In collaboration with PASSIONS, VOICE OF ASIA is proud to present timeless articles from the archives, reproduced digitally for your reading pleasure. Originally published in PASSIONS Volume 50 in 2013, we present this story on World Vision, and how Robert Pierce saw the world suffering, and how his drive to make it better went global.
“Making the world a better place,” may be one of the most overused phrase around, and sometimes one wonder, bombarded with news of war, famine and injustice, “what can an individual do to make a difference?” this is where World Vision comes in, an organisation that goes about breaking the distance barrier, enabling people to help change the life of another, even if they are worlds apart.
The Chance Meeting
It all started with a vision of one man. Pastor and missionary, Robert (Bob) Pierce was on a trip to China in 1947 when he met Tena Hoelkedoer, the principal of a mission school. Already caring for six orphans in her home, she introduced Pierce to White Jade, a battered and abandoned child. “What are you going to do about her?” She asked him, unable to afford to house another orphan. Selflessly, Pierce gave the woman his last five dollars to help pay for White Jade’s food and clothing and agreed to send the same amount each month.
The encounter became a turning point for Pierce. He then travelled to South Korea during the Korean War and witnessed a nation on the brink of devastation as men of fighting age left their wives and children behind, on their own without any financial support. After seeing poverty developing right before his eyes, he returned to the US and formed World Vision in 1950 to garner help and support for children especially in the war-ravaged Korean Peninsula, where the conflict had left hundreds of thousands of children orphaned in its wake.
Since then his personal crusade has become a global movement, with the fight against poverty and injustice as the focal points. Seeking a better world, World Vision volunteers are called to serve some of the neediest people on earth, helping to relieve their suffering and promoting solidarity in a common search for justice.
By facilitating engagement between the poor and the affluent, the volunteers seek to help the less privileged help themselves by including them in the effort not just as passive recipients, but as participants. By working together, World Vision aims to build a sustainable future for the children, families and communities of the needy, no matter where in the world they are, through emergency relief, education, health care, economic development and promotion of justice.
Give Them a Chance
“I want to become a teacher,” said Pinky Banalal, a girl from Rajasthan, India. Coming from a poor family, the girl’s ambition would seem far-fetched, as Rajasthan is home to the world’s highest number of child brides. In fact, 60% of girls in this densely populated region are forced into arranged marriages while they are still very young, despite Indian law stating that a girl must be over 18 before she can wed. Cultural pressure and the need to reduce the financial burden of the family are the usual rationales why parents in the region find it hard to resist marrying off their daughters. In fact, Santra Devi, Pinky’s mother would know – she was a child bride herself.
Having had no opportunity for education, Santra Devi now supports her family as a labourer at construction sites to supplement the family income while her husband, a mason in Jaipur, only gets to come home once a month. That might be a normal situation in Rajasthan, but this young woman is determined to change the course of her family. She even has high hopes for Pinky, who is her eldest child. “I want her to become a doctor or a good teacher,” she says.
While Santra Devi and Pinky may not lack determination, the short supply of monetary support is a huge obstacle. However, thanks to the generosity of people, World Vision was able to provide the family with all the necessities they needed to better raise their children. Not only has Santra’s difficult life been relieved with the financial assistance from World Vision, Pinky can now go to school with new notebooks, school bag and water bottle and pursue her dream of becoming an educator.
The aid meant so much to the family, that they now have the opportunity to stand up for what they believe in. The father even turned down an offer for his daughter’s hand in marriage. “I want her to study well. I will do all within my capacity and try my best to make her stay at school,” he says.
The Voices of Tomorrow
Pinky was lucky to have received the financial aid, but what about other children? In any community wracked by poverty, famine and war, children are always the most vulnerable. Thus the basis of World Vision’s projects and activities is how they will have maximum benefit for them.
This is exemplified by the Child Sponsorship Programme inspired by founder Rob Pierce’s altruistic act of providing continuous financial aid to Hoelkedoer to take care of White Jade back in 1947.
Millions of children around the world need help to break the never-ending cycle of poverty. Through sponsorships, philanthropists from all over the world are able to partner with World Vision to help meet immediate needs and promote lasting changes that will strengthen communities and move families toward self-reliance. Also as a sponsor, individuals can provide children with the appropriate necessities of life-changing basics like nutritious food, clean water, healthcare, and education.
Take the example of Marita Adelino. A girl from Zambezia, Mozambique, she is definitely not your typical 10-year-old, as all she wanted was a best friend and a mosquito net. While the second choice may seem strange, it is not when one discovers that Marita lost her best friend, Marta João to malaria. The loss affected Marita deeply as it was she who cared for Marta during her final days, giving her cup after cup of water as her body burned with fever. A simple mosquito net and sufficient healthcare could have saved Marta and hundreds of thousands of others who die of malaria every year.
Closer to Home
World Vision Malaysia is always dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice and Malaysians do not have to look far and wide for ways to help these disadvantaged children.
One of the key sources of finance comes from fund-raising events, including the 30-Hour Famine, when participants raise funds by going without solid food for 30 hours, symbolically highlighting the suffering of those who are forced to go without food for days. As with the global movement of World Vision, World Vision Malaysia also runs the Child Sponsorship Programme, in which sponsors need only donate RM65 to support a child in areas where developmental projects are undertaken by the organisation.
While the majority of the funds raised are used internationally, World Vision Malaysia also supports Malaysians in need through different charitable organisations, including the Malaysian AIDS Council, Malaysian CARE, Pusat Kebajikan Good Shepherd and Dignity for Children Foundation.
It is a long term goal for World Vision to work with the poor and oppressed, and benefit children worldwide. World Vision Volunteers are people with normal jobs who have extraordinary passion to serve all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. their selfless dedication is an inspiration to all, especially for those who want to make a difference by making the world a better place. You too can be part of this selfless ambition – just visit www.worldvision.com.my to know more about World Vision and embrace the fact that even a single individual can be a channel for change.
