built on hope

In January 2025, three Bethel University students and their India partners spent two weeks in a brick factory in Haryana, India. They wanted to show the economics and desperation of migrant families who live where they work, far from their real homes.

They found three mothers who made or moved bricks all day and ran their homes all night with little help from their husbands. Manisha traveled from Rajasthan for this work. Paramjeet from Punjab. And Kushbu from Bihar.

Kushbu’s 9-year-old daughter, Nazia, takes care of the house and her five siblings all day. Her future will look like her mother’s unless the economics and political systems change. Her future is built on her mother’s hope.

Scan this to give!

All gifts go to Manisha, Paramjeet, Kushbu or Nazia. The money will go to Sambhav Nature Farm director Kumar Mukesh and the community volunteers for distribution to the women.

The trailer.

Here is the rough cut of the trailer from director Kathryn Kovalenko.

Want to show our film?

Who is it for?: People who care about gender and social class equity.

What is it?: Built on Hope, a 35-minute Textura documentary, followed by an optional Q&A panel featuring the student filmmakers.

When: Give us a month’s, week’s or day’s notice, and we’ll figure it out and evern help with the promotion.

Where: Civic groups, nonprofits, film clubs, schools, churches. We launched a soft open at The Underground on the campus of Bethel University Oct. 2 and filled it.

How much?: Free.

How to contact us: Reach out to Textura Communication Specialist Greta Wilson.

the team.

Please meet our film crew, partners and volunteers.

  • Kat is a senior media production and journalism major at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She’s from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

    She’s passionate about storytelling through writing, photo and video. She wants to share stories that make a difference in her community and lift up marginalized voices. 

    She likes making hyper-specific Spotify playlists, treasure hunting at Goodwill and spending all her money on concert tickets.

  • Luca Lombardi is a senior business marketing major with minors in photojournalism and Spanish at Bethel University in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

    He likes eating homemade Argentine food, going for walks throughout Saint Paul and taking photos of things that occur in his everyday life.

  • Devanie Andre is a designer, photographer and videographer based out of the Twin Cities in Minnesota who just graduated from Bethel University.​

    She is Sicangu Lakota descent and grew up on the Rosebud reservation and other areas in South Dakota. Her cultural identity inspires her desire to serve a variety of voices through design and storytelling. 

    She believes an important part of design and storytelling is forming relationships, bringing joy to others, and being a part of something greater than oneself.​

  • Katelyn Bierma graduated in May with a media production major and creative writing minor at Bethel University in St. Paul, MN.

    She prefers to go by K and has a passion for storytelling, both through writing and video editing. She loves telling stories that make a difference and bring people together.

    In her free time she enjoys crocheting, being a plant mom, making playlists and listening to music.

  • Greta Wilson is a junior organizational communications major with an emphasis in strategic communication and leadership commmunication at Bethel University. She also has minors in journalism and business. She is from Columbia Heights, Minn., but recently became a legal resident of Wichita, Kans. 

    She likes puzzling, going to Twins games with $5 student tickets and watching arguably terrible TV shows with her friends. She wants to have a job that seeks to help others.

  • Suraj Kumar is a musician, actor and documentarian from Haryana who lives in Mumbai. He understands stories and has a heart for all people, especially the vulnerable.

  • Rafi is an actor, singer, teacher and documentarian from Haryana. He studied theater in Delhi and now lives and works in Mumbai. He has a storyteller’s soul and cares deeply about his home and the people within it.

  • Nickolai Hammar is a video producer, audio producer and photographer for National Public Radio and works out of the Times Square office.