 07:15 can be educated from this school. 07:18 Sponsorship has helped her a lot 07:20 because it provides a place for them to stay, 07:22 as well as meals for them. 07:24 Ajoy loves KMMS 07:26 and wants to use this opportunity 07:28 to one day become a doctor. 07:31 He told us that his goal is to provide free services 07:33 to the poor since they can't afford 07:35 going to the doctor. 07:36 So today I wanna bring you 07:37 another Child Impact student from Bangladesh. 07:41 And this is Ajoy and he's 13 years of age. 07:46 Now he has two brothers and a sister. 07:49 And unfortunately his father passed away 07:52 and his mother is a day laborer. 07:54 So life's a bit of a struggle for her 07:57 because there isn't consistent work 07:59 and with four children, 08:02 life really is a little tough, 08:05 but Ajoy is able to come to this boarding school. 08:09 And he's supported by a sponsor. 08:12 So not only does 08:13 it make a difference in his life, 08:15 but it's also a big support to his mother, 08:18 who is a very hard worker, 08:20 but struggles to raise four children. 08:24 He wants to grow up to be a doctor. 08:26 And in fact, this morning, he's just completed his exams 08:30 for the Bangla language, the government exam, 08:34 and he studied hard. 08:36 In fact, he was up late last night, 08:39 studying for the exam this morning. 08:42 So here's another example of how sponsorship 08:45 is giving a little boy like Ajoy an education, 08:50 but it is a great relief to his mother, 08:52 that she can have her children supported 08:55 by sponsorship. 08:57 And I just want to thank the people 08:58 that sponsor children like Ajoy, 09:01 and for the difference that it makes. 09:05 KMMS providing food makes a huge difference 09:08 in the lives of these children. 09:11 The fact that it alleviates a big burden families have. 09:14 It gives a new form of opportunity 09:16 for the families in order to get further out of poverty. 09:20 Food isn't cheap and making that 09:21 much for students is quite the undertaking. 09:24 We have a vegetable garden, we produce also vegetables. 09:28 We can keep a worker, he can work day and night. 09:33 And that also really 09:34 that vegetable go to our cafeteria. 09:36 Even especially we produce more vegetables 09:39 in winter season. 09:40 In summer season also we produce, 09:43 summer season less because many part of the land 09:45 goes underwater in the rainy season, 09:48 but winter season, not much water 09:50 but we produce a lot of vegetables 09:53 and that goes to cafeteria and as a result, 09:55 less cost because if we buy vegetable 09:58 like this summer season we are buying, 10:00 now vegetable cost is very high, 10:02 but if you could produce then that could really 10:05 support financially our school. 10:07 Even no sponsorship 10:09 but still whenever they are sick, 10:11 school take care of them. 10:12 Whenever there is no food, school take care of them. 10:15 Whenever in any festival school 10:19 take care of them for special food. 10:21 Whenever the Christmas time come, 10:23 school take care of them special food, dress, 10:27 and other things and all, and many of them 10:29 they feel more safe 10:32 and will care here rather than home. 10:38 Ajoy, when he came to school 10:42 just he has bought 10:45 one or two shirts, half pants. 10:49 And when he came that time 10:51 he was very thin and he was very unhealthy, 10:56 but now he's healthy boy 11:00 and he's getting all the supplies 11:04 and when I talked with him that time he shared that, 11:09 "Sir, I am now okay 11:11 because if I lived with my parents 11:14 or in my village that time 11:16 I may not be able to go to school, sir." 11:18 He told me that, "Sir, 11:20 now I am getting the good education." 11:24 Alongside he attended all the religious activities, 11:29 all the programs, and he learned many things. 11:33 Donations help secure food for the school, 11:36 but much of what Ajoy and the other students eat 11:39 is produced on campus. 11:43 Three times a day, they need to prepare food 11:45 for hundreds of students. 11:47 That takes a lot of work, 11:49 and it's time consuming in order to 11:50 not mess anything up and waste the food. 11:55 Rice is not the only thing that the school produces. 11:58 Fish farming has become 11:59 the main source of income for the school. 12:02 They grow the fish until there is enough for farming. 12:05 They fish them out with nets and load them into metal pots. 12:09 These fish gets sold in markets nearby 12:11 and the money is used to provide 12:12 for the school including getting a variety of food 12:14 for the students. 12:19 We were there during the time for rice harvest, 12:21 many fields were cultivated. 12:23 All the work is done by hand and gets collected 12:26 and removed by hand again. 12:28 Students play a big part in preparing it to be sold. 12:32 Once the grain is collected, 12:33 they sift and dry it in the sun. 12:47 Then it's placed in bags where they sell it 12:49 to get carted out to markets. 12:54 The labor is intense and slow, 12:56 but even then the prices need to be competitive. 12:58 So they don't make a lot of money 13:00 from all the labor. 13:02 Having students help out makes the schooling affordable 13:05 and gives the students the ability to learn farming, 13:07 while also providing food for them. 13:10 When rice is purchased at a store, 13:12 it's hard to realize how much hard work is done 13:14 for that plate of rice. 13:16 Students see it firsthand. 13:19 Every little bit counts and even then, 13:21 it might not always be enough. 13:25 Seeing the dedication and support students get, 13:28 it changes you to see 13:29 how much help places like Bangladesh need. 13:34 Helping sponsor a child or helping with food 13:37 allows these children to not worry about 13:38 where food or shelter will come from, 13:41 which lets them focus on their future. |
Revised 2020-05-21