News from Burma

May 12, 2008

Dear All,

I know you are hearing a lot on the news about what isn't going well here in terms of delivery of assistance to cyclone survivors.  You're hearing about supply boats sinking, planes impounded and supplies being confiscated over technicalities, the slowness of unloading cargo, distribution being blocked, etc.  While those reports can be corroborated here on the ground, it's enough to drive us all to distraction.  So let me counter all that with a dose of the good stuff - the cooperation and compassion and resourcefulness - that we see evidenced around us from Myanmar people and from both local and international agencies and their staff.

Yesterday, we were helping to re-supply the medical and relief teams that went out earlier last week.  We were also trying to gather supplies for another local organization that is sending out many small groups into a relatively inaccessible area of the Delta.  Based on the experience of the local medical teams last week, we have learned more about the physical forms that relief assistance has to take in order to reach people in need and be most useful to them. 

People in many areas of the Delta rely for much of the year on rain water for their drinking water supply, but they have lost their rainwater collection materials.  Water baskets and water purification supplies are essential to provide, but so are supplies to collect rain water where there is truly no source of "sweet" water close enough.  So part of our job yesterday was to try to quickly figure out a way to provide rainwater harvesting materials.  In fact, based now on two consecutive days of rain, and forecasts of rain every day for the next week, it appears that the monsoon rains are starting in earnest.  So, we're starting to place more focus on rainwater harvesting than on water treatment.

Cooperation between Myanmar organizations and volunteers from community groups is also strong.  Some Myanmar organizations are sharing staff and are setting up rotation systems for volunteers who are being sent to the Delta, in hopes of avoiding complete burnout for everyone involved.  Once out in the areas where they hope to provide relief services, every member of these volunteer groups has a role to play.  When a group of Myanmar volunteers reaches a Delta community in need of assistance, the people from the local area immediately converge and want to tell their stories.  They need to tell someone what happened to them, to their families, to their communities.  What a welcome sight those volunteers must be - no uniforms, no foreign faces and unfamiliar languages - just local people who dress and eat and speak the way the survivors do!  So the first role that the volunteers play is to listen to the outpouring of shock, grief and loss.  Only then can they get set up and begin to provide the services for which they are technically qualified.  While the technical staff set to work, the volunteer drivers, cooks and other support volunteers end up continuing to provide a listening ear.  We are glad that the survivors are able to tell their stories to willing listeners who speak the same languages, but we are concerned at the potential impacts on the volunteers, when they listen day after day to the experiences of trauma. 

Some local groups of people here in Yangon and elsewhere have become frustrated at the lack of widescale, well-organized response from some quarters, and are establishing their own centers for the donation and distribution of relief supplies.  From all accounts, donations from local families and businesses are pouring in and are being sent to the Delta in truckloads.  We sometimes are called upon to connect donors with those who are able to get into the more remote villages in the cyclone affected areas.

Naturally, cash is an issue - most organizations don't keep lots of extra cash on hand in case of these types of disaster situations.  Preparing for potential unrest as a result of the political process here we, fortunately, had a larger than usual amount of cash on hand.  One of our partner organizations was already committing early last week, by handshake, to provide financial support to their established partner agencies here. (In fact, their representative was camping with us in our house for the past 5 days.)  That means the need for the initial paperwork is largely postponed, and our organization's partners can immediately move on getting relief flowing to needy areas, instead of worrying about where the money will come from or taking the time to complete formal assessments and proposals and get formal approval.  An Outside office in Canada was also able to immediately inform us of commitments they were receiving, and so we were able to immediately resource these local teams.  While the scale of these types of grants is not large, it does mean relief has been able to flow very quickly, and besides, a small amount of money still goes a long way in Myanmar.  Please know that your support and the support of our partner agencies has allowed us to respond immediately to the needs here.

A friend of mine sent out one photo in the last update.  He has sent more photos to another organization, so they can post them on their websites.  I don't know how soon that can take place, but you might check every now and again if you are interested.

Cooperation, compassion, resourcefulness - I am fortunate to be surrounded and inspired by these on a daily basis, in spite of all the discouraging news we are also receiving.  I hope you are inspired by these positive stories too.

Love always.

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