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

Yangon Yinyang Volume 1 Number 7

Yangon Yinyang Volume 1 Number 7

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

Dateline: Nam Tit, Wa Special Region, Myanmar 13 December 2008

There are some things that happen to me here that I shouldn’t write about. Not because they are bad or sensitive but because they will spoil your mental image of me sacrificing and suffering. I’m in north eastern Myanmar visiting ADRA projects and having a fascinating time. On your map Shan State borders China, Laos, and Thailand. I’m on the China border. It is approximately 230 28' North and 980 52' East. If you map shows Laukai (or some similar spelling, that is close).

There are two Special Regions. Region 1 is Kokant (Kokang) and I have been there also on this trip. Special Region 2 is Wa. These areas have a long history of isolation and armed struggle against all outsiders. Both have signed peace agreements with the government but both have some autonomy so they are designated Special Regions. Culturally they are distinct from the Bamar that dominate lower Myanmar. They are something like the Indian Reservations in America in their semi-autonomy.

Kokant is the most northeastern of Shan State and Wa is south of Kokant. Both are mountainous regions and poor. The proximity to the Chinese border is significant here. We changed our Kyat to Chinese Yuan which is the local currency. All signs are in Chinese and some also are in Myanmar. The major language in Kokant is Chinese. Wa also has the Chinese influence but the language is Wa. There are isolated ethnic groups with their own languages. My discussions go through two translators each way. English to Myanmar to Chinese or Wa and then back to English. In Lahu villages there is an additional translator from Wa to Lahu.

A few years ago the local Kokant and Wa authorities banned the growing of Opium poppies. This has dramatically reduced the economic opportunities for the people. That’s a major factor for ADRA’s involvement here. It is ironic that in the US’s war on drugs, we are giving large amounts of money to some countries to reduce production and here, where they did it on their own, we don’t have any interest. It’s true that opium is produced elsewhere but here is it gone. We give billions to Colombia and Afghanistan. They pretend to reduce production of Opium and Cocaine and we pretend to see progress. Here they have chosen to stop it and we ignore them.

ADRA projects here are typical for areas of extreme poverty. No crop can be grown that is as lucrative as poppy but we are working with villagers to improve what they can grow. We are using Food For Work to pay labor to terrace land since it is mostly hilly ( and chilly). We are providing material to build simple greenhouses so they can start seedlings and transplant during the rainy season and thus gain time on the growth cycle. We are also using Food For Work to support construction of a road that will reduce the time to get to the nearest town from a maximum of 12 hours walking to a maximum of 2. It will also allow the trucks that transport goods, people, and animals to reach the isolated villages. This is important to improve their markets. The food is provided by the World Food Programme (WFP). A water buffalo bank provides work animals.

We also distribute food to families with school age children. A child of 7 can work in the field or around the house and contribute to the family. I’ll bet that sounds strange to most of you. If they attend school, the family loses that labor and that can be crucial. We give a ration of rice and oil that is calculated to more than compensate for the loss to the family. This is called Food For Education. ADRA has projects like this around the country and in many other countries. WFP is providing food for programs like this around the world. About 10,000 children in Kokant and Wa are getting Food for Education from ADRA and other development agencies have similar programs in other parts of these two special regions. There aren’t many schools in this region because the children have traditionally worked instead of going to class. ADRA has built one school and I hope to get support from private donors to build more schools. The school is a simple building with tables and benches but it can make a difference in the future of the children and the community.

Water is another important factor here. There is adequate water from streams but it isn’t convenient to the villages and isn’t safe to drink. ADRA provides the material such as cement, plastic pipe, etc. and the villagers provide the labor. We build a simple filtration system at a spring source above a village and lay the pipe to a 5,000 gallon storage tank we build in a central spot in the village. In one village, the water source is 2.8 km (1.5 miles) from the village. There are generally streams closer than that but they are badly contaminated. In the first village I asked the people how much time they saved because they didn’t have to walk to the spring. I immediately realized that was a foolish question because they don’t wear watches or live by the clock. They told me they now have more time to do other things because the water was convenient. Carrying water is hard work and usually done by women and children. They also report reduced incidences of diarrhea. Diarrhea is a major contributor to malnutrition and infant death so the clean water has another benefit.

The number of unique ethnic groups here is interesting. Some maintain their culture in dress, house construction, language, etc. Everyone I meet is friendly. Even when they have to step off the narrow roads when we drive by, they will smile and nod. The Maung Zi whose women wear a distinctive black cloth hat wound similar to a turban that extends several inches to the front and the Lahu are the most numerous and distinct but there are several others.
The roads are dirt, and steep so travel is slow. At least we aren’t walking or riding a water buffalo. It isn’t practical to drive back to town each night so we have stayed in some pretty shabby guest houses. Luckily it is cold enough and the beds are short enough that I don’t have enough nerve sensation to notice if there are bed bugs bitting me. Or maybe the cockroaches ate the bed bugs.

Food has been an adventure here. I haven’t seen McDonalds or Dennys for months. Restaurants in these remote areas are a room in somebody’s house with a table or two and some stools. There is no menu, you eat what the cook serves. If you want chicken, you have to wait while the cook kills, cleans, and cooks it. Usually in the same room. Fast Food isn’t a meaningful concept here. I often eat without knowing what I’m eating. Even the vegetables look and taste strange. I remember my mother’s response when we were visiting and were served some strange food. We would say "what is this?" and she would say "it’s called eat it and be quiet". I have enough nutrition and public health training to know the risks of eating in places like this. I used to wonder why I am not sick. Now I wonder why I’m not dead. I’m fortunate, I haven’t been sick. It supports my theory that if I eat and drink everything, I get so many bugs in my system they spend their time fighting each other and don’t bother me. Thanks for the popcorn, cheerios, and grapenuts.

Except in tourist areas in Myanmar, toilets are squat. My old knees aren’t happy squatting. I still carry my toilet paper because I haven’t adjusted to the local way. ADRA has constructed thousand of outhouses in Myanmar. Generally we supply the bottom pan and pipe, the people collect the wood or bamboo for the frame and weave the palm fronds to make walls and roof. They provide the labor.

The first stop on all my project visits is a meeting with the local authorities. Generally this includes military and civilian authorities. They are universally appreciative of the work ADRA is doing. Most can describe in some detail what we are doing. A general on this trip said I was the first American he ever met but he felt he knew me. We may have been friends or relatives in a previous life. Makes sense to me. These are restricted areas and travel is only by permission from central and local authorities. In addition to the protocol meetings, we present our papers to various checkpoints. ADRA is known and respected so the name on the vehicle, the name on the travel permit, and the name on my ADRA vest mean we move easily. I don’t think there is any risk except from the food and the mountainous roads.

As always, I am proud to be part of ADRA Myanmar and ADRA world-wide. We are making a difference and the people recognize and appreciate it. The project workers face difficult conditions yet accomplish great things. I feel bad when I am thanked for what ADRA does because I know they have done the work and I get the glory. The projects in these two regions are funded by the WFP, ADRA Swiss, The Swiss Development Corporation, ADRA Australia, the Australian Aid Agency, ADRA New Zealand, The New Zealand Aid Agency, and ECHO which is the European Commission’s emergency assistance arm. ADRA has a lot of partners that make our work possible. We start with donations from church members and others and leverage that with the large donors and suddenly we are Changing the world, One life at a time.

Stop by if you are in the neighborhood. It happens. A couple of weeks ago I was talking with the people at the table next to me at breakfast. During about 10 minutes of random sharing, I said I used to teach at Loma Linda University. The man said do you know a professor Havens? I said I was Doug Havens. He said do you know Gayle Fitchett? I denied knowing her but I was busted. At that point I realized it was Paul and Carol Kelly, good friends of Gayle, who I haven’t seen in 30 years. They come to Myanmar to support some students and church groups here.

Photos from Bagan & Pakokku

Yangon YinYang Volume 1 No. 6

Yangon Yinyang Volume 1 Number 6

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

Dateline: Bagan, Myanmar 18 September 2008

From the 9th to the 13th century Bagan/Pagan was the center of the most powerful rulers of Myanmar. This was before CNN so most of you probably missed it. During that time over 2,000 pagodas were built in the area. Most of them have been neglected for about 700 years but some were maintained and others were restored. This is one of the richest archeological zones in Myanmar. It is in near the middle of the country, on the Ayeyarwaddy River. I’m traveling with Kyaw Aung, our Program Officer, and Mark Castellino, Program Officer from ADRA UK. Mark and I worked together in Peru where the UK and the EU were funding projects.

I’m here because ADRA has a vocational training program across the river, around the town of Pakokku. This project has support from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), ADRA Norway, and The European Union. This is the dry zone and water security is a constant problem. We are drilling wells, constructing storage ponds, and providing pipe and pumps to move the water into the villages. The WFP provides rice, oil, and lentils which we use to pay villagers to do the labor. Norway provides the cash needed to hire the technical staff, pay fuel for the vehicles, and other expenses for the water projects.

In addition to water, we have a vocational training program. We provide 3 months of training in Agriculture, Livestock Management, Sewing, Auto Mechanics, Carpentry and Masonry, and Cooking and Food Preservation. After the training, the people return to their villages to earn money with their new skills. This part of the project is funded by the European Commission (EC) which is the development assistance agency of the European Union (EU). We also provide food for education with WFP food because if they come for the training, they can’t farm or do the other things necessary to earn their food. This is one of the poorest areas but the people work hard and generally take advantage of the opportunity.

We built three training centers and conduct classes in all three centers. For the first round we hired specialists to teach. Now the specialists supervise "interns" who are graduates of the first round and are teaching the next round. This has been a very successful part of this project. In all our proposals we say we are training the trainers but this is one of the most successful. In every village we visited, we found at least one volunteer who was teaching his or her skill to others without any compensation.

Shortly after starting the training, we formed village education committees which took responsibility for spreading the news about the program, selecting and trainees, and operating the centers. Part of our work on this trip is evaluating and advising. The best part is seeing the success of the ADRA team and the people involved.

We also participated in officially handing the training centers over to the village management communities. ADRA will continue the training courses for two more years and will hire the instructors but the villages are now responsible for all maintenance on the centers. When the ADRA project is complete, the village will use the centers as they see fit. Usually we turn these centers over at the end of the project but this plan allows ADRA to guide and assist in the transition of management so the people should have experience in operating them before it is their sole responsibility. They are also collecting a small fee for maintenance now that they have responsibility. This is one of the best development projects I have seen. Makes me proud to be part of it.

The area around the project doesn’t have any guest houses or hotels so we stayed in Bagan on the other side of the Ayeyarwaddy River and crossed by boat each morning and evening. The river is about 6 km wide at that point and it took about 30 minutes each way.
We spent a day sightseeing. We climbed a tall pagoda and visited a couple of others. We also drove about 50 km (30 miles) to Mount Popa. A pagoda is built on top of a large rock. We climbed 777 steps ( I trust the signs) to the top. Like all pagodas, we have to take our sandals off and go barefoot. Some of the steps are rusted iron and I decided the money spent on the tetanus shot was a good investment.

Monkeys are everywhere at this pagoda. People take tons of bananas and boxes of cigars up the steps to the temple and place them at the shrines. In the evenings, the monks take what they want and give the rest to the monkeys.

Remember, email goes both ways in this modern age.

Stop by if you are in the neighborhood.
Doug

Volume I Number 5

Yangon Yinyang Volume 1 Number 5

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

Dateline: Yangon, Myanmar 1 September 2008

Cyclone Nargis struck the Ayeyarwaddy Delta of Myanmar on the 2nd of May, 2008. The actual numbers of people who died or were displaced is difficult to even estimate. Many people who
survived have temporarily or permanently relocated and thus the number still missing undoubtably includes some dead and some survivors. Estimates range from 80,000-130,000 dead and about 2 million who lost houses, equipment, and means of livelihood.
Schools, hospitals, business, and every other building were destroyed or damaged.

This is a rice growing area so there were no large cities but hundreds of villages were severely damaged. Some may not be rebuilt.

Physical evidence shows the water level was 3 meters deep over the affected area with wind
waves another 2 meters high. There is no high ground. Some people tried to climb trees or even
lash themselves to palm trees but the wind knocked most of the trees over. It is hard to imagine the extent of death and destruction.

ADRA Myanmar was working in the area before the cyclone struck. We had teams building bridges and cement jetties where boats, the only means of transportation in much of the area, could tie up while loading and unloading
people and goods.

Because we had people working there and a relationship
with the people, ADRA was one of the first responders with
rescuers and emergency supplies. We partnered with The United Nations World Food Programme to distribute emergency food aid. Rice, lentils, and cooking oil were the main foods. Soon we received and distributed tarps for temporary shelter and small kits, in a 5 gallon bucket, containing supplies for family hygiene. Later we distributed cooking pots, dishes, and other items to prepare food. Fresh water was a serious problem so we set up water purification systems to deliver the needed water.

The immediate survival of most people has been
assured and the emphasis has changed to helping the families begin the process of rebuilding. The majority of people are subsistence farmers with no financial reserves, insurance, or other means to rebuild. We are still distributing some food and material to rebuild houses. Cleaning wells that were filled with dirty salt water is also a major activity.

I visited the delta to meet with the ADRA team and to see the projects we are running. The World Food Programme is using Russian built MI-8 helicopters provided by Ukraine to transport personnel between Yangon and the two largest towns in the delta. By helicopter the trip takes an hour. During the dry season it takes 4-6 hours to drive. Now, during the rainy season it can take 12-24 hours.

The team has done a great job under incredibly difficult circumstances. Most have worked with
us since the early days of the disaster and have accomplished wonders. ADRA has continued to
gain trust in the region and a reputation for both good work and good people. I’m proud of them.

ADRA Myanmar has a small navy of boats for our
work. We use inflatable Zodiacs for moving work
teams from village to village and larger, traditional boats for moving our supplies and the material we are distributing. Our water and sanitation team has one boat that serves as transportation and housing so the teams can stay on location for several days. We used the Zodiacs to visit two of the ADRA centers for distribution and assistance. It took about 2 hours to reach the first center and another hour to get to the second. The trip back took about 3.5 hours. The direct line distance isn’t far but the rivers and canals
wind around and the travel distance is much longer.

One community where we have a center had a brick school. The cyclone destroyed the school
and many people who sought refuge inside were killed. ADRA constructed a temporary tent and
school has resumed. Students sit on the floor and use the benches as writing desks. I had to
apologize to the teacher because when I stuck my head in, learning stopped. Reminds me of
EAA. Many people here make a paste form the bark of a tree and apply it to their faces. It is
considered sun protection and decorative. Women and children use it and it is more popular in
the rural area.

Remember, email goes both ways in this modern
age.

Stop by if you are in the neighborhood.

Doug

23 August 2008 Photos