January 23, 2015

ADRA TV Series to Debut on Hope Channel

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By ADRA, ANN, and Adventist Review staff

A new ADRA television series debuting on the Hope Channel on Friday will highlight stories about how humanitarian aid is changing lives in seemingly impossible circumstances.

The nine-part documentary series, titled “A Closer Walk,” is produced by ADRA and follows its workers in places such as Vanuatu rainforests, Ugandan refugee camps, and in a children’s center in Moldova.

“We are excited to pull back the curtain on what humanitarian work looks like and how, through our friends, ADRA is taking God’s love to a world in need,” said Jonathan Duffy, president of ADRA International.

The show will debut on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time (GMT-5). In addition to cable and satellite television, the show can also watched online at hopetv.org.

The first episode in the weekly series, “The Roma (Albania),” will look at efforts to reach out to the Roma people, who are derogatively labeled “gypsies” and face discrimination and poverty in Albania.

“Local ADRA workers Rezi and Kristi take us on a Roma experience to a dilapidated hospital, a house crowded to capacity by extended family, and a rare outing to the seaside, to show us the humanity behind the negative stereotypes,” according to a summary of the episode.

Program host Sanjay Thomas walking alongside Rezi and Kristie, project managers for ADRA in Albania. Sanjay learned what it was like to work with the Roma people for Episode One, which airs on Jan. 23. Photo: ADRA

The second episode will focus on the sex trafficking of young girls in Thailand, and it will be followed by episodes about South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, and abandoned children in Moldova.

The television show’s host, Sanjay Thomas, said meeting with children throughout the show’s production gave his work meaningful perspective.

“In every country we visited, I was blown away by the warmth and generosity of the community,” Thomas said. “And despite their various unfortunate situations, the children were full of life and happiness. It definitely made me reevaluate my outlook on life.”

ADRA, or the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, is the humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. For 30 years, ADRA’s mission has been to follow Christ’s example of being a voice for, serving, and partnering with those in need. ADRA works in more than 130 countries providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.

Hope Channel is the official television network of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Hope Channel online

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