New Adventure, New Nation
Well, we have some news at the Havens’ house. I have told Escondido Adventist Academy that 15 years is enough and it is time for me to move on. I have agreed to go to Myanmar (Burma) to serve as the Interim Country Director for ADRA Myanmar. The office is in Yangon (Rangoon). Several years ago the government changed the name of the country and many of the cities but not everyone got the memo.
ADRA has been working in Myanmar for several years. Following the devastation of Cyclone Nargis in May, ADRA conducted emergency relief assistance but now the focus is on reconstruction and development.
The expectation is that they will name a permanent Country Director within 6 months. This is similar to the interim position I took in Peru 4 years ago and it took them a year to name the permanent director so I don’t know how long I will actually be there.
Since this is a short term assignment, Martha will continue with the Pacific Union Office of Education. She will come to visit but we aren’t closing up here and moving there.
I don’t have a departure date yet but I will keep you posted.
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You may remember (unless those sessions with the shrink have improved your brain) that while living in China I sent out the Beijing Buzz. In Peru it morphed into the Lima Loco and now it evolves to Yangon Yinyang. Scholars and historians agree, this isn’t where they look for useful information but it’s my way of entertaining myself and letting family and friends know why I haven’t written lately.
Now is the time to make plans to come and visit. My niece Carrie is a tour guide for Collette Vacations which has tours to Thailand and Myanmar is next door so she will be arranging my visitor schedule. We are looking forward to this and will let you know the address and when you should arrive.
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Cyclone Nargis Survivors in Myanmar Continue to Receive ADRA Assistance
Silver Spring, Maryland— Twelve weeks after Cyclone Nargis struck southern Myanmar, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) continues to meet the needs of survivors, providing emergency food aid, shelter materials, sanitation, water, health care, and other assistance to thousands of survivors displaced since the deadly storm that struck the night of May 2 and killed approximately 85,000 people, with more than 53,000 still missing, according to the latest assessment.
In June alone, ADRA provided food aid to more than 49,000 people, including nearly 400 metric tons of rice, legumes, oil, and salt. On June 4, ADRA expanded its relationship with the World Food Programme (WFP) and agreed to distribute an additional 4,526 metric tons of food rations over six months in the Labutta and Myaungmya Townships. ADRA is the largest partner of WFP in Myanmar and distributes as much as 40 percent of WFP commodities nationally.
In the Labutta Township, ADRA is partnering with various donors including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department for International Development (DFID) of the British Government to increase access to clean water among vulnerable cyclone-affected people by cleaning the local water reservoirs or “ponds,” and providing water purification units, jerry cans, household kits, shelter materials, tool kits, and other goods prior to the end of the rainy season. Its efforts focus on Pyinsalu Sub Township, one of the hardest hit areas in the Irrawaddy Delta where approximately 65,000 people survived. At present, ADRA is helping clean-up water reservoirs in 106 villages throughout Pyinsalu, and plans are underway to desalinate approximately 50 additional reservoirs.
ADRA has also increased its sanitation activities through a second grant from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), which will further combat the spread of waterborne diseases in the township and reduce illness through improved sanitation. The project will construct a total of 1,550 latrines and more than 350 waste disposal pits and cement washing areas. ADRA has developed and is distributing child-focused coloring books, information labels, and other educational materials to reinforce good hygiene practices in conjunction with its distribution of hygiene kits and water jerry cans to more than 7,500 families. In addition, ADRA has distributed plastic sheeting, household kits, cooking sets, mosquito nets, clothing, baby hygiene kits, and additional aid.
Cyclone Nargis highlighted Myanmar’s vulnerability to high-impact, low-frequency natural hazards, as well as the need for the country to undertake a range of actions for reducing, mitigating and managing disaster risks in the future to avoid similar catastrophes. The Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA) report released by the Government of the Union of Myanmar, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations (UN) on July 21, 2008, confirmed that the cyclone caused widespread destruction to homes and critical infrastructure, including roads, jetties, water and sanitation systems, fuel supplies and electricity. A large number of water supplies were contaminated and food stocks damaged or destroyed. The winds tore down trees and power lines, while the accompanying storm surge submerged countless villages.
To send your contribution to ADRA’s emergency response effort, please contact ADRA at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372) or give to the Myanmar Cyclone Fund at www.adra.org ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.
Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org
