Yangon Yinyang Volume 2 Number 3

Yangon Yinyang Volume 2 Number 3

I’m half a day ahead of you so if it’s news to you, it is history to me.

Dateline: Ayeyarwaddy Delta, Myanmar 12 July 2009

ADRA Myanmar One Year After Cyclone Nargis
Cyclone Nargis hit the Ayeyarwaddy Delta of Myanmar the night of 2 May 2008. The official estimate is about 143,000 deaths. Approximately 2.5 million people lost all or most of their homes and possessions.
ADRA Myanmar had a team working in Labutta Township in the delta building bridges and jetties when the storm struck. One regular employee and 8 day laborers died in the cyclone. The others survived in trees, buildings, or wherever they could. The next morning Teddy Din, Associate Country Director and team leader, immediately began the search for the rest of the team members. Once the team was accounted for, they began rescuing other victims and providing any assistance needed.
ADRA Myanmar, with the help of the Emergency Management Bureau from ADRA International and many others from the ADRA network, began a large-scale response to the disaster. Because of the presence of staff in the delta and in the country office in Yangon, ADRA was able to mobilize people and material. In addition to the support provided by the ADRA network, other organizations recognized that ADRA had the capacity to deliver money and material faster and more efficiently than if they established their own operation and so they channeled their resources through ADRA.
During the initial response, the value of the supplies and money to distribute those supplies totaled more than US$ 8,000,000. ADRA staff worked long hours under difficult and dangerous conditions to ensure the maximum assistance to the cyclone victims. Several country offices provided their staff for technical support in addition to staff from the country office and from projects in other parts of Myanmar.
The loss of life and property damage during the cyclone was severe but thanks to quick response by the people, the authorities, and the international community, there were no outbreaks of diseases commonly associated with such disasters.
First aid, shelter, food, water, and sanitation were the primary concerns. ADRA provided all of these in the large geographical area designated as ADRA territory. Other NGOs were also assigned their territory to insure coverage and avoid overlap and duplication.
When it was determined that the survivors had the minimal conditions for survival, work began to repair water and sanitation facilities, provide better shelter and health care, restoration of livelihoods, and emergency food rations. The international donor community was generous and ADRA Myanmar has received a series of grants to provide these services.
Some projects were supplies to be distributed immediately; some were infrastructure development for 2-6 months. ADRA Myanmar continued to write proposals and demonstrate the capacity to complete the projects and the portfolio of projects for longer periods has expanded.
Currently we are providing medical teams working in temporary clinics and mobile clinics. These are the only health facilities available until the normal health care system is rebuilt.
Safe drinking water and sanitation are the major activities at present. ADRA is rehabilitating and digging wells. New ponds are being dug for rainwater storage. These ponds are fenced to keep animals out and access points built into the pond allow water to be collected without going into the water and decreasing quality. Rainwater catchment systems and storage tanks are built for schools, clinics, and other public buildings. Water treatment and clean storage improve the quality of water. Families are receiving containers to store water at the house and ceramic water filtration containers are provided to ensure they water consumed is safe. Thousands of family and school latrines are being constructed. Education about the importance and techniques of good personal and family hygiene emphasize the benefits. Cases of diseases generally related to water borne contamination are few.
ADRA is distributing food supplied by the World Food Program to families in about 150 villages. Crop yields were low in the first harvest after Nargis because of the loss of topsoil and salt contamination from the tidal surge. The coming monsoons should leach the salts and the need for emergency feeding will be reduced.
At present, we are in the rehabilitation phase and the total value of projects funded and in progress is about US$ 3,000,000. More than 200 employees are engaged in the delta plus large numbers of day labor jobs that provide vital employment for local families.
ADRA Myanmar has continued all of our projects in the other parts of the country. There was a temporary movement of some staff but they returned to their original assignments or new staff was recruited. Water and sanitation, food security, agriculture skills, vocational education, and other activities to enhance the safety and economic stability of the people mean long-term benefits and eventual escape from poverty.
ADRA Myanmar remains a major force in the delta. Our ability to generate funds and implement projects has enhanced the good reputation we had before the cyclone. Local authorities encourage us to expand and assist with the necessary permits and authorization to implement. The transition from humanitarian response to long-term development is occurring and we anticipate a strong presence into the future.
Cyclone Nargis caused extreme damage and hardship but it also made donors aware of the needs in Myanmar and many who assisted with the emergency response are now supporting the development projects needed to improve the lives of so many people.
ADRA Myanmar is fortunate to have so much support from the international community. Money, material, and personnel are easy to count and the dollar value can be calculated. The encouragement and moral support are not tangible but are just as important in reminding us that we are engaged in something more than projects and activities. We are serving the people of Myanmar and we are changing the world, one life at a time.


Remember, email goes both ways in this modern age.

Stop by if you are in the neighborhood.
Doug

Yangon Yinyang Volume 2 Number 2

Yangon Yinyang Volume 2 Number 2

I'm half a day ahead of you so if it's news to you, it is history to me.

Dateline: Thingyan Festival Yangon, Myanmar April 2009

The major holiday in Myanmar is the Thingyan Festival which is a Buddhist event and is the official New Year for the country. Different ethnic groups celebrate New Years on various days through the year. Most are based on a lunar calendar. The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon has been under repair and gilding for several months and the final scaffolding of woven bamboo has been removed to reveal a dazzling stupa.

Thingyan is also based on the lunisolar calendar. Frequently it coincides with Easter but not always. The holiday lasts from April 11-21 this year. All government offices and most private companies close for those dates. School is already out for the summer.

A big part of the festival is now called the Water Festival. Originally a part of the Buddhist celebration was the washing away of the old. People carried a small bowl of water and a twig with leaves. They would sprinkle a little water on people to symbolically wash away the old year and the old life. Today it has degenerated into a nation wide water fight that lasts for three days. This same water festival occurs throughout South East Asia to some degree.

Going outside for the three days guarantees getting soaked. Instead of people sprinkling water, they throw it by the bucket full. Trucks and open jeeps filled with people drive around with barrels of water and the passengers throw water on pedestrians, police directing traffic, passing cars and everyone they see. This is the hottest time of the year and getting wet is the way a nation cools off.

The real soaking doesn’t come from the people in vehicles. Mandats (stages) are built where there is a good source of water and people pay to stand on the platforms and spray passers with hoses.

Sources of water are either access to a large pipe from the city water system or pumps placed in lakes. Hotels are a popular place for a Mandat because they have the water system and they have kitchens and staff to prepare and sell the traditional Thingyan food and beer.

The joy is not just spraying or throwing water on people, it is just as important to get wet. People fill the open trucks and jeeps and cars with the windows down and drive around to get wet. Traffic is slow wherever there is a Mandat. Along the large lakes where there are Mandats lined up for blocks, the traffic comes to a standstill.

All government offices and most businesses closed during the 11 day festival. People travel to visit relatives or for vacation. Busses and trains don’t run because the drivers are on vacation. The airlines add flights because of the extra travel, including tourists who come for the festival. We didn’t open the office for the three days of the water fight because it was impossible to get to work without getting soaked. Most of our projects required a minimum staff to continue and the Christians who wanted extra time at Christmas worked. The Buddhists who want time during Thingyan worked during Christmas. Fortunately as boss, nobody can make me stay away when I want to go to work.
I know you are wondering how I managed to maintain my dignity amid all the foolishness.

Now the old year has been washed away and things are back to normal. Check your calendar and plan to be here next year. Doug