Progress Report from Burma
Area Development Programme for Hlaing Tharyar (West)…
Regular visitors to this blog may recall an active interest I hold in an area of Myanmar called Hlaing Tharyar. For it is the home of a young six year old girl whom I have sponsored during her short life and an area sadly neglected by not only her own corrupt government but so many others in the West. It was back in 2008 when a devestating cyclone struck the area close to her village killing and wounding hundreds and leaving a trail of destruction none of us could ever comprehend.
It was a tense few weeks waiting for word of May Mi Mi, I had no idea if she were alive or dead, if she had survived but made homeless like so many others like her. Thankfully I received a letter from her mother saying that they had all survived but her husband’s only source of income as a food vendor had been badly affected. Since then I have received regular updates from World Vision, the organisation I sponsor May Mi Mi through and it is heartwarming to see how my money is being spent and the improvements they have managed to make on these poor people’s lives.
First of all I received a great photo of May Mi Mi, she is growing up quickly and she sent me a short ‘questionaire’ which her teacher had filled in for her telling me she goes to kindergarten on foot, likes playing with her doll and has had a medical check up. She helps her parents with errands and still wants to be a teacher since the last time she ‘told’ me.
The charity has helped with a number of projects in the area but what I find really interesting is the way in which they are teaching the local community to help themselves in terms of health, education and training which has improved the sense of community to give them stability and, I hope a future to look forward to. The children now have access to a nutritional feeding programme and check up’s for Tuberculosis whilst the adults receive disaster management training to better prepare themselves for (God forbid) a repetition of 2008.
I do enjoy receiving these updates and whilst I realise I am not directly supporting May Mi Mi in person and that she is a face to a wider audience it still serves as an important reminder to me of how lucky I am and how, despite all that they have been through remain positive and thankful for what they have. A lesson to us all methinks.
If you can make your way through the world and do a bit of good on the way then surely that’s a success.
It’s genuinely heart warming to read
Best
Rod
July 14, 2010 @ 8:21 am
Miles,
Ripples on a pond….. one good turn could spread out and in time help others. How many people are in real strife in this world I wonder? If everyone who can afford to help did so then would anyone ever go hungry or without a vital vaccination?
Cid
July 14, 2010 @ 2:28 pm
Miles,
Thank you for helping May Mi Mi. I can tell you that your generosity indeed has huge ripple effects—what might seem like small, individual efforts half the world away means so much to the people in Burma. And you’ll never find a population more grateful for that generosity.
July 14, 2010 @ 5:43 pm
Good in every sense, Miles.
And you are right, community ownership is the key to sustainability. I’m a Heifer International supporter myself and as a family, we help Catholic Charities because we like their big impact with little overhead approach.
Heifer ‘teaches people to fish’ by giving agricultural animals and husbandry skills but also requiring offspring from animals given be passed on to other villagers so that the circle widens. Program workers also come back on a regular basis to see how things are going and give more training as needed. Gender equity is another key to their programs that I like a lot.
I pass World Vision DC-HQ everyday on my way to work. Once looked into a job there - but I wasn’t religious enough. Still, I have to admit, they do good work - as your sponsorship proves.
Laura
July 14, 2010 @ 6:47 pm
Rod,
Glad you approve, we need a reminder once in a while don’t we?
Miles
July 14, 2010 @ 10:38 pm
Cid,
You’re right. I think it’s important to try and leave some small mark on the world, I hope to anyway.
Miles
July 14, 2010 @ 10:40 pm
Karen,
I’m glad that you’ve commented here because I follow your writings on these matters and I know how passionate you and Jerry are about the plight of these people. What strikes me most is their positivity despite it all. Truly remarkable people.
Miles
July 14, 2010 @ 10:42 pm
Laura,
Great comment, didn’t know that about Heifer or World Vision’s religeous standpoint. To be honest I just remember thinking to myself one day that it seemed unlikely that I would ever have children so I should make some kind of contribution to children and their parents who needed it most.
I’m glad I do, it feels right somehow.
Miles
July 14, 2010 @ 10:47 pm