Describer: Slow-moving animation of outlined drawings in the style of brightly colored Masai cloth patterns. Orange sky and lime green grass. Two male figures wear robes in red and black. Village huts, baobab trees and gazelle are in the distant background.

Narrator: Among the most accomplished and fabled tribes of Africa, no tribe was considered to have warriors more fearsome or more intelligent than the mighty Masai.

Describer: A shield-like ball of sun rolls across the sky, a woman with a small child walk across the foreground towards the distant huts. They pass an elderly woman sitting on the ground.

Narrator: It is perhaps surprising, then, to learn the traditional greeting that passed between Masai warriors: "And how are the children?".

Describer: Masai words written across the orange sky, "kassaerian ingera"

Narrator: It is still the traditional greeting among the Masai, acknowledging the high value that the Masai always place on their children's well-being.

Describer: Men talking under a baobab tree in the distance come into view. Two warriors walk past in the foreground.

Narrator: Even warriors with no children of their own would always give the traditional answer, "All the children are well." Meaning, of course, that peace and safety prevail,

Describer: A man plowing with oxen passes by.

Narrator: that the priorities of protecting the young are in place. That Masai society has not forgotten its reason for being,

Describer: A group of children run behind him.

Narrator: its proper functions and responsibilities. All the children are well means that life is good.

Describer: Closeup woman carrying baby crosses in the foreground, then pauses.

Narrator: It means that the daily struggles for existence do not preclude proper caring for their young. (hmmm.) 

Describer: A glowing yellow ball of sun emerges from behind the mother and her baby-in-arms.

Silhouettes of more than a dozen children from around the world are lined up in a row. Their costumes are drawn in  brightly colored patterns to indicate the many countries from which they come. Their images slowly drift past. The last child in the group is a little girl in a striped sweater and leggings.

Narrator: I wonder how it might affect our consciousness of our own children's welfare if in our culture we took to greeting each other with this daily question: "And how are the children?"

Describer: After the last girl in the colorful sweater,  plain black silhouettes of children in American attire appear. Her sweater fades away leaving her in plain silhouette.

Narrator: I wonder if we heard that question and passed it along to each other a dozen times a day, if it would begin to make a difference in the reality of how the children are thought of or cared about in our own country.

Describer: The group stops moving past. Adults slowly appear behind the children as blue-gray silhouettes.

Narrator: I wonder if every adult among us, parent, and non-parent alike, felt an equal weight for the daily care and protection of all children in our communities, in our towns, in our states, and in our country....

Describer: Adult silhouettes fade away. 
Zoom in closer on the last six silhouettes of children.

Narrator: I wonder if we could truly say without hesitation,

Describer: They are revealed, one by one, as photographs of typical American kids.

Narrator: "The children are well. Yes, all the children are well."

Describer: A banner slides in with the Westat logo and text: "Copyright 2016, Westat, Inc. All Rights Reserved."

[Music]

Describer: Credits, 'Written by Rev. Dr. Patrick T. O'Neill, 1991, in a sermon at First Parish in Framingham, MA.  Adapted and used with permission.'

"Narrated by Wesley Williams, II Westat Senior Project Director, Resident Open Space and Problems of Practice Facilitator"

"To learn more about Education at Westat, go to www.westat.com"