ACROSS HERE:
00:04:53
" FRIGHTENED AND ANGRY, MISTREATED EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY .">> Howell: YEAH. OH, THIS SWEET, LITTLE GIRL. SHE WITNESSED HER FATHER BEAT HER MOTHER TO DEATH, AND WAS PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR YEARS OLD. SO OLD ENOUGH TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING, BUT BY NO MEANS OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE THE- TO BE ABLE TO EMOTIONALLY PROCESS THAT. THEN MOVED IN WITH RELATIVES WHERE SHE WAS BEING SOLD. SHE WAS BEING PROSTITUTED OUT .>> Whitaker: WHAT INDIA AND PETER HAVE UNDERTAKEN IS NO EASY FEAT. AND IT ALL STARTED WITH A TRIP INDIA TOOK TO TANZANIA IN 1998, WHICH HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH CHILDREN. HOW DID YOU END UP HERE IN NORTHERN TANZANIA ?>> Howell: MY MOTHER ASKED THE SAME QUESTION MANY TIMES; QUITE BY ACCIDENT, ACTUALLY. I AGREED TO GO CLIMB KILIMANJARO WITH ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS FOR HER 40TH BIRTHDAY. I HAD NO INTEREST IN AFRICA WHATSOEVER, BUT STEPPED OFF THE PLANE AND KNEW THAT I WAS HOME .>> Whitaker: THE FEELING WAS SO STRONG THAT AFTER THE CLIMB, INDIA WENT BACK TO THE U. S ., QUIT HER JOB AND APPLIED FOR ONE WITH A SAFARI COMPANY. SHE WAS HIRED AND WITHIN THREE MONTHS WAS BACK IN TANZANIA. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS AREA? PETER, WHO GREW UP IN POVERTY, BUT MANAGED TO MAKE IT THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, WAS WORKING TO EARN MONEY FOR COLLEGE AT A SAFARI COMPANY. INDIA BECAME HIS BOSS. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF HER ?>> Mmassy: IT WAS MY FIRST TIME TO WORK UNDER- I MEAN, A WOMAN BOSS, AND AN AMERICAN WOMAN BOSS. I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED. AND, SHE WAS SMART, AND SHE HAD THIS SENSE OF HUMOR, AND BUT TOUGH LADY .>> Whitaker: THIS TOUGH LADY GREW UP IN AN EXCLUSIVE ENCLAVE ON THE NORTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK AND WAS C. E. O. OF A BUSINESS IN BOSTON, A WORLD AWAY FROM TANZANIA. SO, YOU CAME HERE TO WORK FOR A SAFARI COMPANY ?>> Howell: RIGHT .>> Whitaker: AND END UP FOUNDING A CHILDREN'S VILLAGE .>> Howell: RIGHT, THAT SEEMS LIKE A BIG JUMP, BUT ACTUALLY, THERE'S A THREAD. SO, PART OF MY JOB REQUIRED THAT I GO TO THE CITY OF ARUSHA EVERY WEEK AND EVERY TIME YOU GOT OUT OF THE CAR YOU WERE JUST SWARMED WITH ALL THESE RAGGED LITTLE BOYS, WHO, I SOON DISCOVERED, WERE WHAT WE CALL STREET CHILDREN HERE. AND MY MISSION FROM THE BEGINNING WAS TO IDENTIFY THESE KIDS THAT ARE LIVING AT RISK BEFORE THEY'RE DRIVEN TO THE STREETS .>> Whitaker: SO HOW DID YOU FIND OUT THAT YOU BOTH HAD THIS INTEREST, IN HELPING NEEDY CHILDREN ?>> Mmassy: I WROTE A PROPOSAL, VERY SMALL PROPOSAL, ABOUT MY HOME VILLAGE. AND I SHOWED IT TO INDIA. I SAID, " INS, THIS IS-- I'M REALLY THINKING THAT I WANT TO DO THIS .">> Whitaker: THE PROPOSAL SUGGESTED THAT THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, A COMMUNITY CAN NOT ONLY SUSTAIN ITSELF BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY ENABLE CHILDREN TO THRIVE .>> Howell: HE SAID, " YOU KNOW, I'VE WRITTEN A BUSINESS PLAN ." I SAID, " OH, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT .">> Whitaker: WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS PLAN WHEN YOU SAW IT? WAS IT-- >> Howell: I THOUGHT IT WAS BRILLIANT .>> Whitaker: -- THIS IS REALISTIC ?>> Howell: I THOUGHT IT W-- HM ?>> Whitaker: DID YOU THINK IT WAS REALISTIC ?>> Howell: I'M VERY PRACTICAL IN MY-- NO MATTER WHAT IDEA COMES TO ME, MY FIRST THOUGHT IS, " AND WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM ?" BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S A GOOD IDEA IF YOU CAN'T PAY FOR IT AND SUSTAIN IT .>> Whitaker: SO PETER'S PROPOSAL WAS ALL BUT FORGOTTEN. THEN THIS HAPPENED: ONE OF INDIA'S EMPLOYEES AT THE SAFARI LODGE TOLD HER HE WAS NOT ONLY QUITTING HIS JOB BUT ABANDONING HIS THREE- YEAR OLD SON, NAMED DOCTOR. JUST LIKE THAT, INDIA WAS THRUST INTO MOTHERHOOD .>> Howell THERE'S THIS LITTLE PEANUT IN A SHUKA, WHICH IS THE FABRIC-- THAT THE MAASAI WEAR. AND WE JUST LOOKED AT EACH OTHER. AND IT-- IT WAS LIKE WE'D BEEN LOOKING FOR EACH OTHER FOREVER, AND WE FINALLY FOUND EACH OTHER AND HE JUST RAN INTO MY ARMS AND I WAS SUNK FOR LIFE .>> Whitaker: RIZIKI, ALSO ABANDONED BY HER BIRTH PARENTS, FOLLOWED DOCTOR, THEN CAME JUMA AND INDIA NAMED AFTER HER NEW MOM. NOW A FULL- TIME MOTHER OF FOUR, INDIA DECIDED TO LEAVE THE CITY OF ARUSHA AND THE SAFARI BUSINESS AND MOVE TO THE COUNTRYSIDE, WHERE SHE RENTED A HOUSE ON AN OLD COFFEE PLANTATION .>> SO WE HAD A SWING RIGHT HERE .>> Whitaker: WORD GOT OUT THERE WAS A LADY TAKING IN CHILDREN. OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR YEARS, VILLAGE AND CHURCH LEADERS AND RELATIVES STARTED DROPPING OFF ABANDONED AND ABUSED CHILDREN SOME ORPHANED BY AIDS. THE FAMILY GREW TO 17 KIDS. PETER, IN THE MEANTIME GOT HIS DEGREE, BECAME MANAGING DIRECTOR AND MARRIED HIS COLLEGE SWEETHEART, GRACE. THEY NOW HAVE THREE DAUGHTERS OF THEIR OWN .>> THAT HOUSE WAS WHERE PETER LIVED .>> Whitaker: DOCTOR, THE FIRST CHILD SHE TOOK IN, IS NOW 19 .>> Doctor: THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT MOM WAS SHOWING THAT MY FAMILY DIDN'T HAVE WHERE IT WAS LOVE, CARE THAT CAME FIRST BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE .>> Whitaker: RIZIKI IS 21 .>> Raziki Lemomo Laizer: AT FIRST, I WAS SO MUCH AFRAID OF HER .>> Whitaker: WHY ?>> Laizer: WHEN WE'RE LITTLE KIDS, I MEAN, THEY JUST TELL US, LIKE, THE WHITE PEOPLE ARE BAD PEOPLE. AND WHEN I SAW HER, AT FIRST I WAS, LIKE, TERRIFIED .>> Whitaker: ACTUALLY TERRIFIED ?>> Laizer: UH- HUH. BUT AS TIME WENT BY, I MEAN I GOT USED TO HER AND I WASN'T AFRAID ANYMORE .>> Whitaker: NOW YOU LOVE HER ?>> Laizer: VERY MUCH, I DO .>> MIKA? HOW DID WE GET MIKA'S SHIRT ?>> Whitaker: AS IT TURNS OUT, GIVING KIDS A PLACE TO LIVE IS THE EASY PART .>> Howell: I THOUGHT I HAD IT ALL FIGURED OUT. I-- YOU KNOW, THEY CAN GO TO THE LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOL. AND I REALIZE THIS SCHOOL ISN'T A SCHOOL BY MY DEFINITION .>> Whitaker: SO INDIA AND PETER CONVINCED THE LOCAL ELDERS TO LET THEM TAKE OVER THE ADMINISTRATION OF A PRIMARY SCHOOL. THIS IS WHAT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LOOKED LIKE BEFORE. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY .(\ BELL RINGING \) PETER AND INDIA NOW RUN TWO SCHOOLS PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FOR THEIR KIDS AND ALMOST 700 LOCAL CHILDREN, LIKE JAMES AND HIS FRIENDS WHO TREK FIVE MILES EVERY DAY TO GET HERE. THE KIDS ARE TAUGHT IN SWAHILI AND ENGLISH, AND THEY HAVE THE BEST SCORES AND GRADUATION RATES IN THE REGION. EVEN SO, TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING INDIA HAS HAD TO OVERCOME TANZANIANS' SKEPTICISM. LOCALS HAVE SEEN WESTERN GOOD INTENTIONS COME AND GO BEFORE. I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD THE CRITICISM OF THE WHITE WOMAN, THE WHITE AMERICAN, RUSHING IN TO SAVE THE TANZANIANS. HOW DO YOU-- HOW DO YOU-- >> Howell: YES .>> Whitaker: -- RESPOND TO THAT ?>> Howell: I SMILE AND NOD. IT-- IT'S-- IT'S VERY SWEET AND NAIVE THAT PEOPLE THINK THAT IT COULD BE THAT EASY .>> Whitaker: HER AMERICAN ASSERTIVENESS OFTEN CLASHES WITH THE LOCAL CULTURE. SO PETER HAS THE ADDED TITLE OF
DIPLOMAT:
00:12:00
HE SMOOTHES TENSIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND THE COMMUNITY. YOU GUYS MAKE A GOOD TEAM .>> Mmassy: WE ARE MAKING A VERY GOOD TEAM, AND SHE DRIVES ME NUTS. BUT I LOVE THAT .>> Howell: IF IT WEREN'T FOR PETER, I WOULD'VE BEEN DEPORTED, BECAUSE HE'S ALWAYS EXPLAINING ME. HE GETS THE AMERICAN CULTURE BUT HE MOST IMPORTANTLY, GETS WHAT IS NEEDED HERE, AND HOW TO TRANSLATE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT IDEAS INTO SOMETHING WORKABLE .>> § IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT-- >> Whitaker: THE RIFT VALLEY CHILDREN'S VILLAGE RUNS ON AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF $ 1. 3 MILLION WITH THE HELP OF VARIOUS FAMILY FOUNDATIONS AND GENEROUS DONORS .>> WE ARE ACTUALLY SHOWING NOT JUST OUR VILLAGE .>> Whitaker: STILL, INDIA TRAVELS TWICE A YEAR TO THE U. S. TO RAISE MONEY. BEYOND THE CHILDREN'S VILLAGE, HALF OF THE BUDGET PAYS FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS, A MICROFINANCE PROGRAM WITH 500 CLIENTS .>> HOW LONG HAS SHE HAD IT ?>> Whitaker: AND A HEALTH CLINIC THAT SERVES 8, 000 PEOPLE. ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THE SUCCESS OF THE CHILDREN'S VILLAGE? I MEAN, I KNOW THIS WAS YOUR DREAM LONG AGO. BUT LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE BROUGHT ABOUT. ARE YOU SURPRISED ?>> Mmassy: I'M AMAZED. I'M ASTONISHED. I-- EVERY SINGLE DAY, I LIVE- I WAKE UP, I'M, LIKE, WOW. DID WE REALLY DO ALL OF THIS?
