http://viewchange.org Videos from ViewChange.org (Filtered by topics: Rural area) en-us Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:22:00 +0000 Copyright 2011 Link Media, Inc. http://www.viewchange.org/videos/the-health-show-riders-for-health-2 Access is often the largest obstacle to healthcare. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the rugged, mountainous country of Lesotho, where much of the population lives mired in rural poverty. But one organization, Riders for Health, has introduced an all-terrain option that's linking communities in the most remote regions: the motorbike. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:22:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/the-health-show-riders-for-health-2 Lesotho, Health, Riders for Health, HIV, Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Healthcare, Rural area, Television, AIDS >> VOICEOVER: The mountain kingdom of Lesotho is a land of heights and extremes. The entire country stands more than 3,000 feet above sea level. The terrain and climate are harsh, and more than 75 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Delivering regular health care to those in the countryside is nearly impossible. But thanks to Riders for Health, a global non-profit, one vehicle is changing the game: the motorbike. It's rugged, it's durable, and it lets healthcare workers reach all their patients, no matter how remote. Challenges abound, but with a motorbike, distance is no longer such an obstacle. Join Rockhopper TV as it follows six people using these motorbikes to alter the terrain of healthcare delivery. >> TITLE: ViewChange >> TITLE: Riders for Health, Rockhopper TV, Lesotho >> VOICEOVER: The mountain kingdom of Lesotho in southern Africa. Here, most people live high in remote villages, far from tarred roads and beyond the reach of most vehicles. In winter, villages are often cut off altogether by snow. For most people, getting around here means walking. It's early morning, and yesterday's snow means a cold start for Thabiso Phoka. He's a nurse at Auray Health Center high in the mountains. >> THABISO PHOKA [Nurse, Auray Health Center]: I'm preparing the package for the outreach. There's a tally sheet inside and the needles as well for the immunizations. >> VOICEOVER: Today, Thabiso's getting ready to travel to the village of Hatakani to immunize babies and run an under five's clinic. It is ten kilometers away over rough ground - half a day's walk for most people - but Thabiso is lucky; he'll be going by motorbike. >> THABISO PHOKA: I always loved the idea of being a nurse because I wanted to help people in the community. The roads are really difficult, and it's tough riding when it's so cold. But now I know I can get wherever I need to without any problems. >> VOICEOVER: Thabiso's destination, Hatakani, is a very remote place. A simple lack of transport means people are often unable or reluctant to get medical help. For Thabiso, this meant diseases went untreated and children remained unvaccinated. But last year he was provided with a motorbike and trained how to ride it. But even for Thabiso, Hatakani is hard to reach, and he has to walk the final leg down to the village. >> THABISO PHOKA: Before the motorbike it was not easy to come. I think they were thinking that we were neglecting them. >> VOICEOVER: Thabiso comes here on a set day every month. Mothers from the village and surrounding area have brought their children for an under five's clinic. >> THABISO PHOKA: The most important things I do in the villages are vaccinations and giving health talks about how people should take care of themselves, because some of the illnesses they come to the health centers with are things they themselves should be able to prevent. The cases we used to see a lot were hygiene related, like diarrhea and scabies, but they're no longer here because we've taught people how to look after themselves. >> TITLE: ViewChange >> VOICEOVER: These new recruits are starting their second day of training. None of them have ever ridden a motorbike before. Isaac Monokwa, like the other trainees, works at a government-run rural health center. >> ISAAC MONOKWA [Ministry of Health, Lesotho]: I work as an HIV/AIDS counselor. My job at the clinic is to encourage people to check their status. I do the tests myself and if they test positive, I talk to them about the treatment they must follow. The motorbike will really help me. I'll be able to get around much quicker and will be able to get to more villages in a day. >> VOICEOVER: But when it comes to learning to ride, Isaac has a long way to go. It seems he'll be testing Soloman's teaching skills, and his reactions. >> SOLOMAN HLASA [Motorbike Instructor]: It's just a matter of giving him a lot attention. >> ISAAC MONOKWA: I had some difficulties changing gears at first. But as I ride more, I'm getting used to it. >> SOLOMAN HLASA: He's not yet confident standing up. >> VOICEOVER: If Isaac can't stand up on the bike, there's no way he'll tackle Lesotho's rough terrain. >> SOLOMAN HLASA: Oh, you can see he's very scared. >> VOICEOVER: But Isaac's determined. He has a very personal reason to succeed. >> ISAAC MONOKWA: I wanted do this work because I discovered I was HIV positive. When I found out, my life became miserable, and back then the treatment wasn't really available. I went for counseling and they were looking for people who weren't ashamed to come out and talk about their status. I turned out to be one of the brave ones and they gave me training. >> VOICEOVER: The weather in Lesotho can change in an instant. Today, Isaac and the other trainees are getting their first taste of riding in the rain and over rough ground. The going's tough for all the riders - but especially for Isaac. >> SOLOMAN HLASA: He comes off the bike but he gets back on very fast. He shows a lot of courage. >> ISAAC MONOKWA: I think it is determination that brought me here. I knew I'd meet these challenges and that I'd fall, but to fall doesn't mean you have to give up. You have to get back on and carry on riding. >> VOICEOVER: Gradually, Isaac starts to get the hang of it. >> SOLOMAN HLASA: So far Isaac has improved a lot, and he's making me proud so far, yeah. >> ISAAC MONOKWA: Today's training was really tough but I liked it. I'm going to sleep like a baby. I'm really tired. >> VOICEOVER: Back at his government health center, and having passed his two weeks training, Isaac's ready to hit the road. >> ISAAC MONOKWA: I'm very excited because this will be my first day. Today I'm going to a village called Gamosethe. I'm going to follow up on patients who I've not seen for over a month. I think they'll be happy because before I wasn't able to get to them, so I think they'll be excited to see me. >> VOICEOVER: And he was right. >> TITLE: ViewChange >> TITLE: Riders for Health, Rockhopper TV, Lesotho >> VOICEOVER: Takiso Setsabi is on his way to one of the seven rural health centers he serves. He's one of thirty sample transporters operating in Lesotho - the missing link between rural clinics and hospital laboratories. >> TAKISO SETSABI [Nurse]: I love riding the bike because it's not here for fun but to help the community. It makes me really proud because there aren't many of us who ride. >> VOICEOVER: At Takiso's destination, Fatima Health Center, the nurse, Tjoloba, is with one of his HIV positive patients. Mamahloli has walked for four hours to get here from her village. The drugs she takes to manage her HIV have been causing her painful side effects, so she's stopped taking them. >> TJOLOBA TJOLOBA [Nurse, Fatima Health Center]: We are going to check kidney and liver function so we can change her drugs to another first line regimen, which has lesser side effects. >> VOICEOVER: The faster Tjoloba can get the results, the sooner he can get Mamahloli back on treatment. He knows that Takiso's on his way, but that wasn't always the case. Before the motorbikes, Tjoloba would have to rely on patients volunteering to take samples to the hospital laboratory, 20 kilometers away, on public transport. >> TJOLOBA TJOLOBA: Previously there was no choice. The samples include the TB bacilli as well as HIV. If anything could happen for the spilling of those samples within the public transport that means every passenger within would be at risk of contracting some infection. >> VOICEOVER: Samples often sat waiting for someone to take them and Tjoloba had to collect the results himself. Sometimes the whole process would take two to three months. It was a delay that cost lives, especially with diseases like tuberculosis. >> TJOLOBA TJOLOBA: TB is very important to get results immediately. While we are still waiting for the results the patient could be infecting other people and we end up with a lot of deaths. >> VOICEOVER: But now, Takiso visits the health center twice a week. Today, as well as Mamahloli's samples, he's collecting blood and sputum from nine people who may have TB. He's been trained how to handle and transport these samples. >> TAKISO SETSABI: Because I ride on these rough roads every day, I know how to handle them. When I get to parts that are really pot-holed, that shake you around, I stand up. In a car, the samples would just be rattling around all over the place. >> VOICEOVER: Many samples used to be ruined by lengthy storage or in transit. But now, Takiso can get to the lab quickly, ensuring the samples arrive in good condition. >> TAKISO SETSABI: I register the samples and I also help with basic laboratory tests because they've taught me how to do that. >> VOICEOVER: A couple of days later and Takiso is returning to Fatima Health Center with the results. And for Tjoloba, there's great news about his suspected TB patients. >> TJOLOBA TJOLOBA: All the results for TB are beautifully negative. >> VOICEOVER: There's good news for Mamahlodi too. The results show her liver and kidneys are functioning well, so she can be given more suitable lifesaving treatment straight away. And for those like her who have to walk so far to get here, the reliability of sample transport means it's never a wasted journey. >> TITLE: ViewChange >> VOICEOVER: Tukula Mothonyana is a TB officer based at Maluti Hospital in Lesotho. >> TUKULA MOTHONYANA [TB Officer]: I run TB clinics here and get people started on treatment. TB is a very dangerous disease because it's so infectious. It spreads quickly and easily from person to person through the air, so it's important to get people on treatment fast. My biggest challenge is when some people default on their medication. Often, they start to feel better, and so they stop taking the drugs believing they're already cured. >> VOICEOVER: Defaulters are common in Lesotho. Often they don't collect their treatment or attend check-ups because it's so difficult for them to get to their nearest health center. Tracing them quickly is vitally important, but finding defaulters can be a major challenge. Experienced rider Mathato, is taking recent trainees and fellow health assistants, Puleng and Lintle to try and track down one such TB patient. The first stop is his local council office. But there's some bad news. >> PULENG: We have just discovered that Mr. Fata Masupa has just passed away already. >> VOICEOVER: It may be too late for their defaulter, but it's still vital they find his family. There's a risk they too might be infected and could be passing it on to family and neighbors. Having been pointed in the right direction, they set off. But with no road names or house numbers, it's never that simple. >> MATHATO [Nurse]: It seems that there are two people with the same name and surname so this one is not the one we are looking for. The one that we are looking for is that one down there. >> VOICEOVER: A case of mistaken identity, so the search continues. But sometimes, patients deliberately give false details to health workers, as Tukula knows all too well. >> TUKULA MOTHONYANA: It makes it really difficult when some of them give us false names and addresses. When you want to visit them you go to the village and find no one knows them. >> VOICEOVER: But why don't they want to be found? Well, health workers Lesotho always encourage patients to get tested for HIV so they know their status. But many people here just don't want to know. Back with Mathato and her team, and they've managed to find the widow of the deceased defaulter. >> WOMEN: So sad to discover that the person we are tracing is dead. And she's still mourning. >> VOICEOVER: They suspect that by defaulting on TB treatment the dead man may have developed a more dangerous strain known as Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis, or MDR TB. >> WOMEN: The family, they might be infected, we don't know but we advised her to go for the checkup. >> VOICEOVER: This constant vigilance is what's needed to keep this dangerous strain of drug resistant TB contained. >> TITLE: ViewChange >> VOICEOVER: Across Lesotho, motorbikes are constantly ferrying medical samples from clinic to lab, or allowing health workers to reach the communities they serve. These services rely on their bikes day after day. But keeping them going on these tough tracks is no mean feat. In charge of keeping Lesotho's fleet of a hundred and twenty motorbikes on the road, is mechanic Thaele Seleke. >> THAELE SELEKE [Motorbike Mechanic, Lesotho]: A bike is a small thing; it's not like a car. A car can last a bit longer. But really when you look at this machine it needs you to take care of it just like a baby. Watch it closely. I've got 120 babies here to watch. >> VOICEOVER: If any of Thaele's 'babies' need serious attention - a new clutch, a set of shock absorbers or a major engine problem - he brings them here to the workshop. But most of his time is spent out visiting the bikes all over the country. >> THAELE SELEKE: It's all about preventing problems from happening. We detect them before they can happen. It's unusual because we are the only ones who are doing this kind of job here. >> VOICEOVER: This preventative maintenance is what sets Thaele and his team apart. >> THAELE SELEKE: We always do this as a routine each and every month. Check everything, service everything; make sure that it's tip-top. >> VOICEOVER: Vehicles all over Africa are in a terrible state. At hospitals, you'll often find vehicles, some nearly new that are left rusting because of a blocked air filter or a worn out tire. But Thaele and his team go that extra mile to make sure they spot and fix problems before the bikes break down. With eight bikes to get through, there's no time to waste. But Thaele gets all the riders involved. >> THAELE SELEKE: I do like very much when I work on someone's bike. The rider should be there so that we should discuss few things. I always pass my knowledge to them. >> THAELE SELEKE: What you're doing isn't right. You have to have a tape, so you know the exact measurements - about 30 millimeters. >> THAELE SELEKE: The small things - they should know how to check them on their own. >> VOICEOVER: They're all trained to do daily checks. But it's not just about keeping the bikes running. >> THAELE SELEKE: If you don't do a check you before you ride, really you are risking your life because it might lose things like bolts, or chain warn out then when it cuts off really you fall off terribly. So we make sure we prevent such things. They shouldn't happen. >> TITLE: ViewChange >> TITLE: Riders for Health, Rockhopper TV, Lesotho >> VOICEOVER: Lesotho has the third highest HIV prevalence in the world. Almost one in four people here are living with the virus. But Lesotho is fighting back and HIV counselors like Lefulesele Masokanye are in the frontline. Today she's come to St. Magdalena rural clinic. Much of her work involves trying to prevent mother to baby transmission of HIV. She's here to follow up on those suspected of defaulting on treatment or missing checkups. >> LEFULESELE MASOKANYE [Mentor Mother, Berea District, Lesotho]: I have got the list now for the people we are visiting today and the first one is a pregnant woman and she's positive. So we are going to look if she has already taken the drugs to prevent the virus to pass through to the baby. >> VOICEOVER: A lot of Lefulesele's time is spent out in the villages, encouraging pregnant mothers to attend check ups and get treatment. If they're put on prophylaxis early enough in pregnancy, there's a very good chance they won't pass HIV to their babies. But it can be a difficult job persuading people who live so far from the clinics. >> LEFULESELE MASOKANYE: When they get home they don't take it seriously. That's why we have to follow to see that they're doing the right thing. >> VOICEOVER: Lefulesele has come to see Mamojaki and her three-month-old baby girl. But soon after arriving, she realizes there's bad news. >> LEFULESELE MASOKANYE: Her mother didn't get prophylaxis at all. And even the baby didn't get it after she has been born and so the baby could be positive. >> VOICEOVER: Mamojaki says she didn't go for check ups because she's afraid people would shun her if they knew she was HIV positive. It's something Lefulesele comes up against all the time, and she understands it better than most. She's also HIV positive. >> LEFULESELE MASOKANYE: We have to tell everybody, because we have been through this so we have to stop this. I stand there, I tell them that I'm HIV positive, look at me; you can see I'm still healthy. I just tell her she should go there, don't be scared of the people. This is her life, and life comes once, and the treatment is free. She's not going to pay anything. >> VOICEOVER: Cases like Mamojaki's are very close to Lefulesele's heart. They're the reason she does this job. >> LEFULESELE MASOKANYE: I was pregnant so I went to the clinic. I found that I'm HIV positive so they said I should come back and do my checkups but I didn't go. >> VOICEOVER: Lefulesele had a baby girl. She didn't return to the clinic until a month after she was born. It was during that visit that she was asked if she'd consider working as a HIV counselor. >> LEFULESELE MASOKANYE: I heard about an interview for the mothers who are positive, so I went there and I passed the interview. But I didn't realize that when I was holding her she was already dead. I found out when I got home. >> VOICEOVER: Her baby daughter had died in her arms at just one month old. >> LEFULESELE MASOKANYE: I had a very nice girl and I miss her a lot. >> VOICEOVER: A few days later, and Lefulesele has come to check up on Relenbonile, another HIV positive mother. But today's not a nice day to be out on a motorbike. >> LEFULESELE MASOKANYE: It is very bad today, very bad. All of a sudden hailing, sunshine, cold at the same time. Even lightning! >> VOICEOVER: But for Lefelesele, it's all worth it. Relenbonile has been to all her check ups. She's taken the treatment throughout pregnancy, birth, and through to weaning. Her baby's recently been tested and is HIV negative. http://www.viewchange.org/videos/why-women-count-china-geng-liufens-new-world Geng Liufen met her husband in the large city of Kunming. But after witnessing how isolated women in his home village of Zuji were, Liufen decided it was up to her to change the status quo and help Zuji's women get the education, training and health information they needed to transform their lives. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:06:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/why-women-count-china-geng-liufens-new-world China, Gender, Education, Rural area, Guizhou, Childbirth, Southwest China, Village, Literacy, International Women's Day >> TITLE: Why Women Count >> TITLE: Geng Liufen's New World>> VOICEOVER: Zuji is located deep in the mountainous region of Guizhou, a remote province in southwest China. The women living here had never left the mountains, and hardly anyone had ever visited the village. But in 1998 everything changed. Geng Liufen met Zhou Yingzue, a young man from Zuji. They met when she was working in Kungming, a large city. Zhou took Geng back to his small village during the spring festival. The journey there involved taking the train, then a bus, and finally on foot since there is no road access into the village. It took them a week to get to Zuji. The couple got married and had a family. But they were so poor that Geng ran away from the small village several times.>> ZHANG YUE [Journalist]: You left your husband just like that? You ran away, you didn't care about him anymore? How could you?>> GENG LIUFEN: You are right. I really felt bad about it. My child, my elder daughter, was only a year old when I left the first time.>> VOICEOVER: Geng Liufen did care about her husband and her children. She decided that she had to accept her life in the village and instead she wondered how she could improve the situation.>> GENG LIUFEN: The women in the village are illiterate. They can't even read numbers.>> ZHANG YUE: Can't they? >> GENG LIUFEN: No they can't. I work during the daytime and I get them to come here and learn in the evenings.>> ZHANG YUE: So you convinced each family to study just in your small hut without electric light? How did they manage in the evening?>> GENG LIUFEN: We use the pot to fill the lamp with oil brought from outside, and then we light the lamp for their study. They have shown a tremendous interest in learning.>> ZHANG YUE: Yesterday when I was in the mountains I wondered how the village copes with people who are sick. How do women cope with pregnancy and childbirth? I guess they can't leave the village and it's impossible to find a hospital.>> GENG LIUFEN: I suffered a lot when I gave birth to my eldest daughter. The labor took three or four days. I nearly died when I eventually gave birth.>> VOICEOVER: Geng Liufen now leaves the village every two weeks, trekking over the hills to get vital medicines from the outside world. She has also attended a course in a hospital so she can help other women when they go into labor.>> GENG LIUFEN: And after giving birth to a baby, everyone should be careful. You should not have sex until after 42 days, otherwise it may cause vaginal bleeding and can even cause a massive hemorrhage due to the womb failing to constrict. This can be fatal. Are you taking notice of what I'm saying? Okay, you are listening now!>> ZHANG YUE: Besides literacy and health problems it seems the most critical thing is poverty, the lack of money. How can you help them? >> GENG LIUFEN: They worry about being given forged notes and it's a problem for them to bargain when they are trying to sell their eggs and chickens. >> GENG LIUFEN: Please note! All members of our community! Please come to the Public Activity Room at 12:30pm. I can show you from experience that if you think the note is forged you can put a little saliva on it and rub it. If the note produces layers when you rub it, don't accept it. When it is a new note, if it doesn't make a crisp sound when you shake it, the note is also a forged one.>> VOICEOVER: Geng Liufen hopes the women of the village can make some money for themselves. With some economic independence they will gain more confidence. In March 2004, for the first time, Geng Liufen and some other women left their homes and arrived at the market at midday after walking over two mountains. In the past women always needed help from their fathers or husbands to get to the market. Now they are here and they can sell their goods. They are surprised that they can earn money by themselves. Farm Women, a non-governmental organization, is also helping. Since it began in 1998 it has helped nearly 4,000 rural women. Geng Liufen also got the opportunity to learn more.>> GENG LIUFEN: Last December I went to Bejing for a training course organized by Farm Women. They helped me apply for a World Bank loan to set up the Women's Development Association in Shimen to help attract investment to the area.>> ZHANG YUE: Not do you have a broad international outlook, but you also know how apply for a World Bank loan to develop the Rural Women's Association!>> GENG LIUFEN: If we want to improve things, then access is a big problem for us. We still think that we are neglected because there is no road to our village, and so there is no chance for us to make any progress.>> VOICEOVER: Sometimes people rely on external forces to change things. Geng Liufen, however, with just a junior high school diploma, is leading the women of Zuji in gradually changing their destinies and improving their lives.>> TITLE: [End credits] http://www.viewchange.org/videos/smile-pinki Winner of the 2009 Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject), Smile Pinki tells the uplifting story of two young children in India born with cleft lips. Thanks to the efforts of Smile Train, an organization that pays for surgeries to fix clefts, thousands of children around the world are given a second lease on life every single day. Fri, 27 May 2011 08:02:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/smile-pinki India, Health, Cleft lip and palate, Poverty, South Asia, Smile Pinki, Smile Train, Varanasi, Education, Megan Mylan >> TITLE: The Smile Train created this film to raise awareness about the plight of millions of children who are suffering with clefts. Every year, we provide free cleft surgery for hundreds of thousands of these children. This is the story of two of our kids. Smile Train: Changing the World One Smile at a Time.>> TITLE: Principe Productions presents a film by Megan Mylan>> TITLE: Uttar Pradesh, India>> DOCTOR: We are offering surgery for children who have a cleft lip or palate. It's a free operation. If you know anyone -->> MAN 1: There is a boy in our village. He has a cut lip.>> DOCTOR: Has he had surgery?>> MAN 1: No.>> DOCTOR: That's why we're doing this. Please send him.>> MAN 2: Is the fee waived only for the check-up?>> DOCTOR: For the operation, medicine, everything.>> MAN 1: Everything is free?>> DOCTOR: Yes.>> MAN 3: Is the hospital here in Banaras? >> DOCTOR: Yes.>> MAN 4: Is it just one day?>> DOCTOR: Registration is one day, free surgery happens every day.>> TITLE: Smile Pinki>> DOCTOR: This picture you are seeing shows a child born with a cleft lip. I'll leave some flyers. If any of you find out there is someone like this, go tell their parents that they can get free treatment. It's nothing to feel shame about and the surgery is very simple. You will tell them?>> CHILDREN: Yes.>> WOMAN: There is a little girl.>> MAN: Close by, there is a girl with a cleft lip.>> WOMAN: Anjulata's little sister, right? What is her name?>> GIRL: Pinka.>> DOCTOR: Pinki? Okay, thank you. >> DOCTOR: Which one is Mr. Rajendra's house? >> YOUTH: Rajendra who?>> DOCTOR: Whose daughter has a cleft lip.>> BOY: Over there. >> DOCTOR: Are you Rajendra?>> RAJENDRA [Father]: Yes.>> DOCTOR: Is this your child?>> RAJENDRA: She got it because of the eclipse.>> WOMAN: While she was in the womb, there was an eclipse.>> RAJENDRA: It was God's will.>> DOCTOR: It will all be fixed. Why don't we sit down? See, I am affiliated with GS Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital. On March 18th, we are setting up a registration day for kids who have a cleft lip or palate. We would like you to come on the 18th. We'll get her registered, do a diagnosis, and set a date for the operation. So, will you come?>> RAJENDRA: What can I say? I barely have enough to feed them. If I had money, it would already be done.>> WOMAN: That's it. They said when her teeth come in, we should get the surgery done.>> DOCTOR: But you can't?>> WOMAN: Of course not.>> DOCTOR: It's completely free. We operate all year long on as many kids as we can find. Okay? Does that sound good? You will go? So, how will you get there?>> RAJENDRA: We will walk to Araura.>> MAN: It takes three hours to walk to Araura. The rest, we'll have to find transport. We will make it one way or another. After the operation, when can we come home?>> DOCTOR: You need to stay in the hospital for seven days. >> MAN: Seven days?>> DOCTOR: What do you think about her future now? >> WOMAN: It will lift a huge burden from my head.>> DOCTOR: While you're there, you'll need to make arrangements for food.>> WOMAN: Yes, we will.>> MAN: Do we have to pay them any money?>> DOCTOR: No! You don't pay anything to the hospital. You just need to bring food. Hello. Yes, speaking. Yes, go ahead. Bring him in on the 18th. Please call me back in an hour or so. People donate money, that money comes to our hospital, and then we provide treatment to you.>> RAJENDRA: Since this is in Banaras, it should be quite clean.>> DOCTOR: Yes, it is a private hospital.>> RAJENDRA: Had I known, I would have brought her to you soon as she came into this world. But, I did not know. If it's done, she will be able to live a decent life and get married one day. >> MAN: There is a boy like that.>> DOCTOR: Where is he?>> MAN: Over there.>> DOCTOR: How old is he?>> MAN: About nine.>> MOTHER: Doctors in Banaras saw him once. We didn't get it fixed because he said it was dangerous.>> DOCTOR: Who said?>> MOTHER: His father. We were afraid of the surgery, so we ran from there. >> DOCTOR: There is no big danger. What danger there is in any little operation, this has that same danger. >> MOTHER: I am afraid for him. He is my son.>> DOCTOR: We do about twelve of these surgeries each day. There is nothing to worry about. When you go, you'll see. He's not the only one like this. Everyone is coming from far off on the 18th. We would like you to come sign-up too. >> WOMAN: There is nothing to be afraid of.>> DOCTOR: We do these operations daily. Every day of the year.>> MOTHER: My hands are tied. My husband is not here.>> GRANDFATHER: I am Ghutaru's grandfather. If she won't go with us, what can we do?>> MOTHER: I have a five-day-old baby. You tell me, how can I go?>> DOCTOR: Can we do this, take your baby with you, we'll make arrangements. If your baby stays with you, can you go?>> WOMAN: Don't be crazy. Get it fixed. His whole life will be better. >> MAN: They are not charging anything. You just need money for travel. It will help him get married too.>> MAN 2: You'll go?>> GHUTARU: Yes. >> MAN 2: Your grandpa will take you. Look, once it's fixed, look how it will be. This is your face, look how it's changed. SEGMENT 2 @ 10:26>> RAJENDRA: So, we'll go tomorrow?>> PINKI: Yes.>> RAJENDRA: You won't cry there, right?>> PINKI: Are they going to put stitches?>> RAJENDRA: Without money, how will I take you on the train?>> PINKI: I'll go on foot. >> RAJENDRA: If you walk you'll get tired. It's a long way. If your feet start hurting, I'll carry you in my arms. >> PINKI: I want to go with you.>> RAJENDRA: Yes. You'll go with me. >> PINKI: Will mummy go too?>> RAJENDRA: No, she can't go.>> MAN: So will you go?>> MOTHER: Yes, I am going to take the baby and go.>> MAN: With whom?>> MOTHER: Ghutaru, his grandfather. I need 500 rupees. When I come back, I'll return it.>> MAN: Who will give you 500?>> MOTHER: Mina's father.>> MAN: Okay, I'll go meet him. >> MOTHER: Tell him I'm giving the guarantee.>> DOCTOR: Remember this number, 165. That's for food. Two hundred and twenty two, remember 222.>> MAN 1: These numbers are the order in which the doctor will see you. What's her name?>> MAN 2: What town or village?>> MAN 3: Mirzapur.>> MAN 1: Do you have a phone number? Maybe a neighbor?>> MAN 2: No, this is an amount of money.>> MAN 3: Is that it?>> MAN 2: Remember your number. I am writing it down here. Your number is 416. Make sure you listen for your number, okay?>> MAN 1: How did you find out about this?>> MAN 2: From the newspaper. I had someone read it to me.>> MOTHER: It happened inside me, during an eclipse.>> MAN 1: When I found out that it was a boy, I was happy. But when I saw that he had a cleft, I felt sad.>> WOMAN: They just started crying when they saw her.>> MAN 3: I wished God had not given birth to him; that would have been better.>> MAN 1: The main issue is marriage?>> WOMAN 2: Where are we going to find a decent boy?>> WOMAN 3: I feel better now. I thought I was the only one who had a child like this.>> MAN 4: It feels strange; there are so many people like this.>> DOCTOR: What happened to her hands?>> FATHER: She works around the house, cooks and all. Her mother is dead. I am her father.>> DOCTOR: Have you married again?>> FATHER: No. I have four girls and two boys. If I marry, who will look after them?>> MOTHER: What can I say? When this child was born, my husband told me to leave.>> DOCTOR: Has anyone come with you? Is there someone here to help out?>> DOCTOR: The best age for surgery is three months. As they grow older it does not go as well. Three hundred patients have already come; we can't possibly operate on everyone right away. We'll give you as early a date as possible.>> DOCTOR: You have been given six months time, so that your child can gain weight. And a medication has also been written here, okay? You can get it from the hospital when you go outside.>> MAN: Seeing this makes me feel bad, but what you all are doing makes me feel very proud. SEGMENT 3 @ 20:11>> DOCTOR: Attention please! 416 Pinki, father Rajendra, please come to the counter.>> MAN: Go, go, go. Get your ticket, quickly.>> DOCTOR: How old is he?>> MAN: Eleven years. >> DOCTOR: Does he go to school?>> MAN: No, he used to go to school, but not any more.>> DOCTOR: Why doesn't he go?>> MAN: He can't speak properly so he doesn't go.>> DOCTOR: What is your name?>> MAN: Say your name.>> GHUTARU: Ghurtaru.>> DOCTOR: Can you hear properly? Can you count up to ten? You don't know? Pankaj! An earlier date will be better. Pankaj, try to admit him now. So once it's fixed, will you go to school? Okay, he'll go. Admit him.>> MAN: She's five years old? >> RAJENDRA: Yes.>> MAN: Was she the full nine months? >> RAJENDRA: Yes.>> MAN: Did her mother have any problems while carrying her?>> RAJENDRA: No. >> MAN: Does anyone else in the family have this?>> RAJENDRA: No. >> DOCTOR: How are you feeling? Any problems? You don't go to school?>> MOTHER: When he opens his mouth, he scares the kids.>> DOCTOR: You open your mouth and people get scared? Why do you run away? You should stay there and scare people. Do you go to school? Or are you off playing marbles? What do you play? What is he saying?>> MOTHER: To play the match.>> DOCTOR: You go to play the match? You know how to play cricket? Okay. Which player do you like? Sachin Tendulkar? And who else do you like?>> GHUTARU: That's it.>> DOCTOR: Nobody else? Once your lip is fixed, you need to either study or learn a trade at your aunt's. You won't play all day, right? Okay, his operation will be in a little while. Don't worry at all. Okay Ghutaru? Shall I go? Shake my hand?>> WOMAN: First of all, he will get lip surgery. Then in a few days, his nose will be operated upon. Have you eaten anything yet this morning? Not even water? Can you show me your stomach? Okay, it's completely flat. Are you all worried about his surgery today?>> MAN: We have faith.>> WOMAN: No fears? None?>> MAN: No fear. We're happy he's going to have it.>> WOMAN: Has it been difficult having a cleft lip? Do you ever look in the mirror? Once your lip is fixed, you'll look in the mirror and you will feel so good. Won't you? Why are you crying? Come on. Don't cry. Let's laugh. >> MOTHER: When she was born, I lost consciousness. I woke up and my sister said, "What did you do that this happened? Your other child is so beautiful, what have you done?" So I said, it looks like a monster's been born.>> DOCTOR 1: A monster's been born? Why did you think that?>> MOTHER: I used to get scared when I looked at her.>> DOCTOR 1: And what about your family? What was their reaction when the saw the baby?>> MOTHER: His family has never seen her.>> DOCTOR 1: They haven't?>> MOTHER: When she was born, they were unhappy. They said, your child's come out like this, you must leave. >> DOCTOR 2: So they hold you responsible as well?>> MOTHER: Yes.>> DOCTOR 1: Do you believe that too, that it was the mother's fault?>> FATHER: No.>> DOCTOR 1: The operation will take about an hour. Does she know what's going to happen?>> RAJENDRA: My daughter? At home, she said, "Let's go get my lip fixed.">> DOCTOR 1: Now that you're here, are you afraid? You feel fine? Not afraid? She's laughing. Who's this?>> PINKI: My daddy. >> DOCTOR 1: What is his name?>> PINKI: It's Rajendra.>> DOCTOR 1: And who's this?>> PINKI: Uncle.>> DOCTOR 1: And what's your name? Pinka or Pinki?>> PINKI: Pinki. >> DOCTOR 1: And what about you?>> RAJENDRA: I feel good. I'm happy, thank God, my daughter's face will be fixed. She used to ask to go to school, she'd grab her book bag, but then the kids started calling her cut-lip. >> DOCTOR 1: They call you cut-lip? What do the boys say? Okay. They call you cut-lip? So you won't go to school?>> DOCTOR 2: Pinki? It's time for her operation. I have to take her downstairs now.>> UNCLE: Right now?>> DOCTOR: You're Pinki's father? Her operation went well. She's absolutely fine. There is nothing to worry about. Her lip was fixed very well. No more worrying, okay? Have you eaten anything?>> RAJENDRA: I will eat after I've seen my child.>> DOCTOR: Okay, you'll eat after you see her. But she's absolutely fine. You can see her soon. >> DOCTOR: Hello, hello? Is this Mr. Ramkesh? What's your name?>> LALCHAND: Lalchand. >> DOCTOR: Talk to Mr. Lalchand.>> LALCHAND: Yes, the operation is over. Call Pinki's mother, will you? No, we did not have any kind of problem. The surgery is done. Everything went well. Yes, we'll call in the morning. Yes, we are all fine.>> MOTHER: You'll be all better in a few days.SEGMENT 4 @ 30:04>> DOCTOR: Which newspapers are you gentlemen with?>> JOURNALIST 1: Pioneer.>> DOCTOR: And you?>> JOURNALIST 2: Times of India.>> DOCTOR: Look at this one. This looks very complicated. In his case, this middle portion was protruding two inches. His lips have been joined from both sides; next we'll push this part down.>> JOURNALIST 1: So how normal will he end up looking?>> DOCTOR: Very. Almost perfect.>> DOCTOR: This is Ghutaru. Can you talk with us? He's had his palate operated, inside. And how are you?>> MOTHER: Good.>> DOCTOR: Was he going to school?>> MOTHER: No. >> DOCTOR: Will he go now?>> MOTHER: Yes, he'll go. He'll talk just fine now.>> JOURNALIST 2: How many patients have you operated?>> DOCTOR: Since 2004, we have operated on 6,000 patients. And now, we operate on 3,000 patients a year.>> JOURNALIST 2: What is the success rate?>> DOCTOR: Success rate is almost 100 percent. Success in terms of giving a good repair is 100 percent. The problem is a backlog. In India, there are a million children with these defects. And each year in India, 35,000 children are born with clefts. Most never get any decent treatment.>> DOCTOR: He's had his palate fixed. Is he feeling okay? Where are you from?>> MOTHER: Vashali district, Bihar.>> JOURNALIST 1: Is this defect as widespread in more advanced countries?>> DOCTOR: They have it there too, but in our region this problem is a lot more widespread. We see it more in poor families. The cause could be a nutritional deficit. What it is exactly, we do not know. What we do know is that it's a problem that occurs between the fourth and twelfth week of development. And it could even be genetic.>> DOCTOR: All the stitches have come off today?>> RAJENDRA: Yes.>> DOCTOR: And you're being discharged today?>> RAJENDRA: Yes. It's looking really good. It looks just fine. First class.>> DOCTOR: Will the other kids make fun of her now?>> RAJENDRA: No.>> DOCTOR: Are you excited to show people at home?>> RAJENDRA: They're not going to believe it.>> DOCTOR: You'll go to school now? Make sure you register her at the school.>> RAJENDRA: Yes I will.>> DOCTOR: Do you want to go home? You'd like to go home, right? Now when you go home, be careful that she doesn't hurt her lip in any way. Keep her safe and indoor for about ten days.>> UNCLE: Ten days or twenty?>> DOCTOR: Just ten, make sure she doesn't get hurt. >> ADMINISTRATOR: It's very important to clean the area regularly. You may call us at anytime, 24 hours a day, if you have questions. Everyone understands what I've said so far? So, since this hospital has helped your children, you have a responsibility to help other such patients. If there is someone among your relatives or friends, send them here immediately. Okay? Give 200 rupees and help them get here. You all come from every corner of this huge country. And if each of you can send five other patients, just imagine how many people can be cured. Without patients, a hospital is useless. You all are our heroes. Don't laugh. That's the truth. Does everyone understand? So will you send us patients?>> MAN: Pinki, smile Pinki.>> RAJENDRA: She's happy to go home.>> MAN: You're going home, right? Then laugh a little.>> RAJENDRA: We're going home, right Pinka?>> TITLE: Five months later>> TITLE: To help a desperate child who is waiting for cleft surgery, please visit www.SmileTrain.org. There are millions of children who need our help. And we need yours. Smile Train: Changing the world one smile at a time. >> DOCTOR: We're having a registration day in September.>> WOMAN: In Banaras?>> DOCTOR: In Banaras. [End credits] http://www.viewchange.org/videos/viewchange-the-mothers-index Being a new mom is rewarding and challenging. But what extra burdens do mothers in poor and rural communities face? Take a tour of the world's best and worst places to be a mom, in this report from Save the Children and ViewChange.org. Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:27:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/viewchange-the-mothers-index Save the Children, Maternal death, Child mortality, Childbirth, Pregnancy, Ashta no Kai, Education, Gender, Nepal, Malawi >> VOICEOVER: Next up: an all-new mother's day special. Being a new mom is rewarding and challenging -- but what extra burdens do mothers in poorer countries face? Come take a tour of the world's best and worst places to be a mom, in this new report from Save the Children and ViewChange.org.>> VOICEOVER: ViewChange is about people making real progress in tackling the world's toughest issues. Can a story change the world? See for yourself in ViewChange: The Mothers Index.>> VOICEOVER: You've heard the term "lottery of birth." More often than not, children born in rich countries win it, while those in poor countries lose. A child's life expectancy, health, education, and so much more hinges on where he or she happens to enter the world. But there's also a lottery of motherhood, and expectant moms in developing countries are facing the toughest odds. Every year, more than 350,000 women die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth -- most, simply because they don't have access to basic delivery care. >>WOMAN: Push hard!>> VOICEOVER: And the ripple effect is dramatic: when a mother dies, her children are more likely to be poor, more likely to die before the age of five, or to drop out of school if they survive. But private aid groups and governments are working hard to change the odds in the lottery of motherhood. In Sierra Leone, a place that Save the Children ranks as one of the very worst places to be a mom, a new government program is trying to turn the tide, as we see in this short film from ViewChange.>> TITLE: Where Every Pregnancy is a Gamble. Lauren Malkani and Ami Vitale, Sierra Leone>> VOICEOVER: After a brutal decade-long conflict, Sierra Leone has the highest child and maternal mortality rates in the world.>> FATIMATA KONTE [Expectant mother, Kroo Bay]: My name is Fatimata Konte. I'm 36 years old. We women suffer too much. Women in Sierra Leone suffer too much! I've lived in Kroo Bay for four years. When I wake up at 5am I get out of bed, and the kind of pain that I feel is from my waist bone down to the bottom of my belly. I cough and I'm very sick. I'm really sick but it's like this for all women. From the day a child is born, she must work. Every day I must go to the market. There I have to bargain for fruits. It's a strain to go to the market. I must sell the fruit to have money to buy food to sell for the next day. It's all I can do to survive. I work for my daughter so she can go to school. She is in class four. I want her to learn. Let her learn. I want her to be somebody.>> DR. TAGIE GBAWRU-MANSARAY [Doctor, Princess Christian Maternity Hospital]: When a woman is educated she can take care of herself, she can take care of the children, she can take care of her husband, her home. It benefits the population, the family, and it will help Sierra Leone in the long run. I'm a medical doctor, house officer here at the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital. When you're in school and you're studying to become a doctor, you read about all the fanciful techniques, all the wonderful drugs, the magic pills that you give to patients, all the different things that you can do as a doctor. When you come into the real world and you see that even basic things we don't have here -- the basic drugs, simple equipment -- and you are limited. At times you see a particular case and you think to yourself, if only I had this, if only I had that, I would have been able to save a patient's life.>> VOICEOVER: One in five children die before their first birthday, and one in eight women die during pregnancy.>> FATIMATA KONTE: I have two children and I've lost five, so this is the eighth pregnancy. So right now, I am remembering the past. I am worried this one can die too. My biggest fear is that this child will die.>> VOICEOVER: The one referral hospital in the capital of Freetown services a population of over 400,000 people.>> DR. IBRAHAM THORLIE [Doctor, Princess Christian Maternity Hospital]: Hello, good afternoon. My name is Dr. Ibraham Thorlie. In this hospital we have four gynecologists. One doctor can serve over 100,000 people.>> VOICEOVER: Though the hospital is severely understaffed, it is not the only reason so many people are dying.>> DR. IBRAHAM THORLIE: The delay starts from home. If a woman is pregnant, she wants to give birth, and the husband is not around, she cannot be taken anywhere without the husband coming, because he gives the money. If you come too late, we cannot help you.>> VOICEOVER: And, often, those patients who come too late are very close to death.>> DR. IBRAHAM THORLIE: It's a big dilemma. If the patient can pay you, then it's good. But when they cannot pay you, you need to help them.>> VOICEOVER: Rather than watching their patients die, many doctors and nurses like Rebecca pay for the worst cases from their own small salaries.>> REBECCA MASSAQUEI [Nurse, Princess Christian Maternity Hospital]: I'm a poor nurse. I don't have money to take care of this baby. But the baby should have died, because there was nobody to take care of the baby. So that's why I decided to take the baby. He will live to tell this story. So he's the victory child. That why I call his name Victor.>> VOICEOVER: Victor is one of the few lucky survivors in a place where so many die. However, the government has just launched a program providing free healthcare for pregnant women and children under five.>> DR. IBRAHAM THORLIE: Now things are picking up with the pronouncement of the free healthcare system. It's a big incentive and we hope that will surely bring a difference. But to sustain it is not an easy thing.>> FATIMATA KONTE: We women are all very happy that women will finally get treated.>> TITLE: On April 16, 2010 Fatimata Konte gave birth to a healthy baby boy.>> TITLE: [end credits]>> VOICEOVER: So where are the best and worst places to be a mom? For its "State of the World's Mothers" report, Save the Children studied 164 countries, and compiled a "mothers index." At the top of the index, women have what they need to thrive: excellent medical services, plenty of skilled health workers, and opportunities for education and advancement. But the gap between the top- and bottom-ranked countries is stark. At the bottom, one in three children suffers from malnutrition, and one in 30 women will die from pregnancy-related causes. And how does the United States stack up? Number 31. America's maternal mortality is the highest of any industrialized nation. >> VOICEOVER: But the study is also clear about solutions that work. And the very best solution for helping moms and children? More health workers on the front lines. The equation is simple: more doctors, more midwives and community health workers means more mothers and children surviving childbirth and the early years of life. Nowhere is this more clear than a place like Nepal, which is ranked 133rd on the Mothers Index. This ViewChange short film from Living Proof tells the story. >> TITLE: In one of the world's poorest places, the day a woman gives birth is the most dangerous day of her life, and her child's life. Can one woman and her baby beat the odds?>> TITLE: Dangerous Day. Living Proof, Nepal>> TITLE: Western Nepal >> TITLE: People scratch out a living in the Himalayan foothills, and life is hardest for women>> MAHESWORI: My name is Maheswori. I'm 19 years old. My husband went to India to work. Here there is no food, no rice, no nothing. Around here, there's no work. >> TITLE: Maheswori is pregnant and past due.>> MAHESWORI: I am very, very scared. Everyone has been asking about it, and that makes me even more scared. My first child was breech born, and I might just die this time. If I will live, I will live. If I will die, I will die. >> TITLE: The nearest hospital is four hours away. >> MAHESWORI: Some said take her to the hospital, some said drive her down. Everyone had opinions. But how would you get a car without money?>> TITLE: She plans to deliver in the same place she gave birth before.>> MAHESWORI: In November my daughter was born. I had the baby in our cow shed. >> TITLE: By local custom, mother and child are quarantined as "unclean.">> MAHESWORI: For 12 days after the birth, the baby and I were kept in the cow shed. On the 13th day we were allowed out. You can't take a newborn in the house, God gets angry. You're better off in the cow shed. >> TITLE: Because of Maheswori's high-risk pregnancy, an aid worker traveling with the camera crew makes a case to village elders. They consent to having a birth attendant, and she won't give birth in the cow shed. >> MAHESWORI: I am going to die. Oh my mother! I am dying ...>> WOMAN: Get me the gloves, quickly.>> MAHESWORI: I am dying ... am dying. Please ... I can't.>> WOMAN: It's a complete breech situation. Push hard!>> INDUKA KARI [CARE Program Officer]: She was completely unaware of the fact that she would need medical care because her first child was breech born. >> TITLE: She gives birth to another daughter, Seema. >> INDUKA KARI: If she hadn't gotten proper care by a trained birth attendant, she would've died. >> MAHESWORI: I'll rest for seven days, but then it's back to work. I have to pound the rice, carry water, cut grass, and chop wood. Life is tough here. >> TITLE: Living Proof. Real Lives. Real Progress. >> TITLE: In Nepal, 80 percent of births occur at home with no skilled birth attendant like Maheswori had. But support from global partners is helping train Nepal's 45,000 female health volunteers, and they are dramatically improving Nepal's health outcomes. >> VOICEOVER: If there's one overwhelming success story in maternal and child health, it can be found in Malawi, where almost half the county -- 40 percent -- lives in poverty. But, for years, the government has been investing in all sorts of new plans for life-saving care. The result? The number of deaths in children under five has been cut in half over the past 20 years. Malawi's striking results are strongly linked to efforts on the ground, house by house, community to community, to give mothers the support they need. Living Proof has this success story from Malawi>> TITLE: Grandparents Shaping Safe Childbirth. Living Proof, Malawi >> TITLE: Wacapati = Pregnancy>> TITLE: In Malawi, the word for pregnancy also means 50/50. Conventional wisdom says there is just a 50/50 chance a woman will survive childbirth. >> TITLE: Agogo = Grandparent>> TITLE: Agogos are known as the guardians of wisdom and are responsible for passing on tradition.>> TITLE: Can agogos help improve the odds of wacapati? >> TITLE: Ekwendeni, Malawi>> LYTON CHAWINGA: My name is Lyton Chawinga, and I have six grandchildren. I was born at home, in 1948. In previous days, pregnant mothers were using unsafe methods. Some would have their babies in grass huts. After giving birth, they would leave babies on the ground in the cold. We didn't know better. We had a lot of deaths. One day, hospital workers asked us to be a part of the Agogo Program.>> TITLE: The Agogo Program teaches village elders about proper natal care and helps agogos pass along those messages to their communities. >> LYTON CHAWINGA: We go to their house. We talk to both the man and the woman. We are here to chat with you about the importance of going to the hospital when you are pregnant. We show them pictures and tell them what can happen if they give birth at home. That the mother or baby can fall sick or die. >> WOMAN [Agogo]: After three months, start going for checkups. Escort each other. Many husbands refuse to escort their wives, which is not good. >> TITLE: Agogos also use traditional methods to teach modern messages. >> WOMEN: Pregnancy doesn't kill, the hospital is good, and all our children should be taken there.>> LYTON CHAWINGA: Deaths have decreased, diseases have decreased, and life has improved. I am really happy because if the student fails you are not a good teacher. I see fruits of what I teach and I am proud that I am a good teacher.>> TITLE: Living Proof: Real Lives. Real Progress. >> TITLE: With support and funding, 4,000 agogos have been trained in Malawi.>> TITLE: As a result, Ekwendeni Hospital has seen a 60 percent increase in pregnant women seeking antenatal care.>> TITLE: To accommodate them, the hospital is building a new, larger maternal ward.>> VOICEOVER: Access to health care isn't the whole story, of course. Helping women must include an investment in education. In rural Bangladesh, communities are learning the real value of empowering women. This film from Save the Children shows that giving girls a voice can be the most powerful solution of all. >> TITLE: Shilpi's Story. Save the Children, Bangladesh>> TITLE: This is Shilpi's story. Tiler Char, Barishal, Bangladesh.>> VOICEOVER: Shilpi's father died when she was very young. Her mother worked as a maid to support Shilpi and two younger sons. She earned only enough to feed them one meal a day. When Save the Children started the Girls' Voices project nearby, Shilpi joined. She met with other teenage girls to build self-confidence and learn new skills, like making a budget and saving money. Shilpi realized she could help support her family, even without working outside the home. She started her first business weaving mats. >> SHILPI: Later, I thought about how I could use the money I earn from weaving mats to do more. So I bought a small cow. After a year it gave birth. At that time we got 2 to 2.5 liters of milk from the cow every day. I sold that milk and used the money for my family. Later, when I had earned more money from weaving mats, I saved it. Our house was very small. It was awful to live there during the rainy season. So I decided we should build a new house. I sold the calf and used the money from my savings to build this house. If I had not joined "Girls' Voices" I would have been married by now, like all the other girls. Then I would not have been able to build such a big house or buy a cow. Now my plan is to buy a piece of land since we do not have any. The other plan I have is for my brother. Because he is handicapped, I am supporting his studies. That way he can get a job and earn his own living. My mother used to think if I had been a son instead of a daughter our life would have been much easier. But now she thinks "my daughter has done more for our family than a son would ever do.">> VOICEOVER: Around the world, communities are coming together, not only to save the lives of mothers and children, but to improve them. To give women real opportunities to change the courses of their lives. Basic health care can solve the most urgent crises, but a bigger sea change -- one that empowers women to learn, to marry later, and to decide when to have children -- will ultimately close the gaps in the odds that mothers face. Those changes are happening every day, country by country, and girl by girl. Sometimes, in places like India, something as simple as a bicycle can make all the difference.>> TITLE: Hubub Films Presents>> TITLE: Sone Sangvi, India>> TITLE: Pedal=Sight. Jacob Seigel-Boettner, India >> BHARATI PHAKAD DATE: My name is Bharati Phakad Date. I am 14 years old. I live in Sone Sangvi. I am going to Nimgaon Bhogi High School. I am learning in the ninth standard [grade]. My favorite actor is Mithun Chakrabothy because he always plays a humanitarian, someone who helps other people. My favorite actress is Rani Mukherjee. I like her husky voice. There are a lot of people who live on the streets. I will help them. There are so many people in this world who do not even get one meal a day. I will help them. >> TITLE: Pedal = Sight>> ARMENE MODI [Director, Ashta No Kai]: For about a couple of years, we only focused on adult women and literacy for them, and I noticed many of the girls who came to the class were very, very young girls with mangalsutra, which is a gold-and-black beaded necklace, around their necks, which in India is a symbol of matrimony, and they had babies on their hips, and I started to ask, "What's going on?" and, "Why are such young girls married off already?">> BHARATI'S MOTHER: My life, my generation, was full of darkness. I have to make sure that my daughters get a good education. It is our duty. If you are uneducated, then it is as if you only have one eye. >> ARMENE MODI: In many villages, there were only schools until seventh grade. There were no high schools. So we worked in 10 villages at that point of time, and there were only three high schools. So then I asked the parents, the mothers, "Well, what happens to the boys? How do you send the boys to school?" And they said, "Well, we give them bicycles." And I said, "Well, what about the girls?" And they said, "Oh, no. It's a waste of money to give a bicycle to a girl. She's going to turn around and get married." There's a famous Indian saying: Why water a plant that's going to grow in a neighbor's garden? So, I thought, my God, if it's only a bicycle that's keeping girls from going to school, let's go ahead and give it to them. >> BHARATI PHAKAD DATE: The bike has been really useful. Now, the time that I save commuting to school can be used to study. Also, now I can ride to school with my friends. It's a lot of fun. I used to have to walk to school. >> BHARATI'S MOTHER: Initially, she had to walk to school. It took her more than an hour. Now she can ride to school in 15 minutes. She now feels very motivated and enthusiastic to attend school. >> BHARATI PHAKAD DATE: I want to become a District Supervisor, because then I can make big decisions, and also have the power to implement them. I would be able to make decisions regarding the welfare of the poor and downtrodden. I would be able to help transform society. My name is Bharati Phakad Date. I am 14 years old. I live in Sone Sangvi. I want to eradicate poverty from this country. >> TITLE: [end credits]>> VOICEOVER: Like what you saw? Then visit ViewChange.org, Link TV's brand new multimedia website. Watch over 200 stories about new solutions to the developing world's biggest challenges, get involved with the issues, share the stories with friends, and help change the world, all at ViewChange.org>> VOICEOVER: To read the full 2011 "State of the World's Mothers" report, and to learn more about Save the Children, visit savethechildren.org.>> TITLE: [end credits] http://www.viewchange.org/videos/bio-briquette-an-alternative-source-of-energy In the past, villagers in rural Nepal were forced to burn firewood as their main energy source, leading to deforestation and health issues for women who constantly breathed in the smoke. Beehive bio briquettes are an alternative energy source that cost almost nothing to make, are smoke free, and are created from biomass that doesn't necessitate felling trees. See how this Nepalese community is being transformed through making, using, and selling bio briquettes. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:02:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/bio-briquette-an-alternative-source-of-energy Nepal, Alternative energy, Kathmandu, Biomass briquettes, ViewChange Online Film Contest, Gender, Health, Environment, Rural area, Public health >> TITLE: Punkbuddhaz Studios, Bigvon Dixikov, Yalambar Khargoli>> TITLE: A Tale of Tamang Women. Bio briquette. An alternative source of energy. >>TITLE: Beehive bio briquette is a low cost alternative source of energy, which has great advantage in developing and rural areas. >> TITLE: Tripeni. Outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal>> VOICEOVER: In the outskirts of Kathmandu Valley, there is a small village called Tripeni. Before bio briquettes, villagers had to use firewood as their ultimate source of energy. Firewood produces lots of smoke and is also very dangerous to health. The method of making a bio briquette is very easy. After you produce this charcoal from wild herbs called banmara from the forest, then you grind the charcoal into small fine pieces. Then after the charcoal is grinded, it is mixed with mud. The ratio is two to one. If you add two buckets of charcoal, then you need to add one bucket of mud. >> WOMAN: Bio briquette has made a lot of difference in our life, because it is a very good source of income.>> INTERVIEWER: Do these children go to school now? >> WOMAN: Yes they go to school.>> INTERVIEWER: At what grade are they studying then?>> WOMAN: Six.>> INTERVIEWER: Really?>> WOMAN: My son is at class two and daughter is at class six.>> INTERVIEWER: Did the village have school before?>> WOMAN: Before? Yes there was school even before.>> INTERVIEWER: Did you send your children to school even before you started this bio-briquette thing?>> WOMAN: No, we did send our children to school even back then?But now there really is a big difference for the family than before. >> INTERVIEWER: So without difference both son and daughter get a chance to study? >> WOMAN: Yes, we have admitted both of them to school. >> VOICEOVER: The mixture is mixed thoroughly then added to a molding machine, where pressure is applied to compress the charcoal and the mud mixture. >> INTERVIEWER: So with the income you can easily run the house?>> WOMAN: Yes, it is sufficient to run the family.>> INTERVIEWER: Do you even save by selling bio briquettes?>> WOMAN: Yes, we do have a bit of savings as well.>> INTERVIEWER: What would you like to advise people in other villages who are interested in such kind of smoke-free alternative source of energy?>> WOMAN: So this is the way of making bio briquette, which would yield income to your family as well.>> VOICE: Then after, the mold is taken out from the cast, which has a beehive like shape. Hence it is called a beehive briquette. Then the mold is taken outside and baked in sun. After it is baked, it becomes a very good fresh warm briquette, which is ready to store. Then after you could either sell it at market, or use it for your personal purpose as a clean alternative source of energy.>> MAN: The briquette is just enough to sustain your life. >> INTERVIEWER: Does bio briquette play a role in deforestation?>> MAN: No, the making of bio briquette wouldn't hamper the forest. Because the charcoal needed for the bio briquette is extracted from burning wild grasses. The wild grass is called "Kala Jharr" in Nepali. >> INTERVIEWER: Hence it does not destroy the forest. >> MAN: We don't need to chop the trees to make the briquette. >> INTERVIEWER: How much smoke does this briquette emit then? >> MAN: There is smoke while making the charcoal for the briquette. But when the briquette is ready it is nearly like an electric heater, it won't yield any smoke. It won't produce any smoke. But one thing a single briquette only lasts for 60-90 minutes. >> VOICE: The Tamang lady also suffers from a heart disease. Maybe after the use of Bio Briquette, she would have less impact upon her fragile health. >> TITLE: Eco Stove; Bio Briquette>> TITLE: The Tamang woman who was exposed to cooking smoke for a long time made her a victim of a dangerous cardiovascular disease. Bio briquette is really a gift to her from heaven. Hence, there is hope that this type of smoke-free alternative source of fuel would really bring better health and hope towards the lives of grass hood level people. http://www.viewchange.org/videos/living-proof-nepal-dangerous-day The dangers of childbirth become amplified when mothers live in remote and poverty-stricken areas. In the Himalayan foothills of Nepal, far from any clinics or hospitals, a young mother struggles with the fear of complications during the birth of her daughter. This film examines how skilled birth attendants can dramatically improve the survival odds for both the mother and child. Sun, 14 Nov 2010 17:33:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/living-proof-nepal-dangerous-day Nepal, Childbirth, Birth attendant, Child mortality, Maternal death, South Asia, Midwifery, Himalayas, Rural area, Gender >> TITLE: Part 1, Delivery Day >> TITLE: In one of the world's poorest places, the day a woman gives birth is the most dangerous day of her life, and her child's life. Can one woman and her baby beat the odds? >> TITLE: Western Nepal >> TITLE: People scratch out a living in the Himalayan foothills, and life is hardest for women >> MAHESWORI: My name is Maheswori. I'm 19 years old. My husband went to India to work. Here there is no food, no rice, no nothing. Around here, there's no work. >> TITLE: Maheswori is pregnant and past due. >> MAHESWORI: I am very, very scared. Everyone has been asking about it, and that makes me even more scared. My first child was breech born, and I might just die this time. If I will live, I will live. If I will die, I will die. >> TITLE: The nearest hospital is four hours away. >> MAHESWORI: Some said take her to the hospital, some said drive her down. Everyone had opinions. But how would you get a car without money? >> TITLE: She plans to deliver in the same place she gave birth before. >> MAHESWORI: In November my daughter was born. I had the baby in our cow shed. >> TITLE: By local custom, mother and child are quarantined as "unclean." >> MAHESWORI: For 12 days after the birth, the baby and I were kept in the cow shed. On the 13th day we were allowed out. You can't take a newborn in the house, God gets angry. You're better off in the cow shed. >> TITLE: Because of Maheswori's high-risk pregnancy, an aid worker traveling with the camera crew makes a case to village elders. They consent to having a birth attendant, and she won't give birth in the cow shed. >> MAHESWORI: I am going to die. Oh my mother! I am dying ... >> WOMAN: Get me the gloves, quickly. >> MAHESWORI: I am dying ... am dying. Please ... I can't. >> WOMAN: It's a complete breech situation. Push hard! >> INDUKA KARI [CARE Program Officer]: She was completely unaware of the fact that she would need medical care because her first child was breech born. >> TITLE: She gives birth to another daughter, Seema. >> INDUKA KARI: If she hadn't gotten proper care by a trained birth attendant, she would've died. >> MAHESWORI: I'll rest for seven days, but then it's back to work. I have to pound the rice, carry water, cut grass, and chop wood. Life is tough here. >> TITLE: Living Proof. Real Lives. Real Progress. >> TITLE: In Nepal, 80 percent of births occur at home with no skilled birth attendant like Maheswori had. But support from global partners is helping train Nepal's 45,000 female health volunteers, and they are dramatically improving Nepal's health outcomes. >> TITLE: In Part 2. Living Proof. Real Lives. Real Progress. www.one.org/livingproof http://www.viewchange.org/videos/awra-amba <p>The members of the Awra Amba community in rural Ethiopia believe there is a way out of poverty&mdash;through improved education, equal rights for men and women, and hard work. It may sound simple, but these values turn many firmly ingrained local traditions and deeply held religious beliefs on their head.</p> Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:16:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/awra-amba Ethiopia, Awra Amba, Zumra Nuru, Religion, Poverty, Rural area, Education, Child, Community, Women's rights >> TITLE: Write This Down Productions presents>> TITLE: 2008, Northern Ethiopia>> TITLE: Awra Amba (Amharic): "Top of the Hill">> ZUMRA NURU [Leader and Founder of Awra Amba]: We believe that men and women are equal. They work together side by side. When it comes to decision-making, men and women have equal say. They are both heads of the household. In Awra Amba, work is based on ability. We have to work in order to eat every day. Men do women's work, and women do men's work. >> ZIBAD [the daughter]: I am not a member of the community yet. To join you have to be free from evil things. No conflict, no immoral behavior. No stealing, no cursing. If I fulfill these criteria, I can become a member. You must get rid of all bad habits, like getting drunk. You must only pursue good things. I have many children, so I need 300 birr for food and 100 birr for other expenses: a total of 400 birr [USD$30] per month. I have to work hard to earn this. I weave, sell at the market, and work on a building site. This is for a new school in Awra Amba. I pile the stones before they are broken for construction. Members of the community don't work here. My arms ache because of lifting the stones. I also get cramps in my thighs. I want to become a member because in Awra Amba jobs are given according to one's ability. Then I can do a job I am capable of. >> SIGN: Tea. Bread. Soft drinks.>> ZEINAB [the mother]: I have been allocated to run the local teahouse. I make tea, bread, and serve customers. >> CUSTOMERS: Let me pay. / No, I will pay. / No, let me pay. / No, I will pay. / Here, take the money.>> ZEINAB: Is she your daughter?>> CUSTOMER: Yes.>> ZEINAB: Do you know Mr. Mohamud?>> CUSTOMER: Yes, I know of him.>> ZEINAB: He is an Imam. I was married to him. I left and moved here.>> CUSTOMER: Oh, you moved here.>> ZEINAB: But he is not here.>> CUSTOMER: Where is he?>> ZEINAB: He is in the South. Before I came to Awra Amba I was uneducated and oppressed. I didn't know about my rights. In our time there was nothing called "men's and women's rights". Men oppressed women. They were superior to us. Our husbands didn't even allow us contraceptives. They just wanted more children. My daughter came here without any possessions. I welcomed her and her children. We shared everything I had. We have been together for one year now.>> ZIBAD: My husband was very difficult and bad-tempered. So, I left and took my children to Awra Amba to live in peace. I left all my possessions behind. I just wanted to save my life. >> TITLE: Every year, Awra Amba receives thousands of curious visitors from around the world. Tourists and even political and religious leaders come to study their way of life. >> STUDENT: We are university students studying agriculture. There is a lot we can learn from you.>> STUDENT: I have heard about this place, on the radio and TV. Can you tell me how Awra Amba was founded?>> ZUMRA NURU: I have been waiting my whole life for someone to ask me this question and listen to me. I had the idea for Awra Amba at the age of four. My parents were farmers. They spent most of their time on the land. Plowing, scything, harvesting, etc. When they came home in the evening, my father's work finished but my mother's work continued at home. Cooking, collecting firewood and water, looking after the children, and washing his feet. These were her usual duties. Sometimes she would even get beaten by my father. Why is there a difference between them? Women are like servants, men are like masters. When I questioned this, my family would say, "You want to be different from others. If you are talking like this today, what will you do tomorrow?" They would say I am mad.>> ZIBAD: I didn't have any opportunity to study. I lived most of my life in rural areas and I used to herd cows. Other people were given basic education but I didn't get it. In our culture you cannot study once you are an adult. It is seen as a taboo. Compared to other places I have lived, they have a different way of raising children here. My kids are young and they are absorbing the way of the village. I want them to be as good as the Awra Ambans.>> TITLE: Every day people from neighboring villages come to use the mill in Awra Amba. While they wait for their grain to be milled they visit the local teahouse.>> ZEINAB: Here you go, our loyal customers. Have you dropped out of school?>> CHILD: Yes.>> ZEINAB: Up to what grade did you study?>> CHILD: Up to the third.>> ZEINAB: So why did you stop?>> CHILD: Farming and cattle.>> ZEINAB: So you have become a farmer?>> CHILD: Yeah.>> ZEINAB: Why don't you just say "no" to your parents?>> CHILD: We can't.>> ZEINAB: Why don't you tell your parents, "If the children in Awra Amba study, why can't we?">> CHILD: We can't.>> ZEINAB: Wouldn't they listen to you?>> CHILD: No, they wouldn't agree. It's all about work.>> ZEINAB: You missed out, my dear. Think about it, because we are building a new school here.>> CHILD: Okay. I want to continue.>> ZEINAB: Yes, continue. Is he paying?>> CHILD: Yes.>> ZEINAB: Take your time.>> ZIBAD: Once my husband told me to tie the calf near the beehive. When he came back the calf had destroyed the beehive. He picked up a strong bamboo and started beating me on my thighs.>> ZEINAB: Really?>> ZIBAD: Yes, I can still feel it. I feel the pain, even when I sleep.>> ZEINAB: Why didn't you tell me?>> ZIBAD: What's the point?>> ZEINAB: That is what a mother is for.>> ZIBAD: I stayed with him for so long because I thought he would learn from his mistakes. I thought we could raise our children if we have peace. I put up with a lot. One day I almost electrocuted myself.>> ZEINAB: Why?>> ZIBAD: We had a fight. I went to the police and to the elders but they wouldn't listen to my problems.>> ZEINAB: Why did you try to harm yourself?>> ZIBAD: It happened accidentally. I was upset. I was out of my mind.>> ZEINAB: So he drove you crazy?>> ZIBAD: Yes. More than one can bear. >> ZIBAD: Once a week we come here to work and raise money for charity. We do this to help people who are in need. I'm not doing this to become a member of the community, but just to help by contributing. This is not just for us, but for everyone in the world, even for Europeans. If we work at home, we could be lazy and get distracted. If we work together, a lot will get done>> TITLE: Twice a year, the profits made from weaved products are shared equally between all community members.>> STUDENT: I heard that the principles of Awra Amba were not created by you, Zumra. It's based on communism because you were a communist.>> ZUMRA NURU: I thought all this time you were listening to what I was saying. Your question shows you have not been listening. I never had the chance to have a religious or modern education. I never had the opportunity. Sometimes I wonder about the benefits if I had been educated. What does it mean to be educated? I can't understand what educated people have accomplished. I can't see it.>> ZEINAB: People from all over the country and even from abroad are learning from us. But local people like you don't want to learn from us because of religion.>> MAN: If you embrace religion this place would be very colorful.>> ZEINAB: What is religion? I don't get it. You see the work we do. We care for and help each other. Awra Amba helps to build our country. Neighbors have unreasonable hatred towards us.>> MAN: No, the issue of religion is not hatred. We have treasures in our villages, like churches and mosques. You do not have churches or any place worship. You just say you believe in hard work.>> WOMAN: Where does God exist? We know for sure that he is everywhere. Is God only confined to churches? No, in Awra Amba we believe God is everywhere. He is with us when we sleep, when we are awake. When we eat and when we rest. We don't want to lock him up through walls called "churches" or "mosques.">> MAN: Even the rain outside is the will of God. >> WOMAN: But we haven't forgotten God.>> MAN: But you never thank God. He even blesses us with the rain, which is sweet like honey. Why don't you appreciate God?>> WOMAN: Let me tell you. Listen to me! Doing good is essential for humans. We want you to understand and implement our culture. Religion is not important.>> ZEINAB: Rather than killing yourselves through axes and bullets, why not care for each other?>> VILLAGE GUARD: We are all children of Adam and Eve, so we should all help each other whether we are Muslim or Christian. >> TITLE: Village Guard>> VILLAGE GUARD: I carry a gun because people have strongly opposed us.>> ZUMRA NURU: Unless the situation changes, we have to look after ourselves. Therefore we need something to protect us. If a fly lands on my eye, I have to remove it.>> STUDENT: You said killing is not allowed.>> ZUMRA NURU: To die is also not allowed!>> VILLAGE GUARD: They considered killing Zumra because he is the leader. That's why I protect him.>> ZEINAB: Thank God I found my daughter safely and she came to live with me. I don't think she will ever have a nice husband who will care for her and her children. I have no hope that she will marry again.>> ZIBAD: Because of my past experience, I don't think I'll marry again. I have enough children, so I don't want more. I want to live in the Awra Amba community, being respected and treated like a member. Let me add some sauce. Pour me some water.>> TITLE: Zibad's application to become a member was declined. She was not able to make the annual financial contribution to the community. She is still trying to fulfill all their criteria. Zeinab runs the brand new teahouse that has been built to accommodate more visitors. The new school in Awra Amba is nearly complete. It will also accept children from neighboring communities. Zumra has applied for more land from the regional government to accept new members.>> TITLE: [end credits] http://www.viewchange.org/videos/women-empowered-learning-to-lead Filmmaker Phil Borges travels to India to learn about an innovative education program called Udaan. It targets girls who missed out on education earlier in their lives. They not only master skills, but also find their voices and prepare to become leaders in their communities and nation. Fri, 22 Oct 2010 09:39:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/women-empowered-learning-to-lead Gender equality, India, Education, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Women's rights, Human rights, CARE, Rural area, Gender >> TITLE: Learning to Lead >> TITLE: Orissa, India. >> TITLE: Of every 100 girls in rural India, only 18 will reach the 8th grade, and only one will complete high school. >> TITLE: An uneducated girl risks a higher rate of maternal and child mortality, will likely marry before her 15th birthday, may never know her basic human rights. >> PHIL BORGES [Documentary Filmmaker and Photographer]: Of the millions of children around the world who never get an education, the majority are girls. Chanmani is one of these girls. She's never seen the inside of a classroom. Her chores begin at four in the morning. Then, with her sisters, she spends a few hours making rope for the family business. Around eight, she heads to the rice fields, where she'll work until sundown. Chanmani's parents say they don't see the benefit of educating their daughters. Losing the girls' labor would be a hardship for their struggling family. Furthermore, it's customary for a girl to move away after marriage and become a part of her husband's family. Many parents conclude that educating a girl is just a poor investment. >> TITLE: There are nearly 900 million illiterate adults in the world. Two-thirds are women. >> PHIL BORGES: Beginning in 1999, India made a bold commitment to educate all children through grade six. I came to India to see how this developing country, with its huge, diverse population, was accomplishing this monumental task. Today, the number of schools has increased dramatically, but the capacity to deliver a quality education, still has a long way to go. I listened in on a group of mothers as they expressed their concerns. They weren't quite sure what their children were learning. They too wondered if the time diverted away from the daily chores, was really worth it. The classrooms I saw were overcrowded with children of all ages. As the students recited memorized lines, I began to understand some of the parents' concerns. >> TITLE: Uttar Pradesh, India >> PHIL BORGES: CARE is supporting India's historic commitment to education with a unique program called Udaan. >> TITLE: Udaan: Accelerated Learning Camp >> PHIL BORGES: Udaan was especially developed to reach older girls, who had missed out on an education. My first day visiting this exceptional program was a revelation. From the moment I entered the classroom, I was amazed by the students' engagement. Here I was, a Westerner, who they rarely see, poking around with a video camera, and I didn't disrupt their focus. I was told these girls come from some of the poorest families in India. Before Udaan, most had never seen a school. In just 11 months, they're brought up to a 5th grade level. I asked Vandana, one of the teachers, how this was possible. >> VANDANA SRIVASTAVA [Udaan Instructor]: We employ a multi-track teaching method, and use games to make the learning fun. We not only teach reading, writing, and math, we [also] strive to teach them social skills, and make a space for them to express themselves. We want them to be critical thinkers, to be able to speak with confidence and voice an opinion. It's a very intense curriculum, but it works. Ninety-six percent of students finish Udaan, and 89 percent go on to secondary school or college. When the girls first get here, they are shy and unable to express their own thoughts. It's wonderful to see them, as they start to care for themselves, and assert their own ideas. Watching them begin to blossom is so exciting. >> TITLE: Pinki Sharman, Udaan Graduate 1999 >> PHIL BORGES: Pinki was a graduate of the very first Udaan class and is now in college, and has her own apartment. This level of independence for a young single woman is extremely rare in her town. >> PINKI SHARMAN: When I go home, all my friends ask me about college. They can't believe I can live alone. My life is so foreign to them. My best friend Shenasi's marriage was arranged when she was 14. She did not want to get married, and pleaded with her parents to let her study further. I told them I would give her my old books, but they didn't agree. Someday I want to be able to help the girls in my village go to school. >> TITLE: Shailendri Sharma, Udaan Graduate 2004 >> PHIL BORGES: Like Pinki, Shailendri is an Udaan graduate. At first her parents were hesitant to send her away to school. Now they're amazed and proud of her new confidence and how well she speaks. Shailendri is about to graduate from grade 12, and taking a computer class after school. >> RAM VATI [Shailendri's Grandmother]: In my day, girls did not get educated. I got married when I was 11, to someone chosen by my parents. Shailendri has changed so much. She has become a role model for other girls in our village. Now they want to go to Udaan. >> PHIL BORGES: Today, the educational landscape across rural India is changing. Thanks to the government's commitment to education, and schools like Udaan. Udaan teaching methods, developed by CARE, are a model of success for classrooms all across India. But most importantly the Udaan graduates serve as shining examples to those in their villages who weren't quite sure why a girl needed an education. >> TITLE: Shuman 17, Sonashri 18, Udaan Graduates 2004 >> TITLE: By 2015, CARE aims to help 10 million girls in 20 countries complete primary education and develop leadership skills. They, in turn, will be able to guide their families and communities out of poverty. http://www.viewchange.org/videos/kenyan-solution-for-charging-mobile-phones <p>In rural Kenya, electricity sockets are hard to find but pedal power is everywhere&mdash;which is why inventor Pascal Katana has come up with an ingenious method to charge mobile phones using the energy generated by bicycles.</p> Thu, 23 Sep 2010 07:29:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/kenyan-solution-for-charging-mobile-phones Kenya, Mobile phone, Pascal Katana, Energy poverty, Appropriate technology, Africa, Technology, ViewChange Online Film Contest, Change Makers, LinkTV Picks >> TITLE: Spark Africa. New Business Perspectives>> VOICEOVER: Spark Africa is always looking for new businesses and surprising initiatives. Today, we report from the Kenyan countryside.>> TITLE: Kenya. Population: 38.8 million. GNP per capita: USD$547. Rural population: 90 percent. Electricity: 10 percent of the rural population. >> VOICEOVER: Electricity doesn't come out of a wall here, let alone a phone connection. Therefore, a mobile phone is useful, but how do you charge it? >> CRISTINE AKELO [Spark Africa Kenya]: It is estimated currently, 17.5 million people out of the 38.5 million people in Kenya's population own a mobile handset, and thus, they need to be charged.>> PASCAL KATANA [Inventor, Smart Charger]: We'll reduce the problem that is being encountered in our rural areas. >> CRISTINE AKELO: Students of the university of Nairobi came up with a solution to this. The smart charger is easy to use: just connect it to the dynamo of your bike. The apparatus will convert the resulting energy into electricity, which can be used to charge a mobile phone. After about an hour of cycling, the phone is then charged. Normally, charging your phone is more time-consuming. Sometimes, you have to walk hours before finding a charging location. Small shops with solar panels or batteries charge it for you and charge USD$1. However, even the man who profits from charging other people's phones seems to be happy with the smart charger.>> MAN: I'm happy for the people who can now charge their phone while riding a bicycle. It won't affect my business. Customers will keep on coming. It's important to take care of each other. We all suffer because of the electricity problem. >> CRISTINE AKELO: The bicycle is a popular means of transport in east Africa, which makes the mobile charger simple and effective. For personal, business, or just for transport means, the inventors of the charger are already working with professional cyclists and bicycle couriers. >> PETER NJOROGE [Bicycle courier]: This mobile charger is good. It will definitely help us. I place this charger to my bike. The device charges while I drive. >> CRISTINE AKELO: The smart charger has recently been brought to the market. For one charger, it costs about 350 Kenyan shillings, which is about USD$4. The inventors are hoping for international success. >> PASCAL KATANA: Tanzania, Ivory Coast -- they have really requested for that smart charger.>> CRISTINE AKELO: Pascal and Jeremiah will have to look at their options in the coming period, because there is a great chance that this device will be readily available in the years to come. There is one thing they do not need to worry about: everybody here rides a bicycle. >> TITLE: [end credits] http://www.viewchange.org/videos/ticad-towards-a-vibrant-africa <p>The Tokyo International Conference on African Development is more than just a conference. It has become a major global framework for Asia, Africa, and the UNDP to collaborate in promoting Africa's development. Here are five projects working to improve people's everyday lives throughout the continent. Produced by <a title="UNDP" href="http://www.undp.org/" target="_blank">UNDP</a>.</p> Fri, 17 Sep 2010 23:50:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/ticad-towards-a-vibrant-africa Africa, United Nations Development Programme, Tokyo International Conference on African Development, United Nations, Development aid, Social equality, Education, Empowerment, Community development, Gender equality >> TITLE: Towards a Vibrant Africa: A Continent of Hope & Opportunity >> TITLE: Tanzania Bed Net Factory (Japanese/Tanzanian joint venture) >> TITLE: More than 1 million people die of malaria each year >> TITLE: Mosquito nets are an effective and economical method of preventing the disease >> ELIREHEMA MANGA [resident of Manyata village]: I often suffered from malaria before we got the nets. I couldn't cultivate my land because I was often sick. The difference is huge because now I feel healthy and strong. I'm feeling so much better that I'm able to work, make a little money, and go to the market. Everyone's earnings have improved because we can all work hard to cultivate crops. >> TITLE: Mosquito Net Factory [Arusha, Tanzania] >> BINESH HARIA [Chief Operating Officer, A to Z Textile Mills]: What we want to do here is save lives, by manufacturing these products in Africa, and also reduce poverty. We've already created 3,200 direct employment. >> LUCY THOMAS [Employee, A to Z Textile Mills]: Before, I was living with my parents. But now I can afford to live alone and pay for my brother's school fees. I'm truly proud of the work I do, because it's helping prevent malaria. >> BINESH HARIA: What we are producing is a product which is going to be sold in Africa, and that is why I say Africa for Africa. What we want is: Africa should be able to sustain itself. >> ELIREHEMA MANGA: Since receiving the nets, all our lives have improved. My fellow villagers and I are very grateful. >> TITLE: Sierra Leone Schools & Community Centres ("Arms for Development" project Japan/UNDP) >> TITLE: After 11 years of devastating civil war, Sierra Leone is now recovering from conflict >> TITLE: Now former combatants are encouraged to surrender their arms in exchange for community development projects >> SOLDIER: The entire region is now arms free. >> TITLE: Community centres and schools are at the heart of the recovery effort >> MARYLEEN BANGURA [Resident of Binkolo Village]: I was seven years old when the rebels came in Binkolo. They attacked us here, and my mother was carrying me on her back, holding my sister on her hand. We had to run to the bushes where she damaged ... her lip had a cut. >> ANGELA BANGURA [resident of Binkolo Village]: I was bleeding profusely and I was feeling dizzy. I fell for the first time, second time, and then the third time she suggested that I should put her down. She always watched my movements. When I crawled, she also crawled. When I got up and tried to run, she followed my footsteps. That's the way we traveled the worst of the night, until we arrived in the next village the next morning. It's a night I pray that I will never repeat in my lifetime. >> MARYLEEN BANGURA: I don't like to hear about this past war, because it caused many damages in our country. Arms and feet of people were cut off. Houses were burnt. Some were killed. Some, when they killed, gave it to another human being to eat raw flesh. So I don't want to hear about it. I always like to think about my future than listen to the past. >> TITLE: School supported by Arms for Development Programme >> MARYLEEN BANGURA: The best part of my life now is that I'm going to school. All of the school lessons are free for everybody, so they have the opportunity to attend. I'm really concentrating on my education because I want to be somebody in the future, like I want to be a lawyer. That's my dream, and I know my dream is going to come true. >> TITLE: Community centre supported by Arms for Development Programme >> ABBAS A. BANGURA [Chairman, Masamanke Development Association]: Life is changing rapidly here. When this community center wasn't around life was really difficult here. But now we can see so many kids every day are meeting here. >> MARYLEEN BANGURA: For my future, I'm seeing that it's going to be successful for me. Because I'm now attending school. I'm with my parents, they encourage me to learn. And for the country, I know my country is going to develop. >> TITLE: Burkina Faso Multifunctional Platform (The UN Trust Fund for Human Security) >> TITLE: Over 95 percent of rural households in Africa lack electrical power >> TITLE: A unique electric generator helps villagers with their daily lives >> IDANI ABIBA (resident of Komboari Village): Before the multifunctional electric generator, my life was very difficult. I had to wake early to pound millet, fetch water, and cook. Now I have more time to spend on other activities. >> OUOBA B. BENOIT [Tin Tua Association]: In our country, the difficulty of getting drinkable water and pounding the millet take up the women's entire day. With the introduction of the multiplatform generator, this changed. >> TITLE: Multifunctional platform (electric generator) >> OUOBA B. BENOIT: Now woman have more time. >> IDANI ABIBA: We now have time to learn to read and write. This opens our minds and makes us happy. With the generator, we also have many services. We used to have to go far to repair broken equipment. But now we can do welding in town. Because of the electric generator, everyone has free time to spend on other activities. Thanks to the generator our lives have changed for the better. >> TITLE: Uganda Millennium Village (The UN Trust Fund for Human Security) >> TITLE: More than 40 percent of the population of Africa lives on less than USD$1 a day >> TITLE: The Millennium Villages project empowers communities to break the cycle of poverty >> FRIDAH TUMUHIMBISE [resident of Ruhiira Millennium Village]: My family never used to have enough food to eat. But ever since the Millennium Village project, my family is able to cultivate enough food. We used to spend a lot of time preparing food for the children. But since they now eat at school, we have time to do other things. There's also a clinic where people are treated, and in case of complications an ambulance takes us to another hospital. It [the project] has helped by starting a village bank where women can borrow for our businesses. I bought sheep and goats, sold two of their offspring, and bought iron sheets to build a kitchen. >> DAVID SIRIRI [Millennium Village Coordinator]: The thing about this project is empowerment of communities. It's about involving communities in taking leadership, in ensuring that they have a say in their destiny. It's not just coming and dropping something on the ground; you have to get the villagers involved. This project has given a sense of ownership, a sense of belonging, a sense of leadership. The communities can stand up and say, "Yes, this is our project." They are seeing the impact of the interventions. People are now flocking [to] the health centers. Before you only used to have one or two people, now you have 150 people coming to the health units. Water was a major problem. Now the water is clean. Now we have students attending school right from P1 up to P7 without dropping out. All these things have brought new hope and it's a new way of rural devolvement that had never happened here. >> FRIDAH TUMUHIMBISE: If the project continues another 10 years, we can better our situation, we can educate our children and really improve our lives. >>TITLE: Nigeria Woman Empowerment Project (UNDP/Japan WID Fund) >> TITLE: In Nigeria, woman are traditionally disadvantaged, lacking access to resources and skills >> TITLE: Encouraging female enterprises is key to development and social equality >> NFON (GRACE) ETETE ITUEN [resident of Onna Village]: When my husband died, my children were very young, so I had to struggle a long way for them to go to school. And to eat was very difficult. But I thank God now that it's getting improved. Now under community partnership I can do these buns, chin chin [cookies], egg rolls, which people come in and buy. I have a little money every day. >> SIGN: Onna Woman Development Centre >> MRS. NSE UDOH [Director, Community Partners for Development]: The project has really affected the lives of the women in Onna local government area. They've been empowered to the extent that they can actually assist the family in basic feeding and clothing. After the training they've been able to replicate what was taught. They now make the products by themselves. They go and sell them in the town, and are able to market their product. We are hoping that, eventually, when the mill starts in full swing, they will be able to do large quantities, and send it out to many other local government states. The women now meet on their own, monthly, so the excitement they have, coming out to share issues with each other ... Women, as you know, especially in our own society, have been relegated to the background for years. And it's only now that they are now given the opportunity to comment, to air their views. >> NFON (GRACE) ETETE ITUEN: Everyone around me is improving because all of us are now busy in doing what we're supposed to do. As the community progresses, I'm sure it will be better. >> TITLE: [end credits] >> TITLE: UNDP Produced by the Office of Communications for TICAD http://www.viewchange.org/videos/the-most-distant-places <p>What happens when people in remote rural areas can't afford to travel to the hospital for surgery? Dr. Edgar Rodas has created an innovative solution: an operating theater built on the back of a truck that can travel to treat people living in the poorest&mdash;and hardest to reach&mdash;areas of Ecuador.</p> Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:21:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/the-most-distant-places South America, Health, Cinterandes, Latin America, Ecuador, Healthcare, Surgery, World Health Day, Rural area, Poverty >> DR. EDGAR RODAS [President and Founder, Cinterandes]: Scissors. We decided to take surgery to the underserved parts of the country by means of an operating room built on a truck. >> TITLE: The Most Distant Places >> DR. EDGAR RODAS: That's a very humane way to deliver surgery, I think. People in their own environment, they don't have to be separated from the family, from the home. >> VOICEOVER: Almost 5 million Ecuadorians live in impoverished rural areas with little or no access to basic health services. Dr. Edgar Rodas tackles this problem by bringing the hospital to the people. Since 1994, his Cinterandes foundation has been providing surgical care for hard-to-reach communities spread across Ecuador. Oscar Fuerte is a fish trader. Suffering from a condition that requires surgery, he cannot work to support his family. >> OSCAR FUERTE: Where are we going to get money for an operation? >> INTERVIEWER: What kind of operation is it? >> OSCAR FUERTE: I have an umbilical hernia. This hernia -- I'm not able to work with this. >> DR. EDGAR RODAS: When we go to towns that are far away and very poor, we don't charge absolutely anything. The idea is that nobody, nobody can not have an operation because they do not have enough money. >> VOICEOVER: After six months of living with a disabling hernia, Oscar is ready for his operation. >> DR. EDGAR RODAS: Oscar Fuerte is a leader in the community and has lots of friends. All the community was concerned about him. >> TITLE: Two weeks later. >> OSCAR FUERTE: Hello? >> DR. EDGAR RODAS: Oscar, this is Dr. Rodas. How are you? You haven't had any problems? Great, I'm very happy. >> OSCAR FUERTE: You need food to develop your bones. Here, the fish comes from the sea to your table. Health is very important. If I'm not alive, who takes care of the family? No one else! >> DR. EDGAR RODAS: For the general public, health is just the absence of disease. To me, health is related with every human activity. We have an Andean definition of health: Health is the harmonic coexistence of human beings with themselves, others, and the environment. >> TITLE: [end credits] http://www.viewchange.org/videos/lighting-up-laos-and-beyond <p>Solar rechargeable lamps are helping to transform life in remote rural regions far from the national grid. This has allowed villagers in Laos to stop burning kerosene at night, while also creating new business and educational opportunities.</p> Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:15:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/lighting-up-laos-and-beyond Sunlabob, Developing country, kerosene lamp, Ghana, Social entrepreneurship, Solar energy, Laos, Solar power, Renewable energy, ViewChange Online Film Contest >> MAN 1: How much would he estimate as the money he spends on buying kerosene for lighting? >> MAN 2: Two Ghana cedis [GHC]. >> WOMAN: So, two cedis is spent on kerosene, and then three ... other three cedis, is spend on their food, hospitals, other things. Two cedis, USD$2 per day -- per month, USD$60, then that's a lot that they spend here. >> VOICEOVER: It's the same story in most parts of the developing world, or the south as it's called in development speak. But here, solar rechargeable lamps, like these, are helping to transform life in villages in remote regions far from the national grid. It means that villagers like Nuoi can work long into the hours of darkness on products that she will sell at the local market. Lee can now help her younger brothers with their homework, when before they would sit in total darkness. And Mae-Nam can get on with her tailoring orders while her husband puts the baby to bed, all thanks to a new form of social entrepreneurship that is bringing power to the people at a price that even the poorest can afford. >> MAN 3 [Lantern Owner]: We would use kerosene lamps when we returned from the fields, but now we use the battery lanterns, as they are much brighter than kerosene lamps, and the villagers know they are much more convenient. Once night falls, I stay at home and wait for the villagers to come and rent the lanterns. >> MAN 4: This was our idea when we started to create our portable battery lamp. So our approach is to have a central charging station in the village. The village entrepreneur is taking care, it's his business. Here, again, our red line and strategy, not paying for the hardware, paying for the service. >> VOICEOVER: And these lanterns are innovative. They contain an integrated microprocessor with a unique identification number. This calculates the number of hours the lantern is on and can be used for carbon trading. The lantern can also be used to charge mobile phones, which is increasingly relevant, as the telecommunication network now covers 86 percent of the country. http://www.viewchange.org/videos/mdg-4-reduce-child-mortality <p>With Australian support, more birth attendants are being trained in rural and remote parts of Papua New Guinea, helping to reduce infant deaths.</p> Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:42:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/mdg-4-reduce-child-mortality Child, Millennium Development Goals, Health, Rural area, Mortality rate, AusAID, Papua New Guinea, Kokoda Track, Healthcare, Clinic >> TITLE: Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) >> TITLE: 4. Reduce Child Mortality. The death rate of children under five has declined steadily from 12.6 million in 1990 to 9 million in 2007. But the rate is still too high -- one death every 3 seconds, mostly from preventable causes. >> TITLE: Target. Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate. >> TITLE: Papua New Guinea. >> VOICEOVER: Often one of the challenges in reducing child deaths is reaching the large populations that live in remote areas. So health teams like this one in Papua New Guinea trudge for hours on muddy tracks through mountainous countryside to set up health clinics in villages like this one in Kanga, not far from the Kokoda Track. >> LEON SIME [Health Action Officer]: My work in here, being a health action officer, we were trained especially to work in the rural areas, like a doctor that does clinical duties in the hospital, we do the same in rural areas. That includes the family health and immunization patrols, doing family planning, antenatal care, I coordinate that within the health center. >> VOICEOVER: Village volunteers are also trained to provide basic medical assistance and advice. >> LEON SIME: They have also been trained to identify and refer those cases to the health centers and hospital for treatment, and also they've been trained to do antenatal care for mothers who are pregnant and they can estimate the date of birth and refer them in, encourage mothers to come in for deliveries in here. >> VOICEOVER: Better access to healthcare, immunization, and education are keys to keeping children healthy. >> MICHAEL LUCAS [Kanga Village Chief]: When health program is an educational program like this, trying to educate people, I think that will help us, will change our living and also people will change from when they're young, too. >> TITLE: What is Australia doing? Training more skilled birth attendants in rural and remote PNG to help reduce infant deaths. Increasing births supervised by skilled staff is an important focus of the PNG-Australia Partnership for Development. Working with governments and other donors to improve the supply of vaccines and immunization globally. http://www.viewchange.org/videos/health-delivery-png-style <p>They walk for days through the highlands of Papua New Guinea, carrying a pack full of supplies, through rivers, knee-deep mud, and mountain passes. But they're not a group of Australian tourist trekkers; they're a group of very committed PNG health workers going to see their patients. And they're being funded as part of Australia's development program in PNG.</p> Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:42:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/health-delivery-png-style Papua New Guinea, Healthcare, AusAID, Australia, Kokoda Track, Jungle, Rural area, Paramedic, Hospital, Health >> VOICEOVER: Kokoda is synonymous with Second World War battles and the starting point for trekkers on the famous track, but it's also home base for one of the most dedicated medical teams on Earth. Led by a paramedic, when this group of health workers hits the road, a four-wheel drive takes them only to the edge of the jungle. The rest is done on foot, carrying medical supplies and equipment to the villagers. There are no roads in this part of the world, and the team can spend up to a fortnight away. Neighboring villages are not exactly close together. Getting from one to another takes time. >> LEON SIME [Medical Team Leader]: About two days' walk, that would be the longest. Just by walking, we come to the last village. >> VOICEOVER: The highlands of Papua New Guinea are so vast and so rugged, logistics and a lack of trained medical personnel combine to make this task enormously challenging. >> LEON SIME: Sometimes we don't visit a particular village for years, some it's about two or three years we haven't gone in, because I don't have the manpower. >> VOICEOVER: Not surprisingly, greetings when they do arrive at any village are very enthusiastic. There's little in the way of privacy for patients. It's like a social occasion as examinations are carried out in the full glare of those in the waiting room. Medicines are dispensed and children immunized, a process undertaken with such professionalism, it almost masks the underlying problems of healthcare in these remote communities. >> LEON SIME: Every day we've seen a case of malaria, so malaria is still a common problem in here, and respiratory diseases like pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis. >> REPORTER: Apart from the obvious difficulties encountered in servicing these remote areas, there's the problem of supplying vaccines. They need to be administered within 48 hours of refrigeration, and there are no cooling facilities out here. So a runner is dispatched between the teams in the field and the hospital. Sometimes that can be a day in either direction. Nevertheless the program is delivering positive results. Health outcomes are almost impossible to measure but the barometer of patient satisfaction is definitely rising. >> MICHAEL LUCAS [Kanga Village Leader]: I think the services, what AusAID is bringing in our ward, it's ... I see that they are very happy. >> JOHN DAIRE [Ebei Village Leader]: If this program continues, maybe our health problems in here will be reduced >> VOICEOVER: Some villagers are being trained as in-house educators, providing the latest health messages, attempting to overcome centuries of reliance on traditional treatment for diseases like TB and malaria. >> JOHN DAIRE: The traditional belief ... they believe that it's caused by sorcery, witchcraft. >> VOICEOVER: Some other traditional methods: this demonstration of patient transport highlighting difficulties faced by the sick and injured, unable to walk to the hospital. >> LEON SIME: Sometimes with a sick patient they carry them halfway and then the patient dies, so they have to turn back again. >> VOICEOVER: Even stretchers are of little use during the wet season. River crossings become too dangerous between December and March, and the health team is confined to home base. >> LEON SIME: In the wet season when someone's very sick it's difficult to bring them into hospital, so they stay there. They died, most of them. >> VOICEOVER: Despite all the adversity, healthcare delivery comes with complete dedication and care. The only frustration, it seems, is the enormity of the task. >> LEON SIME: We can't go out there into the villages and see everybody and talk to everybody. It's impossible for us. >> VOICEOVER: The outreach program represents only a fraction of the total commitment to health in Papua New Guinea by the Australian and PNG governments, and to these villagers a visit from the medical team is a gift beyond measure. http://www.viewchange.org/videos/rising-voices-dreams-for-my-daughter In rural Ghana, children often struggle to get an education, with girls missing out far more frequently than boys of a similar age. But 12-year-old Elizabeth Napari, through her family's sacrifice, is taking advantage of changing attitudes. Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:43:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/rising-voices-dreams-for-my-daughter Ghana, Education, UNICEF, Africa, Poverty, Primary school, Rural area, Gender, Subsistence farming, Agriculture >> TITLE: Rising Voices>> TITLE: Dreams for My Daughter >> ELIZABETH NAPARI: My name is Elizabeth. I come from Tarikpaa. I am 12 years old.>> VOICEOVER: Elizabeth Napari is making the one-hour trek from her village to the family farm. There, her parents, Peter and Ayishetu, toil as subsistence farmers, feeding a family of six on what they can grow. >> ELIZABETH NAPARI: We farm yam and maize and cassava.>> VOICEOVER: It's a cycle of poverty and illiteracy that goes back for generations, until Elizabeth. For this child can re-write her entire family history by getting an education.>>ELIZABETH NAPARI: I want to look after my parents.>> VOICEOVER: It's a heavy goal for any child, but for Elizabeth, whose father had to drop out of school to work these same fields, this is the stuff of dreams.>> BIIKOOK KONLAN [UNICEF Educations Officer]: Without education, you have no future in this part of the country. >> VOICEOVER: And no one knows that struggle better than Education Officer Biikook Konlan. >> BIIKOOK KONLAN: I relate to Elizabeth. I came from an ordinary background. Elizabeth is coming from an ordinary background. I came from a rural community. Elizabeth is coming from a rural community, and our parents are both illiterate. They are peasant farmers, and yet I rose to do my bachelor's. I've done my master's, and I'm working with UNICEF as an education officer. You just need perseverance and focus that there is light at then end of the tunnel.>> ELIZABETH NAPARI: Because I'll know many things in the world when I go to school.>> PETER NAPARI [Elizabeth's father]: This is the maize we grind to prepare porridge.>> BIIKOOK KONLAN: Elizabeth's father went to school up to grade three and dropped out.>> VOICEOVER: Peter's father needed his son's help on the farm to make ends meet, a common problem in this poor community. >> PETER NAPARI: I am regretting it today. My life would have been better than this. >> BIIKOOK KONLAN: The child in the rural area, seeing that the parents are ordinary, struggling to make ends meet -- if I have to break this cycle that my parents are going through in terms of being farmers or peasant farmers, then the only hope is for me to study.>> PETER NAPARI: This is my house, which I mixed mortar to build. >> VOICEOVER: Elizabeth is the eldest of the four Napari children still at home, a daughter in a culture that traditionally prizes sons.>> PETER NAPARI: I see Elizabeth is good in school, so I am determined to help her to succeed in education.>> VOICEOVER: Peter makes sure his daughter and her siblings go to school each and every day. >> VOICEOVER: "Johnny, Johnny, Johnny," the children sing at morning assembly. "He's my boy. I send him to school to learn how to write his name." It's the same song Biikook sang as a boy, but at this child-friendly school, the emphasis is as much on girls as it is on boys. Traditionally, in this village, girls get married, not educated.>> BIIKOOK KONLAN: The parents consider that, when your daughter becomes a woman in your home, then the next month she should be married out. Otherwise, she would become immoral, and that would bring a case upon you, the parents. That is actually an obstacle to girls' education in this community.>> VOICEOVER: Tarikpaa is an agricultural village in the north of Ghana, near the city of Tamale. The Napari children are educated here at Tarikpaa Primary School, along with some 400 other village kids. Elizabeth is in grade six. Her younger brother is in kindergarten.>> CHILDREN: I eat to grow.>> ELIZABETH DE-SOUZA [Northern Regional Director of Education, Ghana]: Tarikpaa Primary School is one of the schools in the northern region that UNICEF has supported.>> VOICEOVER: Ghana's Regional Education Director, Elizabeth De-Souza, is a champion of the child-friendly school's approach.>> ELIZABETH DE-SOUZA: Looking at the three principles -- child-centered, democratic participation of the children, and inclusiveness principles -- we have all these principles at work in the school. >> BOY [Student]: L-I-N-G. Kneeling. >> ENOCH ABUKARI [Teacher]: Is he correct?>> CHILDREN: Yes.>> ENOCH ABUKARI: Clap for him.>> ELIZABETH DE-SOUZA: It's a safe environment where we have all the facilities like the school playing field, the school infrastructure. They are all child-centered. There is democratic participation by the child in the classroom. It's a place that the child can freely express himself or herself. She can freely ask questions.>> ENOCH ABUKARI: Elizabeth.>> ELIZABETH NAPARI: They were going home from school.>> VOICEOVER: Elizabeth's class has 42 students in it. Materials are in short supply, as are trained teachers.>> ENOCH ABUKARI: I was born and bred in the village. The way I suffered before I became who I am today, I feel I should do the same to help those who are also in the village.>> VOICEOVER: Enoch Abukari is one of only two teachers here with any formal training, something child-friendly schools are committed to changing. >> BIIKOOK KONLAN: So that actually also goes to impinge on quality, in terms of delivery, in terms of the absorption of the children, on their ultimate learning outcomes at the end of grade six or nine.>> ELIZABETH NAPARI: Ghana. Your Ghana. My Ghana. Our Ghana. Ghana, the land of peace, land of riches, land of ...>> VOICEOVER: Outside the open-air classes, village life drifts past. A herd of cows is tended by a not-so-lucky village boy.>> BOY [Herder]: I was attending school and I got to class six when my father withdrew me.>> VOICEOVER: Echoing Peter Napari's story, the boy tells us his father needs him to tend cattle.>> BOY: I wish I could be in school.>> VOICEOVER: Keeping children in school is a major battle for educators in Ghana.>> ELIZABETH DE-SOUZA: Some of them still drop out of school to support their parents or sometimes to go to the south to look for jobs, which sometimes are not there, opening them to a whole lot of hazards.>> VOICEOVER: Traditionally, the north of Ghana has provided unskilled labor for the more developed south. Less than half the men from this area are educated.>> BIIKOOK KONLAN: If I didn't have an opportunity to go to school, I would have been living the life that Mr. Peter Napari is living today. Without education, you have to just till the land, or you become a laborer down south to weed on the cocoa farm or in the mines.>> VOICEOVER: But child-friendly schools are striking at the heart of this problem by managing to keep children in school. >> ENOCH ABUKARI: Ellie, you wanted to read first? Okay. >> VOICEOVER: One tool in this battle is an attractive and relevant curriculum. >> ELIZABETH NAPARI: Asabiah fixed a bike. Fatima, Georgina, and Asabiah were walking home from school. >> VOICEOVER: Education is free in Ghana, but that doesn't mean there aren't heavy costs for families.>> BIIKOOK KONLAN: They are not able to support their children, both boys and girls, in terms of buying their schoolbooks, clothing, and other items that would make their children be comfortable to learn in the school.>> ELIZABETH NAPARI: This one is my notebook in English. >> VOICEOVER: The greatest sacrifice, though, may be the loss of the child's labor.>> PETER NAPARI: Though she doesn't contribute as much to the household chores and farm work, which has increased our burdens, we are still determined that she completes her schooling.>> VOICEOVER: Helping ease the amount of daily chores is directly related to freeing kids up for school. >> ELIZABETH NAPARI: I went to fetch water for my family every morning.>> VOICEOVER: And fetching water is one of the most intensive chores of all. Here, UNICEF has made an invaluable contribution to the community by providing ample clean water through wells, so it no longer consumes Elizabeth's day. At school, there are also two wells, also separate toilets for girls and boys. Elizabeth and her best friend, Naomi, diligently practice the good hygiene they are learning at school. >> NAOMI: Our teachers taught us how to wash our hands before eating.>> ELIZABETH NAPARI: Because if you didn't wash your hands and go home and use it to eat, you'll get disease from that.>> ELIZABETH DE-SOUZA: Whatever she learns in school has effects in the home, and this is for the benefits for the parents and for the other siblings. >> PETER NAPARI: Yes, she has taught me many things. She tells us that they have been taught in school to be neat and always wash their hands with soap after using the toilet and before eating. Now she cleans the house any time she sees it's dirty. >> VOICEOVER: Elizabeth's day begins at dawn. All the hours before and after school are consumed with chores. >> ELIZABETH NAPARI: When I wake up in the morning, I will pray, and come and wash my face and brush my teeth and bathe and go and fetch some water and drink porridge and go to school.>> BIIKOOK KONLAN: When she closes from school at 1:30, after she arrives home, she sets off again to go and fetch water from the borehole, comes home, sees the compound again and supports the mother to prepare the evening meal. >> ELIZABETH NAPARI: This is the fire. We are cooking in the fire. >> BIIKOOK KONLAN: After the evening meal, if she gets the opportunity, that is, if she's not too tired, she uses the one bulb that is in the house to study. >> VOICEOVER: It's a grueling schedule, but Elizabeth's mother sees new maturity in her daughter, and she credits the school.>> AYISHETU NAPARI [Elizabeth's mother]: There is a difference now. When she was not in school, she did not like cooking, but now she is in school she will voluntarily do her work.>> VOICEOVER: For the women of Tarikpaa, life has always been about work, starting at a very early age. Young daughters are routinely given away to relatives as gifts of labor. It's a practice called "fosterage." Elizabeth's mother was also given away to relatives. >> AYISHETU NAPARI: I took care of the children. Every morning I had to sell cola nuts before returning home to fetch water for the family. Afterwards, I would go to the bush for firewood. I think that, because I was an adopted child, that was why I did not go to school. >> VOICEOVER: And she, in turn, has given three of Elizabeth's older sisters to fosterage, yet there is no question in her mind that if she had gone to school, her life would be quite different today. >> AYISHETU NAPARI: I wouldn't have been like this. Maybe I would have had meaningful work. >> ELIZABETH DE-SOUZA: Through the sensitization of parents, they grow to know the importance, because the child is not just living for today. Every child has a future.>> ELIZABETH NAPARI: I want to be a doctor because there is no hospital or doctor in this village. >> VOICEOVER: School is giving Elizabeth a place to grow her dreams. >> ELIZABETH NAPARI: I-N-S-I-S-T-E-D. Insisted.>> ENOCH ABUKARI: Is she correct?>> CHILDREN: Yes.>> ENOCH ABUKARI: Clap for her.>> ELIZABETH NAPARI: If I become a doctor, I will have money to buy a car so that if any sick person is referred to another hospital for treatment, they will use my car to transport the patient. >> ENOCH ABUKARI: I said, "That is a good idea. It's really a nice dream." So, I said what you need to do is study hard, be a good girl, don't play about when it is time for you to study, and don't follow bad friends. Make sure you are always on your books, and do everything you can so that you become who you want to be.>> VOICEOVER: Attracting committed teachers like Enoch Abukari to the rural areas and supporting them once they get there is critical to the school's success. >> ENOCH ABUKARI: Life in the village is not all that easy. You don't get facilities like electricity. Things like hospitals are not there. We don't have good drinking water in the village.>> VOICEOVER: To help draw teachers, the school has built a new teacher dormitory right next door.>> ENOCH ABUKARI: This is the cottage to Tarikpaa Primary School. Seven teachers live here, and this is where I live, too. These are the things I use to fetch my water, and this is what I use to prepare my meals. This thing you see is something we use to keep chicken. I made it with the children in my class. I taught them how to weave. We are yet to complete it in our next lesson of creative arts. The most important thing is to get up in the morning, go to your workplace ... to teach, go and teach, come back, and get a place to sleep.>> VOICEOVER: Having teachers live on campus also cuts down on rampant teacher absenteeism, a serious problem in Ghana. On average, teachers miss about 43 days in a school year. But not in Tarikpaa. Here, the goal is to fully integrate school and community, and its success is evident at a packed parent-teacher association meeting. This parent asks about monitoring children when parents are away for long hours during the harvest. It all works because, through the child-friendly school approach, the emphasis on participation has made parents the clear stakeholders. >> ELIZABETH DE-SOUZA: They regard them as part of the school, so they have regular meetings with them to discuss challenges and other issues in connection with the school, so they involve them from the word go, so that they also sensitize them that they are part and parcel of the school, so they are involved in decision-making, not just demanding things from them. >> VOICEOVER: And no one is more on board than the village chief, Abukari Alhassan. He tells us their heroes were once their greatest warriors, but now, he says, our heroes are our children, our children who go to school. And with that, he blesses his own kids and sends them off to Tarikpaa Primary School. Still, changing traditional views on men's and women's roles is a slow process for this village. Gender sensitization is an important aspect of the school. A school play depicts the bias against educating girls. >> GIRL: Allyma must go to school.>> BOY: Do not speak like that, woman. School is good for boys. Don't you know that girls who go to school are not respectful? >> GIRL: That is not true. Can't you see our daughter is a smart girl? She will do well in school and make us proud.>> BOY: Girls don't go to school. It is not good to marry a woman who has gone to school. >> GIRL: Who says so?>> BOY: The woman's place is in the kitchen and for doing household chores. >> VOICEOVER: Yet Elizabeth's father could not be further from the local male stereotype.>> PETER NAPARI: I am different from my peers because I tasted school a little and know its benefits. There are women teachers in the school and female doctors in the hospital. These are the things that motivate me to send my daughter to school. >> VOICEOVER: But when we asked Elizabeth about her father's sacrifice, she grew silent, even tearful, and would not answer. >> PETER NAPARI: She may be feeling that life should have been better for us. When she thinks of the hardship that we are going through, it makes her weep. >> ENOCH ABUKARI: I think she is just thinking about the family, and where they are coming from. >> VOICEOVER: Remembering all the while her father's failed dream and the price he is paying for her. >> BIIKOOK KONLAN: With focus and determination, you can come from the ordinary and grow up to be somebody. I'm sure that Elizabeth is also going to make it with determination and focus. >> PETER NAPARI: We know that, one day, if she completes her schooling and we are still alive, we will benefit from the sacrifices that we are making today. >> VOICEOVER: A parent's gift to his beloved daughter, and a loving daughter's determination to fulfill the dream. >> TITLE: [end credits]>> TITLE: This film brought to you through the support of UNICEF>> TITLE: Public Affairs Media Group http://www.viewchange.org/videos/ted-william-kamkwamba-how-i-harnessed-the-wind <p>At age 14, in poverty and famine, a Malawian boy built a windmill to power his family's home. At age 22, William Kamkwamba spoke at TED for the second time, sharing in his own words the moving tale of invention that changed his life.</p> Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/ted-william-kamkwamba-how-i-harnessed-the-wind Energy poverty, Malawi, Africa, William Kamkwamba, Wind power, TED, Electrical generator, Empowerment, Tanzania, Arusha >> TITLE: Remarkable people ... unmissable talks ... now free to the world. TED: Ideas worth spreading.>> TITLE: William Kamkwamba>> WILLIAM KAMKWAMBA: Thank you. Two years ago I stood on the TED stage in Arusha, Tanzania. I spoke very briefly about one of my proudest creations. It was a simple machine that changed my life.>> TITLE: July 2009, Oxford, England>> WILLIAM KAMKWAMBA: Before that time I had never been away from my home in Malawi. I had never used a computer. I had never seen an Internet. On the stage that day, I was so nervous: my English lost, I wanted to vomit.>> TITLE: Recorded at TED Global 2009>> WILLIAM KAMKWAMBA: I had never been surrounded by so many "azungu," white people. There was a story I wouldn't tell you then. But, well, I'm feeling good right now. I would like to share that story today. We have seven children in my family. All sisters, excepting me. This is me with my dad when I was a little boy. Before I discovered the wonders of science, I was just a simple farmer in a country of poor farmers. Like everyone else, we grew maize. One year our fortune turned very bad. In 2001, we experienced an awful famine. Within five months all Malawians began to starve to death. My family ate one meal per day, at night. Only three swallows of nsima [cornmeal] for each one of us. The food passes through our bodies. We drop down to nothing.>> WILLIAM KAMKWAMBA: In Malawi secondary school, you have to pay school fees. Because of the hunger, I was forced to drop out of school. I looked at my father, and looked at those dry fields. It was the future I couldn't accept. I felt very happy to be at the secondary school. So I was determined to do anything possible to receive education. So I went to a library. I read books, science books, especially physics. I couldn't read English that well. I used diagrams and pictures to learn the words around them. Another book put that knowledge in my hands. It said windmills could pump water and generate electricity. Pump water meant irrigation: a defense against hunger, which we were experiencing by that time. So I decided I would build one windmill for myself. But I didn't have materials to use. So I went to a scrap yard where I found my materials. Many people, including my mother, said I was crazy. >> WILLIAM KAMKWAMBA: I found a tractor fan, shock absorber, PVC pipes. Using a bicycle frame and an old bicycle dynamo, I built my machine. It was one light at first. And then four lights, with switches, and even a circuit breaker, modeled after an electric bell. Another machine pumps water for irrigation. Queues of people start lining up at my house to charge their mobile phone. I could not get rid of them. And the reporters came too, which lead to bloggers and which lead to a call from something called TED. I had never seen an airplane before. I had never slept in a hotel. So, on stage that day in Arusha, my English lost, I said something like, "I tried. And I made it.">> WILLIAM KAMKWAMBA: So I would like to say something to all the people out there, like me, to the Africans, and the poor who are struggling with your dreams, God bless. Maybe one day you will watch this on the Internet. I say to you, trust yourself and believe. Whatever happens, don't give it up. Thank you.>> TITLE: TED: New TED Talks each week at www.TED.com http://www.viewchange.org/videos/clean-water <p>Throughout the world, access to safe drinking water is the most critical element of sustained good health. Clean Water focuses on the highly successful efforts of one humanitarian organization, East Meets West, to bring safe drinking water to rural communities in Vietnam -- led by staff member Richard Brogdon, a Vietnam war veteran who has special reason to help the local Vietnamese community.</p> Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:21:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/clean-water Drinking water, East Meets West Foundation, Vietnam, Foreign Assistance, Waterborne disease, Developing country, Water security, Rural area, Development aid, Poverty >> TITLE: Danang, Vietnam 5:30 a.m. >> VOICEOVER: Thirty years after the end of armed conflict, to most Americans the word "Vietnam" is still synonymous with the word "war." Meanwhile the Vietnamese, having survived centuries of war and foreign domination, are looking to the future and striving to build a modern nation. Finally at peace, Vietnam today is one of the world's fastest growing economies, but remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Perhaps the greatest challenge to a developing country is improving the health of its people. Sick adults can't work and sick children can't study. Throughout the world, access to safe drinking water is the most critical element that sustains good health. Yet safe drinking water is still lacking for almost half the world's population. >> TITLE: Clean Water >> VOICEOVER: In Vietnam, surface water is plentiful but usually polluted by chemicals from agricultural run-off, bacteria, and water-borne diseases. The health ministry estimates that almost 80 percent of serious childhood illnesses in Vietnam today are water related. Water-borne diseases, especially those that cause dysentery and diarrhea, are a major killer of children. Tackling basic problems of this scale requires collaboration of governments, international agencies, and humanitarian organizations working together to improve the quality of people's lives. >> VOICEOVER: The East Meets West Foundation is one of several humanitarian organizations addressing the critical need for safe drinking water in Vietnam. Country director Mark Conroy directs the East Meets West efforts. >> MARK CONROY [Overseas Director, East Meets West]: We're here to help the Vietnamese develop sustainable projects and programs. Water schemes, some loan programs. Mainly the programs are all developed around children and around education and health, and that encompasses most of what we do. >> VOICEOVER: Based in Da Nang city, East Meets West builds hospitals, libraries, orphanages, schools, bridges, damns, and housing. In all, over 150 building projects each year. The most well known projects, however, are self-sustaining safe drinking water systems for poor, rural communities. >> MARK CONROY: Over the years, of course, we've done a lot of water which you folks I know are interested in. Most of the programs and projects that were developed in the last 10 years were developed with the Vietnamese. They weren't developed outside, let's say for example in America, and brought here and implemented; they were actually developed in conjunction with working with the Vietnamese with their needs and with their input. >> VOICEOVER: In the rural areas outside of Da Nang, even with over 99 inches of rainfall per year, safe drinking water is difficult to find. Many people in Vietnam need to travel great distances, often every day, to find a well with safe drinking water, spending time which could otherwise be used to produce more income for their families. For Vietnamese girls, the exhausting daily job of collecting drinking water leaves the girls less time for studying and homework. >> DINH THI HOA: My name is Hoa. I am 15 years old. I live with my mother and four younger sisters and brothers. I am the oldest girl in the family, so I am the family water collector. My mom is very busy with her work and my younger sister is also too busy, so it's my responsibility every day to collect drinking water for the family. From my house to the well is about half a mile. Carrying the water is very heavy for me and the weight really hurts my legs. This is a problem but I have to do it anyway because, if I don't do this, my family won't have water to drink. >> VOICEOVER: Richard Brogdon is a veteran of the Vietnam War, and a former Peace Corps volunteer who has returned to Vietnam to do humanitarian work. Brogdon is one of thousands of former US soldiers now working to help the people of Vietnam. >> RICHARD BROGDON [Project Coordinator, East Meets West]: I came to Vietnam a little over three years ago. I had been out here during the war. In the Sixties, I was here for 20 months. After that tour, I swore that I would never return to Vietnam. It's hard for me to really describe why so many Vietnam veterans return. I've talked with a number of people and, by and large, they tell me that, you know, they feel an attachment. Many people mention the beauty of the country; it's a very beautiful country. And they talk about that, but mainly they just feel that there's something here, that they left something here and so they come for that. I come here to work and I come here because there are a lot of poor people. I come here to help them get clean water. >> RICHARD BROGDON: Good afternoon. Thank you for coming. We normally have these meetings because sometimes the cost involved or the work that has to be done for a water project is greater than some people want to spend or to be involved in. Our mission is really to help the people of Vietnam to become self-sufficient and to develop a better way of life. East Meets West will dig a well, will build a tank with a filter system, but you will be responsible to dig the trench from the tank, through the community, and run pipe to each of the house. >> VOICEOVER: In some areas, safe drinking water lies only 10 to 50 feet below the surface. But it can still take drilling many test wells before clean water is found. In the coastal, more sandy areas, the groundwater is often salty. >> RICHARD BROGDON: This is a small well that we're building here. The cost of drilling a well like this is less than a hundred dollars, so primarily it's the pipe and a couple of workers working for a day or two at the most: it depends on how deep they must go to get the water, good clean water. And we test the water when it comes out to see whether there's sufficient supply, see whether or not the minerals are clear so they can use it. >> VOICEOVER: Most drinking water comes out of the ground containing sediment and bad-tasting minerals like sulfur. Before it can be used for drinking, cooking, and bathing, the water needs to be aerated and filtered. This water tower, funded by the Rotary Clubs in New Mexico, provides safe, filtered drinking water to over 300 households in the nearby village. Nguyen Quy is the site supervisor for the safe water projects in Quang Nam province. Working with the local people, his message is simple and clear: Clean, filtered water is essential to good health. >> NGUYEN QUY [site supervisor, East Meets West]: We need to make sure the pipe trench is at least 50cm deep to guarantee the quality of the water pipeline. >> VOICEOVER: East Meets West provides the pumps, towers, and pipe, while the local community provides the manpower to bury the pipes down the main streets and to each of the 300 households. East Meets West is the only humanitarian organization in Vietnam that delivers water not just to the local well but all the way to peoples homes. It's a collaborative effort, with each family required to buy a water meter and to install their own plumbing before they're hooked up to the main water lines. This is a financially sustainable model with each community electing a water manager who collects a modest water-use fee, usually about 20 cents per week. This small but steady income maintains the water system and pays for the electricity. >> NGUYEN QUY: The reason we install the water meter is because we need to know how much water the local people consume and to make sure they pay for what they use. The money is used to maintain the water tank system, to pay for electricity, and to pay the workers who maintain the water tower and water system. >> RICHARD BROGDON: After we had established that first water tower, the people across in the island back behind you had no water and they were taking skiffs and rowing across and loading with water and going back. We've learned that the island has 85 families and there's never been any clean drinking water in that area. >> NGUYEN THI THONG: My name is Nguyen Thi Thong. I was born in 1927. I am 77 years old. I have been collecting water all my life, either from the mainland or taking it from the well on the island. But the island water here is terrible, full of sediment. It needs to be filtered before we can drink it. So even though it is hard, we have to travel across the bay to the mainland to collect our water. It takes about three hours to go to the mainland and back. Usually I'll go with three other people, carrying about 40 buckets of water per trip. >> RICHARD BROGDON: So we built the pipe, we extended a pipe from here across to about 800 meters across that inlet, and then brought water around to the 85 families. I've been to the island two or three times, once while they were developing it, and a couple of times since then, but I'd like to go back to see it and to ensure that they have good, clean water still, and the residents are happy with what they have. >> NGUYEN THI THONG: I remember during the war, the Americans bombed the island and then came here to search, house by house, for any Vietcong or revolutionary who was living on this island. The Americans arrived and walked through the village carrying machine guns. They arrested my husband and they took him away by helicopter to Tam Ky. Since that time, I've never met any American soldier who came back here. >> RICHARD BROGDON: Hello madam! >> NGUYEN THI THONG: So he's a war veteran? >> HOANG NGOC TUNG [Project Coordinator, East Meets West]: She say, you are a US veteran? >> RICHARD BROGDON: Yes, yes. I was with the South Vietnamese army. >> NGUYEN THI THONG: So did he actually fight against Vietnamese or was he an advisor? >> HOANG NGOC TUNG [translating]: What did you do? >> RICHARD BROGDON: I advised the South Vietnamese army. But I would like to see your house and the water tap that you have. >> HOANG NGOC TUNG: She say during the war many boat arrive here and the bombs come down. And the bomb come down and destroy ... >> RICHARD BROGDON: Destroy the boats, yes. >> NGUYEN THI THONG: And here is a bomb crater, right in the middle of our village. >> RICHARD BROGDON: Made a bigger hole. And now it's a pond >> HOANG NGOC TUNG: Now it's a lake. >> RICHARD BROGDON: This is your house. Do you keep water ... ? >> HOANG NGOC TUNG: Yeah, she keep the water in there. >> RICHARD BROGDON: In here and here. Yes. >> HOANG NGOC TUNG: And to keep it clean. >> NGUYEN THI THONG: Now we have clean water, so I keep the dirt out >> HOANG NGOC TUNG: You bring the clean water system here and the family had to make the clean water ... >> RICHARD BROGDON: Keep the clean water, yes. >> HOANG NGOC TUNG: And now she has the clean water [inaudible] and she has more time free to spend more time at home. It's worth bringing the clean water back to the village, and she's very grateful to East Meets West and the local government, to help her village. >> RICHARD BROGDON: Course I was sad to hear about the bombs falling in what is now a lake, that's saddening: the number of people killed, the destruction of the boats that wiped out their ability to earn a living during the war. Yeah, I was sad about that. But overall I was very pleased that East Meets West could do what it did in providing water and getting water to a place that has never had water. >> DINH THI HOA: Since we have clean, running water at home I don't have any more problems with stomach aches, and I have a lot more time for studying and for helping my mother. >> NGUYEN THI THONG: Since I have running water in my house, I'm a lot healthier, and I can spend more time on little jobs that make an income for my family. >> VOICEOVER: Through the work of this one humanitarian organization, over 60,000 Vietnamese families now have safe drinking water piped directly to their homes. It is estimated that every dollar spent on safe water saves at least 10 dollars of healthcare costs, treating water-borne illnesses. Safe drinking water helps keep children in school, and society moving forward. Yet there's much more to do. Worldwide, a billion people still have no access to clean drinking water. The impact of this on global health and education is enormous. As great journeys always begin with a single step, East Meets West has proven that it only takes USD$50 to provide a Vietnamese family of five with a lifetime supply of safe drinking water. >> MAN: A few months ago I was excited because someone told me that there was an American organization which would build a water system and a water tower, and then I would have clean drinking water piped right into my house. I haven't heard anything about it since. >> WOMAN: On behalf of all the people of our hamlet, we sincerely thank you for your support. >> RICHARD BROGDON: Thank you! [clapping] >> DINH THI HOA: Thank you, bye. Bye bye. >> TITLE: Produced by Link TV >> TITLE: [end credit] http://www.viewchange.org/videos/nepal-a-narrow-escape <p>Sushma, a 24-year-old single mother of four from a remote village in Nepal, was taken to India and sold to a brothel for $250. Unlike most victims of sexual slavery, however, Sushma managed to escape her captors and return home. In this film we meet some of the women trying to staunch the flow of an estimated 12,000 young women who are trafficked across the open Indian border every year, and follow Sushma as she sets out to find the man who lured her to Kolkata.&nbsp;</p> Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:17:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/nepal-a-narrow-escape Nepal, Human trafficking, Kolkata, India, Gender, Brothel, Prostitution, Poverty, Asia, Maiti Nepal >> TITLE: Women on the Front Line >> ANNIE LENNOX: It threatens the lives of more young women than cancer. It affects one in three women worldwide. It leaves women mentally scarred for life. "It" is violence against women and girls. According to the UN, this brutality is on the rise. Our series comes from the frontline of the hidden war on women and girls. The field of conflict is just as likely to be the home as the brothel. This time on Women on the Front Line we are in Nepal to follow the story of Sushma, a courageous young woman who after escaping from an Indian brothel sets out to bring her trafficker to justice. >> VOICEOVER: Deserted by her husband and with four children to support, 24-year-old Sushma from a remote village in Nepal was sold for sexual slavery. >> SUSHMA: She told me he was OK, so I trusted him. >> VOICEOVER: Her trafficker took her to Kolkata, but she managed to escape. >> INTERVIEWER: Was the door open? >> SUSHMA: Yes, and I slipped out and got away. >> VOICEOVER: Sushma could have suffered the same fate as this Nepali woman – sold as a girl and now, in her sixties, still a prostitute. >> KAMAL TSHERING: I was sold to a mean mistress for 10,000 rupees. >> VOICEOVER: In this film we document how difficult it is for Nepal to staunch the flow of young women being trafficked across an open 2,500-kilometre long border with India, and we meet some of the women on the frontline trying to put a stop to the trade. >> POLICEWOMAN: Do you have any proof that he's your brother? >> VOICEOVER: And we follow Sushma as she sets out to find the man who lured her to a brothel in Kolkata. >> TITLE: A Narrow Escape >> VOICEOVER: Landlocked between China and India, the Asian economic boom has bypassed the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal. Corrupt government and more than a decade of civil conflict are among the reasons why Nepal is the 12th-poorest country in the world. Seven out of ten Nepalis live on less than USD$2 a day and, according to the World Bank, almost a third of the population doesn't have enough to eat. Since 1981, Nepal's population has almost doubled to nearly 30 million, making it one of the fastest-growing countries in Asia, and increasing competition for land. Nepal is now an aid- and remittance-dependent economy. Every year, according to the UN, about a hundred thousand Nepalis leave the country for employment. About a third are women and girls, half of whom are trafficked unwittingly across the open border to the brothels of big Indian cities. But the statistics are not much more than guesswork: the trade in women and girls for sex is covert and highly organized. >> PUNYA PRASAD NEUPANE [Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women]: This particular problem, which is regarded as one of the [most] heinous crimes in our country. It is gradually expanding. The trade ... The traffickers are very much clever to hide themselves from the eyes of the law. But the government is trying its best to control, to combat the trafficking issue. >> UGOCHI DANIELS [United Nations Population Fund]: Conservative estimates put it at about 7,000 girls a year, but we feel that it's much higher. Sex trafficking: it's a clandestine activity, it's very hard to get data on it, and it is something that urgently needs to be addressed. >> VOICEOVER: While there are anti-trafficking laws in place in Nepal, an undermanned police force can do little more than make random checks on people passing through the official border posts. The hard-pressed authorities welcome the assistance of non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, in identifying possible traffickers. These women, some of whom have been victims of trafficking themselves, are working for the NGO Maiti Nepal, which mounts its own vigilante patrols to help the border police. >> BISHNU KUMARI KHATRI [Border Police]: Hey guys, open up! We work here from 5am, stopping people and asking them questions. If we believe what they say, we let them go. But, if we think they're lying, we take them to the police station for further questioning. >> PUNYA PRASAD NEUPANE: They have some sort of dream in their mind for a better life, for a better quality life, like that. The traffickers, they easily can trap those aspiring for a better life. Girls are caught, they are easily tempted by their false promises. >> MAYA NEPALI [Maiti Nepal worker]: When they get there, they're forced into prostitution. If they refuse they're beaten and reminded that they've been bought, and must pay off the debt. >> GITA NEPALI: Where's your daughter going? >> GANGA [father]: I'm sending her to Kuwait. >> GITA NEPALI: OK, so why are you sending her there? >> GANGA: Some sort of factory work. >> GITA NEPALI: What sort of work, don't you know? So who's taking her there? >> GANGA: It's somebody we know. >> GITA NEPALI: Why isn't he with you? >> GANGA: He had something else to do, so he left. >> GITA NEPALI: Where did he go? >> GANGA: Somewhere. >> GITA NEPALI: What? >> GANGA: Somewhere. >> GITA NEPALI: He's gone somewhere, has he? OK, listen. If he's taking her to a proper job he should have come here with the paperwork to prove it. Where is it? Have you got your passport with you? >> SUMAN [daughter] and GANGA: No. >> DR. RENU RAJBHANDARI [Women's Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC)]: Some families -- even parents -- they agree to send their daughters. They don't have enough information and that's why they think that, OK, their daughters are going to India or some other place to earn money because they are poor. >> VOICEOVER: Unconvinced this girl has a genuine job to go to, they finally persuade her father that it's likely they are victims of trafficking and stop them crossing the border. >> POLICEMAN: You shouldn't be so naive! You shouldn't believe everything you hear and send your daughter away so easily. Her life will be ruined! >> VOICEOVER: It's 5am at Maiti Nepal's women's shelter in Kathmandu. This is Sushma, the 24-year-old mother-of-four who escaped from a Kolkata brothel. She was taken to the local police who alerted the Nepali Consulate. Maiti Nepal have brought her back to Kathmandu and, in an act of great courage, she has agreed to help them and the police find her trafficker. As dawn breaks, Sushma leads Maiti Nepal staff, accompanied by plainclothes police officers, to the house where she met her trafficker barely a week before. The couple who introduced them will have no idea she is back in Nepal. The police are hoping catch to them unawares. >> INTERVIEWER: Tell us why you're here. >> SUSHMA: I've come to catch them. >> VOICEOVER: The police find three suspects in the house and arrest them. This is the man Sushma says sold her to a brothel in Kolkata. He admits to accompanying her to India. >> KALE DAMAI [suspected trafficker]: We went sightseeing. We got separated. She was left behind. >> INTERVIEWER: Who separated you? You said you were separated. >> KALE DAMAI: I don't know what happened. The moment we got off the bus we were separated. >> VOICEOVER: The police formally charge the suspects at their station. From here they are taken to Maiti Nepal's headquarters. "Maiti" means "mother's home" and the organization has been giving shelter to victims of trafficking for nearly 20 years, supported by international donors. The suspects have been brought here to be questioned by founder of the organization, Anuradha Koirala, and a team of lawyers. >> ANURADHA KOIRALA [Founder, Maiti Nepal]: Sit on the floor, not on the chairs! >> VOICEOVER: The case can't proceed if Sushma doesn't make a formal accusation. Separated from the suspects in the next room Sushma tells lawyers her side of the story. >> LAWYER: It's OK, don't cry now it's all over. You'd be crying if they hadn't been arrested! Now you must be strong. You shouldn't cry in front of them. >> BISHWO RAM KHADKA [Director, Maiti Nepal]: If you file a case against traffickers they threaten these girls, so we have to counsel them, and we have to encourage them to file a case against these people because, until and unless you put people behind the bars, you are not going to prevent trafficking anywhere. >> LAWYER: What did she tell you? Did she say she knew him well? That he'd get you a job? >> SUSHMA: She said he's a good man, we know him quite well and it's fine to go with him. So I trusted him. >> ANURADHA KOIRALA: How much did you sell her for? >> KALE DAMAI: I wasn't given any money. >> ANURADHA KOIRALA: How much were you promised, then? >> KALE DAMAI: They said she wasn't very good-looking so they only gave me 10,000 rupees. >> ANURADHA KOIRALA: Indian rupees? >> KALE DAMAI: Yes. >> VOICEOVER: And that's it: casually and apparently without forethought he admits to receiving money. >> SUSHMA: He said if the police ask any questions on the border I should keep quiet and say… >> LAWYER: He said that? >> SUSHMA: Yes, and say I'm his wife. >> ANURADHA KOIRALA: Then where did you go with 10,000 rupees? >> KALE DAMAI: I didn't go anywhere. >> ANURADHA KOIRALA: Then you came back to Kathmandu? >> KALE DAMAI: Yes. >> SUSHMA: On the fourth day I escaped. I tried to make out the road I came from through the door which was ajar. >> LAWYER: Was the door open? >> SUSHMA: Yes, and I slipped out and got away. >> LAWYER: Weren't there any guards? >> SUSHMA: No, there weren't. >> VOICEOVER: This is the man who admits he was directly involved in her sale to a brothel. Sushma says he told her he was helping her to find a better job. >> SUSHMA: My children are at home. I came to Kathmandu for them. I worked weaving carpets in a factory. >> VOICEOVER: Kolkata: one of the most densely populated cities in the world, where over 30 percent live in slums. Here in the red light district there is an insatiable demand for Nepali women considered "exotic" by Indian men. Sushma was lucky to have escaped. Kamal was not so lucky. She was trafficked from Nepal as a girl. Now in her sixties and still a prostitute, she is not afraid to speak out. >> KAMAL TSHERING: It's been 50 years. >> INTERVIEWER: Who brought you here? >> KAMAL TSHERING: A man brought me here. I was sold to a mean mistress for 10,000 rupees. Some are sold by their husbands, fathers, even their brothers. >> INTERVIEWER: Are there small girls here? Nepali girls? >> KAMAL TSHERING: Yes. >> INTERVIEWER: How old are they? >> KAMAL TSHERING: Ten, eleven, twelve years old. >> INTERVIEWER: Do they start working at ten years old? >> KAMAL TSHERING: Of course they have to! Who's going to feed them? Will their parents come from Nepal to give them money? >> VOICEOVER: Back in Kathmandu the man who sold Sushma has been charged with trafficking. He will spend two years awaiting trial on a charge that now excludes the possibility of bail. And under new legislation in Nepal brought in by the 2007 Anti-Trafficking Act, traffickers now face much tougher sentences. >> SARBENDRA KHANAL [Police Superintendent]: Recently the government has published one act, which is very strong against these traffickers. So if the trafficker is convicted he will be imprisoned for 20 years. >> ANURADHA KOIRALA: There is a big vicious circle and I think about 20, 25 people are involved in one trafficking, one girl to be trafficked. She knows only this man who lured her. So this is the man, who gets the least money, is being put into the jail. It's not the planner or the money lender who is in the jail. So that is why we tried with two women when they came to Nepal -- they have big houses here, big businesses here -- we tried to arrest them, you know? One, we did arrest. But then [she had] political protections, so she was let out and she went back to India. She was trafficking women and she was running a brothel in India. >> KALE DAMAI: It was pretty much a hand-to-mouth existence. There are six of us brothers. What we inherited from our father was never sufficient to lead a decent life. The best job I could get was sewing clothes. >> VOICEOVER: Legal reform such as the recent Trafficking Act has been brought about by the efforts of campaigners such as Dr. Renu Rajbhandari to improve the status of women in Nepali society. For the past 15 years she has been helping rehabilitate victims of trafficking. >> DR. RENU RAJBHANDARI: Discrimination is [a] real fundamental cause for trafficking in this country. Because here women are being kind of taken as a second-class citizen by the state, who doesn't have equal rights as men have in this country. And within the family also, women are being treated also as an asset: "OK, she's my daughter, so then I decide what is good for her," or "She is my wife, so I decide what is good for her." >> VOICEOVER: Sushma, who hasn't seen her children for over a month, is finally on her way home after having made her statement to the court. >> SUSHMA: I've been living at my mother's house. She has a small piece of land. If we wanted to eat, we had to grow it ourselves. Or I had to work in other people's homes in return for food or clothes. >> VOICEOVER: Abandoned by her husband, who left her for another woman, Sushma couldn't make enough money in her village to support her four children. Eighty percent of Nepalis live in villages. Most land is owned by a few influential high-caste families, with the poor trying to eke out a living as tenant farmers. Most rural Nepali households now depend on at least one member's earnings from employment in the city or abroad. During the last five years, Nepali migrant workers have sent home as much as 1.5 billion US dollars -- this totals 15 percent of Nepal's GDP. >> SUSHMA: You do what you can to survive. You can't just sit idle. I left the village to earn a little more. If you can get a job out there you can even earn double. >> SANGEETA PURI [Maiti Nepal]: When you get home will you tell your mother what happened? >> SUSHMA: Yes, I will. If she understands, that's fine. Otherwise, what can I do? She always said I'd never go astray. >> DR. RENU RAJBHANDARI: Girls who have been trafficked, her family usually accepts, but society continues stigmatizing, you know? This girl has been in Mumbai or somewhere, so she's a bad woman, she has been already exploited woman. So those kind of stigmatizations comes there. >> VOICEOVER: After a 12-hour journey, Sushma finally reaches her village. She meets her mother and her youngest child on the road to their house. >> SUSHMA: Sujit's forgotten how to talk! He was talking before. OK, let's walk, let's walk. Look at the state of our village! >> SANGEETA PURI: All villages are like this. >> SUSHMA: What can I do? Our house looks in bad shape. >> SANGEETA PURI: How much land do you have? >> SAREETA [Sushma's mother]: This is all we have. >> SANGEETA PURI: So, what do you grow? Rice? Barley? >> SAREETA: Nothing. There's nothing. I just got tired of tilling. >> SANGEETA PURI: Then what do you eat? >> SAREETA: That's why I've had to send my beloved daughter. >> SANGEETA PURI: You sent her to earn? >> SAREETA: Whatever she can bring back is fine. >> SANGEETA PURI: They told her there was a job for her in Kolkata. They were trying to tempt her with a better job with more pay. She knows you're struggling, she wanted to bring home more money. Poor girl, she didn't know what was happening. It's not her fault. They took her to Kolkata. She escaped. She's done nothing wrong. The gods saved her and she didn't have to do anything bad. >> SAREETA [Sushma's mother]: We women have roles: housewives, prostitutes, some good, some bad. But girls should work and earn as well as boys. That's why I allowed her to leave. But if she's destined to get into trouble, how can I protect her? >> ANURADHA KOIRALA: You cannot say end of trafficking, you know, but I would like ... at least the magnitude of trafficking should go down, right? For this, the government is doing something, but it is not enough. There should be job opportunities for women in the villages, literacy programs for women in the villages. For me, the main problem of trafficking is gender equality. >> UGOCHI DANIELS [United Nations Population Fund]: The challenge is in moving from legislation to practice in having an effect on the lives of people on the ground, so that women know that a life as a second-class citizen is not the way it's supposed to be and that they have opportunities to change that. >> SANGEETA PURI: Oh you look lovely! It fits you perfectly! >> PUNYA PRASAD NEUPANE: We have realized that changing [the] value system is not that easy thing. Those values that we have were the results of hundreds of years, and so within a few years or maybe one decade or two decades, it's not that long to change the mindset of the people, to change the value system. And we are optimistic, actually. >> SUSHMA: I am feeling extremely good! I'm finally home. >> INTERVIEWER: How will you feed the kids now? >> SUSHMA: What can I say? We have to manage on what we've got here. I'll do my best for my children. >> VOICEOVER / TITLE: Six months on, Sushma remains in the village with her children. Her traffickers are still in jail awaiting trial. >> TITLE: [end credits] http://www.viewchange.org/videos/the-chance-to-save-millions-a-bold-new-endeavour <p>Across Africa, millions of adults and children die every year from treatable diseases. Sometimes all that is needed is one shot or a single pill. But with the vast majority of Africans living in remote areas, the question is how to get these potentially life-saving treatments to the sick? A bold new endeavour empowering members of local communities to help each other may just be an answer.&nbsp;</p> Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:36:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/the-chance-to-save-millions-a-bold-new-endeavour Africa, Onchocerciasis, Blindness, United Nations, Ivermectin, Clinic, Vaccination, Immunization, Parasitic worm, Infectious disease >> DALJIT DHALIWAL: Across Africa, millions of adults and children die every year from treatable diseases. Sometimes all that is needed is one shot or a single pill. But with the majority of Africans living in remote areas, the question becomes: how to get these potentially life-saving treatments to the sick? A bold new endeavor may just be an answer. >> VOICEOVER: No, this is not a political rally or a religious gathering. It is an innovative new way to deliver health care in remote, African villages. Begun almost 15 years ago with one disease and one drug, this community-led process is now being explored to deliver much more, for more diseases. But let's start at the beginning, in one of many small villages in Nigeria, where Esther is trying to make a living selling cassava. Money isn't her only problem. There are numerous diseases that are always a risk: like malaria, which kills mostly children and pregnant women; and a parasitic worm that damages the skin and eyes causing terrible itching and, in the worst cases, blindness. When she was younger, Esther was infested with the parasite. >> ESTHER: My father actually went blind from this disease. I was afraid that I would lose my sight as well. >> VOICEOVER: This disease is called onchocerciasis, or river blindness, because the black flies which spread the parasites to humans breed in rivers and streams. River blindness affects 30 countries in Africa alone. The World Health Organization estimates that half a million people are blind because of it. Fortunately, there is a drug which can prevent the disease. But getting Ivermectin to all the people who need it is a massive task. A radical new method of drug distribution was needed, a method that would work in the demanding conditions of rural Africa, where there aren't enough doctors and nurses to serve in these remote areas. So it was decided to unite rural people living here to do the job themselves. Cleophas Bakari is one of these volunteers. He's a Community Drug Distributor for his village, Garbachede. Cleophas isn't just liked by his community, he was chosen by them. That's essential to the success of the program, says Professor Oladele Akogun, local Research Coordinator for the project. >> PROF. OLADELE AKOGUN: It is absolutely important and it is actually the foundation of community participation because they need somebody they trust, somebody that reports to them, somebody that obeys and agrees with their culture. >> VOICEOVER: Community meetings like this discuss and decide on all aspects of the Ivermectin distribution program. Today, they are reviewing how well the distribution went this year. This man complains that households near him didn't get any Ivermectin. A representative from the health clinic asks him to be more specific: who missed out and where? The volunteers are trained by local, qualified medical staff and are carefully followed by research scientists and the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control. At first, the professionals were skeptical that unqualified and often uneducated villagers could carry out drug distribution correctly and safely. >> DR. HANS REMME: You give a drug to a community they will kill everybody, they will sell the drug, it will be a mess. >> VOICEOVER: Tropical Disease Research Coordinator at the World Health Organization, Dr. Hans Remme. >> DR. HANS REMME: So we did some first studies to find out and address that question, and the answer was communities had no problem whatsoever of doing this. They were very good at it. Actually, they took it very seriously. >> CLEOPHAS BAKARI: At first I had doubts about it. But later when I went for the training, and as the training went on, I learned that I could do the job well. >> VOICEOVER: Sixty million Africans are now being treated for river blindness by volunteers like these in four different countries in Africa. But now they have been asked to take on a much bigger challenge: treating up to five different diseases, including malaria, which kills more than two and a half million Africans every year. Esther is now a fully trained community drug distributor. She wants to help those who suffer most from malaria: pregnant women and children under five. Just then, Esther's neighbor arrives. She's very concerned about her baby, who's got a high fever. The mosquito bites are worrying. Fortunately, Cleophas has been trained not only to prevent malaria but also to diagnose and treat it. >>PROF. OLADELE AKOGUN: They mainly use symptoms. The CDD touches the head to compare the temperature of the head with his own and see the difference in temperature, and that tells you that this child has fever. About 90 percent of every fever case is malaria in Africa. >> VOICEOVER: The treatment is very straightforward: Coartem, a combination therapy which includes the most effective anti-malaria compound, artemisinin. But it's vital it's taken as soon as possible. That's why Esther wanted to be trained. At home and in the market, she's always available when mothers and their children need help. Esther now keeps a stock of Coartem in her own home so neighbors can come for anti-malaria drugs day or night. A three-year study just released shows that community drug distributors like Esther are having a huge impact. >> DR HANS REMME: The results were really dramatic. We found without this community pressure the cover, say, for proper treatment for malaria was around 20 percent of the children. With this approach we jumped to 50 percent. >> VOICEOVER: The volunteers are keen to take on more and more responsibility. >> ESTHER: We live in a very remote, rural area and there are so many diseases here which affect us. So, if more interventions are introduced, we will have fewer sick people in the community. >> VOICEOVER: The challenge now is to see whether other communities across Africa can achieve the same success. >> DALJIT DHALIWAL: That's all for this edition of 21st Century. I'm Daljit Dhaliwal. We'll see you next time. Until then, goodbye. >> TITLE: 21st Century a production of United Nations Television Department of Public Information http://www.viewchange.org/videos/mongolia-helping-communities-help-themselves Families in rural western Mongolia live on the edge, susceptible to famine as soon as the climate shifts or a dry spell hits. UNICEF's Family Empowerment Strategy program gives people the voice and the ability to demand the social services they need to improve their living conditions. Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:47:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/mongolia-helping-communities-help-themselves Mongolia, Education, Empowerment, UNICEF, Rural area, Zavkhan Province, Change Makers, Livestock, Water & Sanitation >> VOICEOVER: Huddled against the harsh terrain, a family in western Mongolia must fend for itself to survive. Life in this household revolves around livestock. With 500 heads of camels, yaks and other cattle to care for, children take up the tasks of rearing animals from an early age. They are ethnically Kazakh, as are the vast majority of those who live in Mongolia’s westernmost province, a mountainous wedge between Russia, China and Kazakhstan. As long as their water continues to flow, and their animals have enough grass to feed, Ukesh and his family can support themselves. But they remain at the mercy of an unpredictable climate, where a dry spell could mean disaster. >> UKESH [Herder]: We must conserve as much hay and fodder as we can so we can to get through the winter. But some years when there is a drought we have to buy hay from the market. Another problem is that our children cannot find jobs in the provincial capital, so they must stay here and work as herders. >> VOICEOVER: The disparity between urban and rural areas in Mongolia has widened dramatically as the country has moved from a socialist system to a market economy. In many rural areas, access to education and safe water and sanitation is limited. The cost of providing social services to a population dispersed over a vast territory is extremely high. But in small gatherings across the country, there are signs of change. Parents and local leaders are coming together to identify what their communities need, and discuss what they should do to get it. In this house near the town of Zavkhan, social worker Erdenechimeg explains to local herders how they can improve their living conditions, and boost the health of their children. This UNICEF-supported Family Empowerment Strategy aims to create new demand for basic social services and help local and national governments coordinate efforts to raise the quality of these services. >> ERDENECHIMEG [Social Worker]: Families realize that they are not just passive recipients of those essential services. They understand that they can participate in the provision of these services and they can demand these services. And this is helping to bring families together to solve problems in a joint manner. >> VOICEOVER: It's a role that community leaders are eager to play. >> NYAMAA [Community Leader]: We’ve learned that if we put into practice all that we’ve learned, then our children will grow up healthy and educated. And we tell our children that when they get older they should pass this same knowledge on to their children. >> VOICEOVER: Giving families the power to speak up about their own needs and have a voice in designing their future. In Ulgii, Mongolia, this is Steve Nettleton reporting for UNICEF Television. Unite for children. http://www.viewchange.org/videos/unicef-helps-keep-mongolian-herder-children-in-school Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:47:00 +0000 http://www.viewchange.org/videos/unicef-helps-keep-mongolian-herder-children-in-school Mongolia, Education, UNICEF, Child, Primary school, Rural area, Goat, Zavkhan Province, herder, Livestock >> VOICEOVER: On the steppes of western Mongolia, Bayarkhuu and his schoolmate Tsengel herd a tribe of goats in search of better grazing grounds. Bayarkhuu’s family owns more than 130 animals. He is expected to play his part in tending to the tribe, especially during the summer months when the goats may roam hundreds of kilometers. Tsengel’s family are also herders. But they live in a remote region far from town. So she stays at Bayarkhuu’s home during the school year, and helps out with the livestock after class. Bayarkhuu and Tsengel may not remain classmates much longer. At ten, Bayarkhuu still attends school. But as he grows older he will face increasing pressure to drop out and work full time for the family. Now that the government has privatized ownership of cattle, more and more parents want their children to stay involved in the family business. Bayarkhuu hopes he won’t have to choose. >> BAYARKHUU [10 years old]: When you devote yourself only to animal herding you wouldn’t know anything but looking after animals. You would miss out on knowledge and education. >> VOICEOVER: Overall, primary school enrollment is rising in Mongolia. But in rural areas, particularly in the far west, many children find it a struggle to go to class. Dropout rates are much higher here, with boys accounting for nearly three-quarters of those who leave. Many rural schools suffer from poor sanitation and overcrowded dormitories, further discouraging children from staying in school. >> BERTRAND DESMOULINS [UNICEF Representative, Mongolia]: Those factors literally push the children outside the school. It is already very difficult for them to be outside their home and family and when they literally have to suffer to be able to study, very often the call to go back to the ger is greater than the call for staying in school. >> VOICEOVER: UNICEF is working to improve conditions in schools and dormitories, and to offer non-formal education programs for those who cannot attend school. It aims to train dormitory teachers to better handle the needs of students, and to equip schools with clean water and sanitation systems. The goal is to help more students like12-year-old Munkhjargal, who stays at a dorm in Zavkhan, in the western province of Uvs. Munkhjargal wants to become a teacher, not a herder like his parents. He says the good conditions at school and the dorm make it easier to continue his courses. It’s an effort to adapt schools to care for a community on the move and ensure that all children have access to education no matter where they call home. In Zavkhan Mongolia, this is Steve Nettleton reporting for UNICEF Television. Unite for children.