VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE 39
AIR DATE 10 12 2018
FULL TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Opioids in America
((SOT))
Today is ninety days of sobriety. I feel good.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Farming from the Sky
((SOT))
If I knew all the bad spots in my field, I could do a bunch of drones, and go and attack those areas with whatever kind of pesticide or fungicide I need.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Diversity behind the Camera
((SOT))
We can be playing a more pro-active role facilitating the development of amazing talent of underrepresented communities.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((Banner:
The Damage Done
Living America’s Opioid Nightmare))
((PKG)) OPIOIDS / PHILADELPHIA – PART 3
((Popup Banner
More than 40,000 Americans die each year from opioid overdoses.
VOA looks at three stories from the epidemic))
((Banner: The Unwanted: Part 3))
((Producers: Jeff Swicord, Chris Simkins, Jacquelyn De Phillips))
((Camera: Jeff Swicord, Chris Simkins, Mike Burke, Marcus Harton))
((Map: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania))
((Banner: After police close two addict encampments, others become overcrowded.
Overdoses skyrocket in the aftermath of Kensington’s mass evictions. Meantime, Eric emerges from rehab transformed.))
((NATS))
Britt: Hey, buddy. Hey, are you with me? Are you with me? Hey, buddy. Are you with me?
((Britt Carpenter, Philly Unknown Project))
Since the evictions of the first two encampments down in Kensington, the overdoses have skyrocketed.
((NATS))
Driver: ***** what a shame!
Man: How do I know this guy?
Driver: Don’t waste that ***** on him.
Britt: What do you think, man. Your buddy says he’s fine. I’m telling you what I am thinking. He’s not fine at all.
((Britt Carpenter, Philly Unknown Project))
My main concern right now when I go out there is to make sure that nobody is overdosing, because that's all you see.
((NATS))
Man: Where’s the needle?
Britt: In his hand, in his hand. Right there. Ready….
Britt: Oh, there he is! There he is! There you go buddy. Hey, welcome back!
((Britt Carpenter, Philly Unknown Project))
It's becoming what most people were afraid it was going to become. It's becoming a zone that people might consider to be a war zone.
*****
((Britt Carpenter, Philly Unknown Project))
The community here in Philadelphia rallied behind the mission of Philly Unknown. Now there’s an advisory committee with the nonprofit.
((NATS))
Britt: Can we do some separate female bags with some female products?
((Britt Carpenter, Philly Unknown Project))
They have now taken on certain roles within the nonprofit that now there is an event coordinator. Now there is an inventory supply person. They show up and they prepare compassion bags. What we try to do is take whatever supplies we have, get them out on the streets so the outreach is never ending.
((NATS))
Britt: Alright, let’s get everything together.
((Britt Carpenter, Philly Unknown Project))
Since the evictions have taken place in Kensington, the atmosphere has become a lot more tense. There are more and more overdoses. There are more and more people. There are more and more hostilities. It's become a more violent area. I'm seeing younger, when I say younger, you know 24, 23, 20, 19 years of age. There’re some that I probably think are younger but they won't say it.
((NATS))
Britt: Do you have any Narcan?
User: No.
Britt: No?
((Britt Carpenter, Philly Unknown Project))
Educating those out there in addiction about harm reduction, where they can go to get help, explaining the concept of Narcan and traveling in pairs, explaining the concept of getting off the streets. It's become a very daunting task. But when you see a group like my team, you see a group of people who are fighters, and they're out there and they're fighting a battle that needs to be won. And in Kensington currently, we're losing still.
*****
((NATS))
((Britt Carpenter, Philly Unknown Project)) and ((Kelly, Addicted to Heroin))
Britt: How's it going, Kel?
Kelly: It's going.
Britt: It's going?
Kelly: Pathways came out to offer housing. I'm, now, I think ten years later, at the top of the list.
Britt: That's amazing. How do you feel about that?
Kelly: It’s exciting. I know that it's still a process. It's still going to be a little while before I'm actually in a place.
Britt: Okay. So, you need to also get yourself in touch with the occupational rehab and the transitional therapy that you need. How about some steps towards that? Are they going to help you with that? Or is it something you need to go elsewhere for?
Kelly: That's a good question. Very good question. I don't really know too much, yet.
Britt: OK.
Kelly: I should probably look into it a little bit more.
Britt: Well that's what you are going to do on Monday, right?
Kelly: Yes. I’m not totally closed to things that we've talked about before despite an earlier statement of mine. Like the detox process just sounds torturous.
Britt: Oh, so you're talking about a detox going....
Kelly: Right, right.
Britt: So, you aren't opposed to that at this point.
Kelly: No, not totally.
Britt: What's changed in these days that we've talked?
Kelly: You know, there's no way around that. But there's just more comfortable ways than others to do it.
Britt: Absolutely. You know, do you think that after you got through that detox, that you could handle what was coming down the line after that.
Kelly: Yeah. Only because at this point like the things have lined up in a way that if I take the initiative and do what I have to do, it will work out for the better. Like my disability gets back on and the housing goes through. I can get back into school as long as I'm off the drugs.
Britt: So, there's a series of events that can happen there. But there's that one huge event that has to happen.
Kelly: Right.
Britt: It's getting off the drugs.
Kelly: Right.
Britt: And this is the same thing we've spoken about each time.
Kelly: Yes.
Britt: I’ve seen you on some of your lowest days. I’ve seen you on some of your highest days and those are the good days. I've seen you somewhere in between. I like to see on Monday. You take those three, combine them, and find it inside of you to make it work and get the hell off the streets. Because in 30 days, I'm afraid that if we have this conversation again, we're only going to be right back where we started. Then we're just talking in circles.
Kelly: Yes.
Britt: Monday is that stepping stone. You need to do this.
Kelly: Right.
Britt: This is so critical. So, you know.
Kelly: Absolutely.
Britt: Well then I'll tell you what. I'm going to check back with you next week.
Kelly: OK.
Britt: If you need anything at all, as always, let me know.
Kelly: I will.
Britt: I want a hug. I brought you a pair of my 50 days. Look at these.
Kelly: Nice. Sweet.
Britt: So, we can be twins.
Kelly: Sweet.
Britt: There you go.
Kelly: Sweet.
Britt: Looking good.
*****
((Eric, Recovering Addict))
Today is ninety days of sobriety. I feel good. I'm setting up to do some, some major things. I got a sponsor. I got a home group. I go to meetings regularly. I do what they asked from me at the program. I want to get a T-shirt ‘Business Started’. There's a man in my program. He says this: ‘You got to make your actions line up with your speech.’ You know what I mean? If you're going to ‘talk it, walk it.’ I got some stuff today, artwork stuff, to work on my projects. Coloring and drawing helps me deal with issues. I got some food, you know, because you need food, right. And then, I grabbed a book, a book to help me excel at yoga because that's a big part of my story. That's my spiritual belief. When you do yoga, it's mind, body and spirit, and you get it all lined up. You get your chakras all lined up and your body feels good and your fit and, you know, you go through the day calm, calm. I've been working on my health. I got my teeth today.
((NATS))
Eric: In the chair?
Dentist: Yeah.
((Eric, Recovering Addict))
My teeth stems from drug use and, you know, not taking care of them and everything else, and little by little they were breaking.
Eric: This is awesome. I’m so excited right now. This is great.
((Eric, Recovering Addict))
I had to have 26 of them removed because they were all rotting from the inside.
Dentist: Smile nice and big.
((Eric, Recovering Addict))
It was hurting my self-esteem so bad that I was walking around with no teeth, you know what I mean?
Dentist: Congratulations.
Eric: Thank you so much. You’re the best.
((Eric, Recovering Addict))
I came out of that office and I felt like a new man. You know what I mean? Every step I take in this process, I feel better and better. Every day I feel better and better. The path that I’m on now, is the right one, you know. I’m on the right side of things in the end, you know what I mean?
*****
((Michael Worthy, Recovery Specialist))
Mike: This will be my first goal, to restore this whole place.
((Britt Carpenter, Philly Unknown Project))
Mike is one of those guys that wants to go and make a difference. He has spent the last ten years of his life in recovery basically and he is clean, he is sober and he wants to help and lead others and believes that this is his calling, that this is his mission. Mike's a warrior.
((NATS))
Britt: So. you've seen Kensington change over the last nine and a half years.
Mike: Oh, yes I have.
Britt: Great changes and it grew from a culture of the cocaine into the opiates.
Mike: Yeah.
Britt: Where it just took over the streets and the neighborhoods.
Mike: Yeah, definitely. Can I share something with you that I haven't told anybody?
Britt: Please.
((Michael Worthy, Recovery Specialist))
I noticed a trend that on every corner, people are standing on them selling pills, opiates, outright and nobody notice this. There's no police presence to disband it or discourage it. Who's trying to get a handle on the opiate crisis? I don't think anyone is. I think everybody's becoming content and being, the attention is being diverted by the little things that the city is doing that's causing no real help, like the encampment dispersion.
I happened to be going to go to the store one day. There was these young kids sitting out there, got to be about 9 or 10 years old, rolling laced blunts. If they’re sitting on a school step when they should be in school, rolling a blunt, then what does that say?
Remember we're talking about children whose minds are consistently being developed and they are mimickers. They are easily influenced and impressed. I don't know where this is going to end up. I can't even begin to see what the next five years is going to be like under these circumstances. Unless we get a hold of this crises. Unless we find suitable, proven grounds for treatment. Unless the communities become a community and get engaged in what's going on in that community. Unless the politicians decide to stop making this about money and fame. I don't know where Kensington is going to go. I can’t see a direction for it.
((NATS))
*****
((Popup Banner
THE DAMAGE DONE
Living America’s Opioid Nightmare
continues on VOA Connect in the weeks to come))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Hmong Farmers
((SOT))
Hmong farmers are amazing farmers but they didn’t always have access to land.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((Banner: High/Low Farming))
((PKG)) HMONG AMERICAN FARMERS
((Banner: Traditions))
((Reporter/Camera: June Soh))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((Map: Dakota County, Minnesota))
((Banners:
About 60,000 ethnic Hmong people, their origins in Southeast Asia, live in the US state of Minnesota.
In 2011, Hmong farmers formed HAFA, the Hmong American Farmers Association, to sell their produce in the Minneapolis, St. Paul area))
((NATS))
((PAKOU HANG, CO-FOUNDER, HMONG AMERICAN FARMERS ASSOCIATION))
So, what is HAFA? First and foremost, we are a nonprofit organization, and our mission is to lift up Hmong farmers and Hmong farming families. How do we do this? Well, we have a farm, and on that farm, we rent parcels to Hmong families, and on those parcels they grow over 160 different varieties of produce and flowers.
((NATS))
((PAKOU HANG, CO-FOUNDER, HMONG AMERICAN FARMERS ASSOCIATION))
When Hmong farmers started farming, they were making only about 5-thousand dollars in sales per acre. But since working with HAFA, this year, they’re projecting at least 11-thousand dollars in sales per acre. So, you can really see that affiliating with the group, working with the cooperative of farmers to grow their sales, increasing their capacity so they know more about crop rotation or cover crops, that it really does help Hmong farmers’ bottom line.
((NATS))
((PAKOU HANG, CO-FOUNDER, HMONG AMERICAN FARMERS ASSOCIATION))
So, farming is a really intricate part of Hmong history. In fact, you know, for many Hmong people, especially our elders, they didn’t keep a calendar. And so, when you would ask them, “Grandma, when were you born?” they would say things like, “Well, I was born during the time that the corn was planted.” Or, “I was born during the time that we harvested the rice.” And so, that is, you know, just one example of how agriculture is so integral to Hmong culture.
((NATS))
((KOU YANG, OPERATIONS MANAGER, HAFA FOOD HUB))
So, our Food Hub is the place where we aggregate our HAFA farmers’ produce, and then we distribute and sell it to different institutions such as schools, co-ops, or restaurants. And then, we also have a CSA program, or Community Supported Agriculture, that we have about 350 currently members that buy into the program and they get a weekly subscription of produce. This is what we’re doing behind me here, is packing for the CSA for our customers.
((NATS))
((PAKOU HANG, CO-FOUNDER, HMONG AMERICAN FARMERS ASSOCIATION))
We, as the younger generation, have to more quickly catch up to our parents and our grandparents, and capture some of that knowledge, that great knowledge that they have. At the same time, something that’s very hopeful for me is that I’m seeing so many more young people be interested in agriculture, be interested in agriculture not just for the sake of farming, but as a medium to reconnect with their elders, with their culture, with their language. And for me, that’s so exciting, because we can’t forget where we came from, and when we remember that, then that only propels us further into the future.
((NATS))
((PKG)) DRONE FARMING
((Banner: Help from Above))
((Reporter/Camera: Elizabeth Lee))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: College Station, Texas))
((NATS))
((MUTHU BAGAVATHIANNAN, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY WEED EXPERT))
The drone technology, as a whole, it can be at the very basic level, can be used to scout fields, to know where the problems are, but then it is a fundamental tool to help with precision agriculture, precision weed management.
((NATS))
((DALE COPE, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY DRONE EXPERT))
That was one of my chores with my parents, is to go weed the garden with a hoe, and so now, I’m talking about, well, I’m not going to send a hoe out there. I’m going to fly out there with my drone and I’m going to take care of the weeds that way.
((NATS))
((DALE COPE, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY DRONE EXPERT))
If I knew all the bad spots in my field, I could do a bunch of drones, and do a bunch of small drones to go and attack those areas with whatever type of chemical I want to have, what kind of pesticide or fungicide I need.
((NATS))
((SETH MURRY, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY CORN EXPERT))
I am the corn breeder for the state of Texas, well, one of two corn breeders for the state of Texas but I handle most of the state, the majority of the land mass, and our goal is really to breed better crops and to help farmers get better economic value from whatever they plant.
((NATS))
((SETH MURRY, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY CORN EXPERT))
Then we work with other people to help assemble the images and do 3-D reconstructions of those plants
((mandatory cg: courtesy “Texas A&M University”))
and what we know is that certain plant shapes and certain plant growth habits lead to higher yield and so we can estimate earlier in the season which of those plants is going to have that better yield.
((NATS))
((MUTHU BAGAVATHIANNAN, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY WEED EXPERT))
I can see the value of this tool in any country even if you have small areas. These drones can bring in a lot of value in getting an overall kind of bird’s eye view of field problems whether it’s weeds, disease or insects.
((NATS))
On a very basic level, I don’t think a lot of training is required. All you need is probably a smart phone and in a lot of the developing countries, people already have access to smart phones.
((NATS))
((SETH MURRY, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY CORN EXPERT))
Probably in the next five or ten years, you’re going to see very easy to use software packages where a farmer or a researcher in Africa or Asia or, you know, South America can take these tools and basically get high quality data they can use for plant breeding or making decisions on when they can spray their crop.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
On the Field
((SOT))
What I like about Like a Girl is we improve on our soccer skills. And not only do we come from different refugee camps, but we also have similar backgrounds.
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((Banner: Broadening the Mainstream))
((PKG)) LIKE A GIRL SOCCER
((Banner: On the Field))
((Reporter/Camera: June Soh))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: St. Paul, Minnesota))
((KYLE JOHNSON, FOUNDER, LIKE A GIRL))
The goal of Like a Girl is really to keep the love of the game, keep the beauty of the game, and the creativity of the game for the girls. It’s also to give them opportunity to potentially play in college and beyond if that’s something that they want to do.
((HAYBLUTE PAW, MEMBER, LIKE A GIRL))
What I like about Like a Girl is we improve on our soccer skills. And not only do we come from different refugee camps, but we also have similar backgrounds and it helps us build up on our friendship and improves the relationship we have with our coach.
((NATS))
((FRESI THOO, MEMBER, LIKE A GIRL))
I wanted to play soccer and join a club, but I don’t have a lot of money. So, I joined Like a Girl team and it help to put my skill and I get better and last year I get soccer scholarship for college.
((KYLE JOHNSON, FOUNDER, LIKE A GIRL))
The mainstream soccer system is really the club system in this country and to play the club system, you really need money. And I know that there’s many communities of young women that are hugely talented.
((NATS))
On the girl’s side, there’s zero diversity at all. There’s no diversity, and so that's what really struck me about doing this was that I know so many different young women from all different demographics and they weren't being represented on that stage.
((NATS))
Transportation is a big barrier to what we're trying to do and many of them don't have access to transportation for them to play. So, we have two options: is either I pick them up and they can play or I don't pick them up and then they wouldn't be able to play. Because it's a bit faster game, you really have to develop your technical skills and your creativity. It's a chance for you to really be able to fail and then learn from it. That's another big thing that I do is I encourage failure all the time.
((NATS))
I have a very unique training formula and, really, it’s based on just playing. There’s no real coaching. I feel like if you play for two hours straight, you’re going to learn a lot more than standing in lines and playing with cones. It’s a very different philosophy than anything else that’s out there.
((NATS))
((HAYBLUTE PAW, MEMBER, LIKE A GIRL))
My hope is that girls will be able to be more, like, play more and be treated equally as guys playing soccer.
((NATS))
((PKG)) HOLLYWOOD INTERNS
((Banner: Behind the Camera))
((Reporter/Camera: Elizabeth Lee))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((Banner: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood is developing underrepresented young filmmakers through a program called Academy Gold))
((NATS))
((IRIS LEE, ACADEMY GOLD INTERN))
I’m young but I think I would really want to be a cinematographer in the future and kind of at least work in the cinematography field or anything kind of surrounding camera.
((NATS))
So, I am born and raised here. I’m from Northern California in the East Bay area kind of near San Francisco. My parents come from Taiwan and when they came here and had me, I don’t think they expected me to have a career in entertainment. I don’t think any first-generation children really go into entertainment. This is a cliché we hear.
((NATS))
((EDGAR AGUIRRE, ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES))
I’m the Director of Talent Development and Inclusion here at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
((NATS))
If the Academy, in partnership with the industry, recognize we could be playing a more proactive role in facilitating the development of amazing talent of underrepresented communities, both domestically and internationally.
((NATS))
Thanks to our partners of 26 companies that are a part of the Academy Gold program, we were able to identify amazing talent from South Africa, from Europe, from Asia, from Latin America. Last summer, we had 69 students and 20 companies participate. This year, we have 107 students and 26 companies participating. It’s not just a one-summer experience. Last year, the 69 students that went through this program, each and every one of them was matched with an Academy member for a nine-month mentorship.
Over 50% of our alums from last year, thanks to this mentorship, intervention, interaction resulted in jobs, resulted in other internships, resulted in other key transitions that really transformed their careers.
((YOUSEF ASSABAHI, ACADEMY GOLD INTERN))
I’m Yemeni American. I have dual citizenship. I want to write and direct stories about Middle Easterners, Arabs living in the States and Yeminis in Yemen back home.
((NATS))
But to explore things as a writer and I want to understand why people behave the way they behave. There are a lot of TV shows where Yemen comes up in the TV show, but it’s considered as the hub of these fanatics and radicals that will just, they have no goal in life but to attack the West, and that’s untrue. And I want to tell stories that are complex that present the good and the bad. I was lucky I didn’t face any resistance. My dad is a novelist. He writes stories. I grew up in more of a literature, artistic family. They were a little bit like, “You know it’s a risky career we know, you know, but if that’s what you love.” And I didn’t face resistance and I’m actually, I feel privileged and grateful to have grown up in such a house.
((NATS))
((IRIS LEE, ACADEMY GOLD INTERN))
I think initially they had a stronger reaction than they did now. Through my persistence, through it, they’ve calmed down a little bit, to say, and they’ve kind of allowed me to have a little more kind of just freedom in pursuing it and, of course, everything I do, I want to make them happy and I want to make sure that they’re as excited about the opportunities as I am and, I think, they’re starting to see it and are seeing it right now.
CLOSING ((ANIM))
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BREAK THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
SHOW ENDS
