Supporter Event – April 26, 2022
Video transcript
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– [Jane] Hello, my name’s Jane Edge
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and I’m the chief
executive of CBM Australia
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and I’m absolutely delighted
to welcome everyone.
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Thank you for joining us
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for CBM’s first online
stories from the field event
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and it is amazing to see so
many of you joining today.
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It’s really a wonderful opportunity
for us to come together,
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as the CBM community.
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United in our commitment
to make a real difference
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in the lives of some of the poorest
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and most marginalized people in our world.
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Those living with disabilities
in the hardest places.
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I’d like to begin by acknowledging
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the traditional custodians of the land
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on which I’m speaking
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and that’s the Wurundjeri
Woiwurrung people
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of the Kulin nation
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and I pay my respects
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to their elders, past,
presents and emerging
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and I extend that respect
to all first nations people
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who may be present today.
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I’d also like to introduce
you to Julie, our interpreter.
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So Julie might give us a quick wave.
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Wonderful, thank you Julie
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and to our two guests,
Glenys Sigley CBM ambassador
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and who I’m sure is well
known to many of you
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and Julie Smith, one of our
senior program specialists.
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It’s great to have you all here as well
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and we’ll be hearing from
Glenys and Julie a little later.
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Throughout this session,
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please also feel free to
pop questions you may have
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in the Q&A section at
the bottom of your screen
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and our plan is to answer
those live as best we can
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later in the event.
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So, you might be asking why are stories
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from the field event
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and for me in what have been
really challenging times,
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I know for many of us over
the last couple of years,
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this is really a chance
to bring everyone together
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and remind us of why we do what we do
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as part of this CBM family.
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We know that there is power in stories
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and hearing from people
who have seen first hand
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the impact of your giving
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and how that really brings home
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the importance of this work
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and how your generous support
literally is changing lives.
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So my hope is that you’re
actually first and foremost
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encouraged by this event.
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That you are moved
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and see the impact of the work
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and you are giving
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at a time when there really is
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so much suffering in our world.
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With the recent celebration of Easter
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and the importance of
Anzac day just yesterday,
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I’m really conscious of
the themes of sacrifice
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and the new dawn
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and the examples of courage,
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grace and love that they represent.
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And I know personally how powerful
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this movement of the heart
that is CBM’s work really is.
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That reflection movement of the heart
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is inspired by Christian
Philosopher, Jean Vanier,
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who spoke about transformative
change this way,
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“Each human being however weak or small,
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has something to bring to humanity.
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As we start to really get to know others,
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as we begin to listen
to each other’s stories,
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things begin to change.
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We begin the movement from
exclusion to inclusion,
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from fear to trust,
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from closeness to openness,
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from judgment and prejudice,
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to forgiveness and understanding.
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It is a movement of the heart.”
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So I encourage you all to stay with us
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through this sharing of stories.
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I hope you have a cup of tea, like I do.
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It’s an informal chance to be together
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and reflect on this community,
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this movement of the heart
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and I’ll share a personal
message also before we finish.
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So I’d like to hand over to Glenys
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to share some of her experiences with us.
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As I said, Glenys has
been a CBM ambassador
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and a long term supporter
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and in these roles, Glenys
has traveled many times
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to see CBM programs in
action on the ground
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in the poorest communities.
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So Glenys please, please share with us.
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– Thank you, Jane
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and hello everybody.
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It’s lovely to be with you,
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even though we’re not in person.
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It’s really nice to be
able to share some stories
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with you again.
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I first became involved with CBM
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back in the 90’s actually
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because my mother had
developed macular degeneration
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and I was looking at various organizations
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that help people with eye problems
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and a friend of mine that
I went to Bible study with
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was working for CBM at the time
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and said oh, have a look at them
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they’re really good doing things
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and when I looked at the work that CBM did
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I was just so impressed
with the Christian values
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and the helping people in
underdeveloped countries
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and just the wonderful
work that CBM was doing
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that I became a supporter
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and so for several years
we were supporters of CBM
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and then in 2004,
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my husband and I were asked
if we would be patrons
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of the eternal giving club
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which was starting up then
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and it gave us the wonderful opportunity
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to be able to go and visit
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some of the work that CBM was
doing around the world really
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or particularly in
underdeveloped countries
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and one just very quickly that we saw
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was a beautiful little four year old girl
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who had cataracts from
the time she was born
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and when we saw those cataracts removed
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it was just amazing to see
the difference in her life.
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It was wonderful
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but the one that I really
want to share with you today
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is about a lady called Pillay from Africa.
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And we went to visit one of the hospitals
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that CBM was partnering with at the time
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and it was a hospital
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that covered many
different areas of course
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but one of the main things
they worked on was Fistula
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and Fistula if you don’t know,
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is a problem that can
occur after childbirth,
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if the baby’s head is
caught in the birthing canal
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it can cause issues of
leaking urine and feces
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and really awkward
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and uncomfortable times for those women
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and in countries like Australia
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and places like this,
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if it happened to any of us,
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well we could just go and have
it fixed without any problem
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but in Africa,
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when the women live out
in the far out districts
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from the main areas
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it’s very difficult for them
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and this is what happened with Pillay.
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Now I was looking
forward to meeting Pillay
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because I heard that she’d had twins
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and I have twins,
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and I thought, oh this is great.
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We’ll be able to
communicate about our twins
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and how things are going
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and when I was having my twins
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I had a little bit of trouble before that
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but I was able to go to a hospital
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and rest up for a couple of
weeks before they were born
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and that was fine
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but for Pillay,
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she started to give birth.
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She lived in the outer regions
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and she started to give birth
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and she went to her local,
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two of her local birthing communities
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to see if they could help her
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and they both said no,
we can’t do anything.
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The only thing you can do to get help
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is to go to the big hospital in the city
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and that was five hours
away from where she lived.
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Now,
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they didn’t have an ambulance
that they could take her.
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The only way she could get
there was to go on a train.
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Now, can you imagine how awful
that must have been for her?
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It makes me wanna cry now
even thinking about it.
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Just the pain and the embarrassment,
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the unknown,
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the fear of what was gonna happen to her,
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sitting on a train for
five hours like that
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going to the city.
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Anyway, when she arrived at the hospital
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her first baby had died
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and then her second baby passed away also
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and so, it was a very sad time for Pillay
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and she went home
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and her husband left her
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because he couldn’t put up
with the leaking that she had
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and she just didn’t wanna go out
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and mix with people,
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so she just stayed in
that one room little house
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for 14 years.
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Can you imagine that?
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14 years just living totally
in a house by herself
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with no one around her at all
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and the only way that she
was able to have any help
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was by making little items
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that her relatives could
take to the local market
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and sell there so that they
could provide some food
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and so forth for her
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but she just didn’t wanna
come out for 14 years.
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And then one of her relatives
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heard about the hospital
that was doing the Fistula
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and so they took her to the hospital
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there in the city
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and she was able to have the operation
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and that’s when we went over
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and we were able to meet her.
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She had just had the operation.
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She was there with a group of other women
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who also were going
through the same thing.
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They were just so happy and so joyous,
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they were singing hymns,
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they were praising,
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they were just so amazed
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to think that their
life was going to change
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after what they’d been through
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this terrible situation
that she’d been through
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and so Pillay now lives a different life.
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She doesn’t have to be locked
away in that room anymore
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and it’s all thanks to CBM
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and to supporters like you who help her
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and CBM is such,
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just such a wonderful organization
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that with such Christian values
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and helping people with disabilities
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in these underdeveloped countries
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and we can only just say,
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such a very big thank you
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because I know I’ve seen
firsthand the work that’s done
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and I’ve seen the changes that
it’s made in people’s lives
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and here I go again,
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getting very emotional
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but it is,
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it just is the most wonderful,
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wonderful organization
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and thank you to all your
supporters who support CBM
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in the great work they do.
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Thank you and God bless you all.
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– Oh, Glenys.
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It’s always wonderful
to spend time with you.
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I know everyone will have felt
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how authentic that story is
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and how much that experience touched you.
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Your testimony really speaks so powerfully
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to the extraordinary impact this work has
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and the incredible need
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and we know that in
the poorest communities
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the effects of the pandemic
are still very real.
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There’s actually been
a catastrophic failure
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throughout this time to protect the lives,
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health and rights of
people with disabilities.
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So really what I mean to say is
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that never has our work
together been more important
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and joining CBM was a real
epiphany for me personally
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after 20 years involved in
International Aid And Development
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and overseeing really many
effective programs on the ground,
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it was quite confronting to realize
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that some of the most marginalized people
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weren’t gaining from those
activities and programs,
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they were invisible.
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I learned that one in
seven people in the world
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live with a disability
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and the vast majority of those
live in developing countries.
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So without intentional effort
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these people are already
amongst the most marginalized
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and they’re pushed even
further to the edges
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and that’s what has stoked
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my life long commitment to social justice
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and filled my passion to use
my voice to enable theirs.
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Voices like that of an
extraordinary woman I met
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in Ethiopia.
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So I’d like to tell you about Zinabva,
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who was originally from a rural area
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about a hundred kilometers from Addis.
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And she was just three years
old when she contracted Polio.
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You can see a photograph
there on the screen
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of Zinabva and I actually sitting outside
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the project office there in Ethiopia.
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The story that she shared
was how much stigma
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and shame existed
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and how that led her
family to flee and hide
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from relatives and neighbors.
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Without a wheelchair, Zinabva
struggled to attend school.
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She managed to complete grade eight
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and she was a talented writer and poet.
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She actually entered and won
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the first Ethiopian
children’s talent quest,
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reading a poem she herself had composed.
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The relatives then who had
chased her and her family
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from her village when
she was a small child,
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actually sought her out.
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They made the trip to a Agora
where she lived to see her
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and Zinabva recalled them saying
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how surprised and impressed they were
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at what she’d achieved.
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And yet, despite her talent,
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the support of her family,
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her life was incredibly difficult
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and yet she’s full of forgiveness,
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despite those difficulties.
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Before joining the CBM supported project,
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she described feeling excluded
and very, very depressed.
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She said, “This project
showed us how to catch a fish
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rather than just receive one.”
305
00:14:52,830 –> 00:14:56,890
She told me a wheelchair
had transformed her life.
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That mobility meant
independence and dignity.
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She was able to be part
of a self-help group
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and start a business with a small loan.
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So despite everything she’d faced,
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her compassion and deep
faith shone through.
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She actually was caring for
others in the community,
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elders and street children
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and I was really struck by this
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and when I asked her
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00:15:21,210 –> 00:15:24,340
how she was able to
support others in this way,
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00:15:24,340 –> 00:15:27,220
she replied, “You don’t support others
317
00:15:27,220 –> 00:15:31,040
from your excess, you
support from what you have.
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00:15:31,040 –> 00:15:33,530
It doesn’t feel good
when my stomach is full
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and others are hungry.”
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00:15:36,620 –> 00:15:40,060
So now Zinabva is a role model
for people with disabilities.
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00:15:40,060 –> 00:15:41,710
She tells other young women,
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00:15:41,710 –> 00:15:44,220
they too can be independent,
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start a business
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and many are now
following her on the lead.
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00:15:48,060 –> 00:15:51,597
And I do think often
about Zinabva’s words,
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00:15:51,597 –> 00:15:53,880
“I give from what I have.”
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00:15:53,880 –> 00:15:57,430
As a truly inspiring challenge for us all
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00:15:58,600 –> 00:16:01,680
because this is actually
the collective power
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00:16:01,680 –> 00:16:03,230
of your support,
330
00:16:03,230 –> 00:16:06,850
our dedicated partners
and the CBM programs
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00:16:06,850 –> 00:16:11,140
that are actively working
in these settings.
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And I was so moved by Zinabva story
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and her’s is one of so, so many.
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00:16:17,840 –> 00:16:20,240
Every person has a story to tell,
335
00:16:20,240 –> 00:16:21,780
a contribution to make,
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00:16:21,780 –> 00:16:23,410
potential to fulfill
337
00:16:23,410 –> 00:16:26,180
and I know that you’re are
passionate about that too
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00:16:26,180 –> 00:16:28,150
because you’ve been part of
this movement of the heart
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00:16:28,150 –> 00:16:29,220
with us
340
00:16:29,220 –> 00:16:32,370
and I really wanna encourage
you to visit our website
341
00:16:32,370 –> 00:16:33,250
from time to time,
342
00:16:33,250 –> 00:16:36,350
because we are regularly
sharing more stories
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00:16:36,350 –> 00:16:39,700
about lives transformed with your support.
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00:16:39,700 –> 00:16:42,070
So we’re gonna answer
some questions in a moment
345
00:16:42,070 –> 00:16:44,518
but I want to invite Julie,
346
00:16:44,518 –> 00:16:46,370
one of our program experts,
347
00:16:46,370 –> 00:16:50,940
to share a little bit
about her journey into CBM
348
00:16:50,940 –> 00:16:55,330
and Julie do tell us really
what draws you to this work
349
00:16:55,330 –> 00:16:58,243
and what really motivates you.
350
00:17:00,540 –> 00:17:01,803
– Thanks, Jane.
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00:17:01,803 –> 00:17:04,784
So I’ve worked,
352
00:17:04,784 –> 00:17:06,683
with AIDO organizations,
353
00:17:06,683 –> 00:17:08,800
my whole career basically
354
00:17:10,204 –> 00:17:12,708
and I’ve been with CBM for nine years
355
00:17:12,708 –> 00:17:16,540
and I think one of the
things that motivates me,
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00:17:16,540 –> 00:17:21,540
is CBM is doing a job of
working with the most vulnerable
357
00:17:23,890 –> 00:17:25,040
and I think that’s the thing,
358
00:17:25,040 –> 00:17:27,200
’cause when we think about people
359
00:17:27,200 –> 00:17:28,600
in many developing countries
360
00:17:28,600 –> 00:17:31,437
we think about vulnerability and poverty
361
00:17:31,437 –> 00:17:33,790
and so often what you find
362
00:17:33,790 –> 00:17:35,167
is that the most vulnerable people
363
00:17:35,167 –> 00:17:36,930
are those people with disabilities.
364
00:17:36,930 –> 00:17:38,130
They’re at the bottom of the heap
365
00:17:38,130 –> 00:17:43,000
and that’s been one of the real challenges
366
00:17:43,000 –> 00:17:45,700
that CBM has tried to address.
367
00:17:45,700 –> 00:17:47,623
Just before I go on,
368
00:17:48,780 –> 00:17:50,450
if you would like to ask a question
369
00:17:50,450 –> 00:17:52,960
’cause we’ve got a bit of
time for questions now,
370
00:17:52,960 –> 00:17:57,070
there’s a little Q&A box at
the bottom of the Zoom chat
371
00:17:57,070 –> 00:17:59,980
and you can type your question in there.
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00:17:59,980 –> 00:18:01,740
Not everybody can see your question.
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00:18:01,740 –> 00:18:04,600
So if you are wondering that it might be
374
00:18:04,600 –> 00:18:06,570
a bit of a obvious question,
375
00:18:06,570 –> 00:18:07,720
don’t hesitate
376
00:18:07,720 –> 00:18:09,450
put some questions up there
377
00:18:09,450 –> 00:18:13,630
because I think that helps
us get a sense of the things
378
00:18:13,630 –> 00:18:14,463
that you wanna know.
379
00:18:14,463 –> 00:18:18,054
So one of the questions
that I’ve got now is,
380
00:18:18,054 –> 00:18:23,054
has CBM’s work stopped during COVID?
381
00:18:23,134 –> 00:18:25,560
I think the answer to that is not at all.
382
00:18:25,560 –> 00:18:26,750
It’s cranked up,
383
00:18:26,750 –> 00:18:28,040
it’s been different
384
00:18:28,040 –> 00:18:33,040
and it’s been different because
people have been so impacted
385
00:18:33,530 –> 00:18:34,921
and impacted in a way,
386
00:18:34,921 –> 00:18:37,210
you know, not like here in Australia
387
00:18:37,210 –> 00:18:39,530
where we’ve had our COVID payments
388
00:18:39,530 –> 00:18:40,980
and our support payments
389
00:18:40,980 –> 00:18:44,063
and help with the lockdown
those sort of things.
390
00:18:45,340 –> 00:18:46,750
We’ve heard for example,
391
00:18:46,750 –> 00:18:51,750
I heard of a family based in Nepal,
392
00:18:52,650 –> 00:18:56,880
the husband goes to India
every year to work as a laborer
393
00:18:56,880 –> 00:18:58,620
on a building site.
394
00:18:58,620 –> 00:19:00,550
India last year, just locked down.
395
00:19:00,550 –> 00:19:02,250
Bang, lockdown like that.
396
00:19:02,250 –> 00:19:03,730
Everybody had to leave.
397
00:19:03,730 –> 00:19:05,861
So Becky goes home.
398
00:19:05,861 –> 00:19:09,470
He has a child with cerebral palsy,
399
00:19:09,470 –> 00:19:13,090
a young adult with cerebral palsy.
400
00:19:13,090 –> 00:19:16,053
Basically his income source is gone.
401
00:19:17,514 –> 00:19:21,160
And so CBM starts to
work with our partners
402
00:19:21,160 –> 00:19:26,160
on supporting them with developing
local vegetable gardens,
403
00:19:26,420 –> 00:19:27,870
setting up a little greenhouse,
404
00:19:27,870 –> 00:19:29,850
setting up a little veggie garden
405
00:19:29,850 –> 00:19:34,620
and we just had some
photos recently of them
406
00:19:34,620 –> 00:19:39,620
with so many pumpkins,
zucchinis, peach trees growing,
407
00:19:41,094 –> 00:19:43,160
growing tomatoes.
408
00:19:43,160 –> 00:19:46,600
So suddenly their lives
have been turned around
409
00:19:46,600 –> 00:19:48,650
because there isn’t
social security payments
410
00:19:48,650 –> 00:19:51,040
like there is here in Australia.
411
00:19:51,040 –> 00:19:53,083
So that’s been one of the questions.
412
00:19:54,770 –> 00:19:55,990
There’s another question about,
413
00:19:55,990 –> 00:19:57,180
what percentage of the dollar
414
00:19:57,180 –> 00:20:00,150
goes to the recipient for help?
415
00:20:00,150 –> 00:20:03,823
Well, probably about
12% of our fundraising
416
00:20:07,210 –> 00:20:10,860
goes to pay the staff
that keep the work going
417
00:20:10,860 –> 00:20:15,093
here in Australia that
goes into more fundraising.
418
00:20:16,080 –> 00:20:18,960
The rest goes overseas to our project work
419
00:20:18,960 –> 00:20:22,310
and to our project
partners to support them
420
00:20:22,310 –> 00:20:26,890
in all sorts of facilitating
all sorts of change,
421
00:20:26,890 –> 00:20:31,890
whether that is change in terms
of training up eye surgeons,
422
00:20:32,530 –> 00:20:37,160
whether that’s change in
terms of helping families
423
00:20:37,160 –> 00:20:38,990
to get their kids into school,
424
00:20:38,990 –> 00:20:40,510
kids with disabilities,
425
00:20:40,510 –> 00:20:43,700
training teachers onto how to make sure
426
00:20:43,700 –> 00:20:48,570
there is an environment in schools
427
00:20:48,570 –> 00:20:53,200
that is conducive to kids
with disability coming along.
428
00:20:53,200 –> 00:20:56,830
So that’s the sort of work
that we are trying to do
429
00:20:56,830 –> 00:20:59,053
with the dollars that go overseas.
430
00:21:00,954 –> 00:21:04,853
Just going back to the COVID question.
431
00:21:06,580 –> 00:21:08,570
A number of our eye hospitals
432
00:21:08,570 –> 00:21:11,020
did have to slow down their work
433
00:21:11,020 –> 00:21:13,430
in the last two years because of that
434
00:21:13,430 –> 00:21:14,630
and so what we had there
435
00:21:14,630 –> 00:21:19,630
was an issue with increases
in blindness in communities.
436
00:21:20,300 –> 00:21:22,200
Now things are changing,
437
00:21:22,200 –> 00:21:23,260
in the Philippines,
438
00:21:23,260 –> 00:21:27,360
in Indonesia we see that
those eye hospital’s
439
00:21:27,360 –> 00:21:28,980
are opening up again now,
440
00:21:28,980 –> 00:21:30,000
getting back to work
441
00:21:30,960 –> 00:21:32,960
and are probably busier
than they have ever been
442
00:21:32,960 –> 00:21:37,960
in terms of trying to support
people in cataract surgeries,
443
00:21:39,950 –> 00:21:42,480
supporting with trachoma relief,
444
00:21:42,480 –> 00:21:45,270
so that people can get
back to living decent
445
00:21:45,270 –> 00:21:47,243
and respectful lives.
446
00:21:48,420 –> 00:21:50,913
And that’s been so important.
447
00:21:52,798 –> 00:21:57,630
A question is about, whether
Pillay is still alive or not?
448
00:21:57,630 –> 00:21:59,278
We have been still,
449
00:21:59,278 –> 00:22:03,710
we haven’t been connected
with Pillay most recently,
450
00:22:03,710 –> 00:22:06,980
I understand Glenys from our chats before
451
00:22:08,660 –> 00:22:09,493
but…
452
00:22:10,580 –> 00:22:11,990
– We,
453
00:22:11,990 –> 00:22:12,823
oh sorry,
454
00:22:12,823 –> 00:22:15,030
I don’t wanna wanna but in.
– No hop in
455
00:22:15,030 –> 00:22:17,550
– We did make another
trip back to Tanzania
456
00:22:17,550 –> 00:22:20,740
and we were hoping to catch up with Pillay
457
00:22:22,260 –> 00:22:25,170
but unfortunately she’d
moved to the outer regions
458
00:22:25,170 –> 00:22:30,170
and it was too far for
us to travel to see her.
459
00:22:30,480 –> 00:22:33,230
So no, we weren’t able to follow up
460
00:22:33,230 –> 00:22:34,450
but we did follow up
461
00:22:34,450 –> 00:22:36,530
with some of the other women that we saw
462
00:22:36,530 –> 00:22:40,993
and their lives had just
been transformed amazingly.
463
00:22:41,980 –> 00:22:45,430
– So we are the moment
464
00:22:45,430 –> 00:22:49,874
working with a women’s
reproductive health hospital
465
00:22:49,874 –> 00:22:52,420
in Nigeria.
466
00:22:52,420 –> 00:22:54,360
That’s not only
467
00:22:54,360 –> 00:22:57,010
and some of their work
is about making sure
468
00:22:57,010 –> 00:23:00,550
that people understand that the importance
469
00:23:00,550 –> 00:23:03,223
of good nutrition during pregnancy,
470
00:23:04,850 –> 00:23:06,770
safe birthing practices
471
00:23:08,200 –> 00:23:11,650
in order to prevent the onset of Fistula,
472
00:23:11,650 –> 00:23:15,700
which can have such devastating
effect on people’s lives.
473
00:23:15,700 –> 00:23:17,500
It’s something that we
don’t see in Australia
474
00:23:17,500 –> 00:23:19,970
because our health system
is so much stronger
475
00:23:19,970 –> 00:23:21,713
but in many countries,
476
00:23:22,600 –> 00:23:26,290
this is something that many
women have to struggle with
477
00:23:26,290 –> 00:23:27,800
and struggle with silently
478
00:23:27,800 –> 00:23:30,100
because it is so embarrassing
479
00:23:30,100 –> 00:23:33,030
and you know,
480
00:23:33,030 –> 00:23:36,010
stigmatizing which is one of the things
481
00:23:36,010 –> 00:23:41,010
that we’ve really tried to change.
482
00:23:41,540 –> 00:23:43,500
Another question,
483
00:23:43,500 –> 00:23:47,630
does CBM, has there been any
specific or special projects
484
00:23:47,630 –> 00:23:50,650
at CBM where we get
funding from government?
485
00:23:50,650 –> 00:23:53,140
Yeah, we do get funding from
the Australian government
486
00:23:53,140 –> 00:23:58,070
through their aid program.
487
00:23:58,070 –> 00:23:59,390
The way that that works
488
00:23:59,390 –> 00:24:01,570
is that we have to match that money
489
00:24:01,570 –> 00:24:02,760
with money from,
490
00:24:02,760 –> 00:24:05,010
we have to demonstrate
that we have supporters
491
00:24:05,010 –> 00:24:06,380
here in Australia.
492
00:24:06,380 –> 00:24:08,040
In order for them to do,
493
00:24:08,040 –> 00:24:09,720
in order to get government funding,
494
00:24:09,720 –> 00:24:11,490
we have to demonstrate
495
00:24:11,490 –> 00:24:14,170
that we have a base of supporters
496
00:24:14,170 –> 00:24:16,900
who are also supporting us too.
497
00:24:16,900 –> 00:24:21,900
So that’s why we need supporters
498
00:24:22,360 –> 00:24:27,360
like all of you on this to team today.
499
00:24:28,610 –> 00:24:29,710
– [Jane] Thanks Julie.
500
00:24:30,550 –> 00:24:32,230
– And hand to Jane.
501
00:24:32,230 –> 00:24:33,810
– [Jane] Yeah, I think unfortunately
502
00:24:33,810 –> 00:24:35,950
we’re gonna run out of time everyone
503
00:24:35,950 –> 00:24:38,580
but the questions have been fantastic
504
00:24:38,580 –> 00:24:40,750
and much appreciated.
505
00:24:40,750 –> 00:24:43,220
Please feel free to go
to our website of course.
506
00:24:43,220 –> 00:24:45,110
Hopefully anything that you have raised
507
00:24:45,110 –> 00:24:47,030
that we haven’t been a
able to pick up today,
508
00:24:47,030 –> 00:24:48,300
would be addressed there.
509
00:24:48,300 –> 00:24:50,823
So I do encourage you to do that.
510
00:24:51,710 –> 00:24:55,970
What stays with me the most
from my visits to CBM programs
511
00:24:55,970 –> 00:24:58,500
and you’ve heard Glenys
talk about it as well,
512
00:24:58,500 –> 00:25:00,037
is the spirit and resilience
513
00:25:00,037 –> 00:25:01,750
of people with disabilities,
514
00:25:01,750 –> 00:25:03,570
their families and communities
515
00:25:03,570 –> 00:25:08,570
and what I’m always asked
to do every single time
516
00:25:08,800 –> 00:25:12,980
is to convey personal
thanks to all of you.
517
00:25:12,980 –> 00:25:15,980
So let me do that on behalf of the people
518
00:25:15,980 –> 00:25:17,453
we all seek to serve.
519
00:25:18,600 –> 00:25:20,310
I’m so grateful for your willingness
520
00:25:20,310 –> 00:25:23,060
to stand in solidarity with the poor,
521
00:25:23,060 –> 00:25:24,750
to be part of this movement of the heart
522
00:25:24,750 –> 00:25:26,720
in so many different ways
523
00:25:26,720 –> 00:25:30,410
your support through
faithful prayer donations,
524
00:25:30,410 –> 00:25:33,360
perhaps leaving a gift
to CBM in your will.
525
00:25:33,360 –> 00:25:35,620
It means the world of difference
526
00:25:35,620 –> 00:25:36,870
to people with disabilities
527
00:25:36,870 –> 00:25:38,810
and their families living in poverty
528
00:25:40,030 –> 00:25:42,730
and I’ll keep you informed
about how you can continue
529
00:25:42,730 –> 00:25:46,000
to create transformational
change in the coming days
530
00:25:46,000 –> 00:25:47,350
and weeks.
531
00:25:47,350 –> 00:25:48,470
So thank you.
532
00:25:48,470 –> 00:25:50,190
Thank you for supporting CBM
533
00:25:50,190 –> 00:25:51,770
and the people we serve.
534
00:25:51,770 –> 00:25:53,400
Thank you for joining us today
535
00:25:53,400 –> 00:25:55,360
at our first ever online event.
536
00:25:55,360 –> 00:25:58,080
We are finding new ways to stay connected
537
00:25:58,080 –> 00:26:00,280
and we’d love your feedback on the event.
538
00:26:00,280 –> 00:26:03,160
So please do respond to the quick survey
539
00:26:03,160 –> 00:26:05,260
we share afterwards.
540
00:26:05,260 –> 00:26:08,310
And I’d really like to close in prayer.
541
00:26:08,310 –> 00:26:11,823
So please join me in
prayer or quiet reflection.
542
00:26:13,250 –> 00:26:16,070
Heavenly Father we know that it is in
543
00:26:16,070 –> 00:26:18,470
the most challenging times,
544
00:26:18,470 –> 00:26:22,420
times of war, pandemic, disaster,
545
00:26:22,420 –> 00:26:25,380
that you are nearest if we turn to you,
546
00:26:25,380 –> 00:26:26,773
you lift us up.
547
00:26:27,860 –> 00:26:30,660
We pray for the CBM country teams
548
00:26:30,660 –> 00:26:34,543
who work tirelessly on the
ground to make change possible.
549
00:26:35,520 –> 00:26:38,310
We pray also Heavenly
Father for your blessing
550
00:26:38,310 –> 00:26:40,163
on all gathered here today.
551
00:26:41,050 –> 00:26:44,833
All of those beyond this
call who support CBM’s work.
552
00:26:46,080 –> 00:26:48,680
Please bless those we seek to serve
553
00:26:48,680 –> 00:26:51,470
in the hardest places in our world.
554
00:26:51,470 –> 00:26:56,460
May your love be a constant
source of strength and comfort.
555
00:26:56,460 –> 00:26:59,070
Lord, thank you for
your call on our hearts
556
00:26:59,070 –> 00:27:02,170
and for the opportunity
to live out our faith
557
00:27:02,170 –> 00:27:04,400
as part of this movement of the heart
558
00:27:04,400 –> 00:27:06,700
a movement of love and justice,
559
00:27:06,700 –> 00:27:09,020
as we stand with people with disabilities
560
00:27:09,020 –> 00:27:11,030
who are living in poverty.
561
00:27:11,030 –> 00:27:13,740
In Jesus name we pray.
562
00:27:13,740 –> 00:27:15,240
Amen.
563
00:27:15,240 –> 00:27:17,300
Thank you everyone for joining us
564
00:27:17,300 –> 00:27:20,957
and I really hope to see
you at the next event.
565
00:27:20,957 –> 00:27:24,540
God bless.
566
00:27:26,439 –> 00:27:28,061
♪ Again ♪
567
00:27:28,061 –> 00:27:31,921
♪ For you ♪
568
00:27:31,921 –> 00:27:34,980
♪ For you ♪