Report n. 4 on the flood relief activities by the Myanmar Salesians of Don Bosco in the area of Chin State and Mandalay Division.

By Fr. Peter Myo Khin, SDB

Yangon - Mandalay, Myanmar

We began with the Rescue program.

As soon as the flood disaster broke out in Kalay township, Chin State, the Salesians of Don Bosco formed a group and went about saving and recuing the lives of the people. The disaster was so great that the victims of the flooded areas were simply under the spell of shock and trauma. Our group consisting of the Salesians, Salesian Sisters, volunteers, past pupils and friends, pooled together our energy and gave a helping hand and brought them to safety. After bringing them to safety, by giving them shelter and make shift camps for them to stay, there were lots of things to be cleared up in the whole locality. The flood brought so many dead animals and filth in town that we had to clear up lots of waste rubbish that everything had to be cleansed up, because the presence of filth and dead animals will bring in many more diseases. After cleansing of the area, we organized at night some Psycho Social supporting programs, by going around the relieved camps to share their sufferings with them and at the same time giving them encouragement and cheers.

Next step is food and nourishment program.

After rescuing the lives of the people, we began distributing food to the flood victims. In the first place, since we are in the Kalay Diocese, where the flood disaster hid the hardest, we allocated some of our contributions to the Bishop and Pastor of Kalay Diocese, so that he could help out in some other disastrous areas in his diocese. Then our group started the distributions of food. Many had not seen food for some days. We distributed rice bags for 400 hundred families for the whole month. The same is done also for the purified water for the whole month. Besides rice and purified water, we contributed cooking oil, Beans, tins of Sardine and salt. Besides, we allotted each family with all the crockery, buckets and cups. (See pictures)

The health care program.

Then comes the medical and health care program. Due to lack of proper food and water and no proper beds, brought in some ailment and sickness to the people. And so a lot of medical care had to be taken care of. Along with the medicine, we had to supply the people with blankets, mosquito-nets. The toilets and the cleanliness to be kept neat and tidy, so as to keep the health care in a tip top condition.

Providing (10) Boats to (10) villages.

For the Mandalay division , in this flood relief program, we provided for the ten villages, a boat each, since they are always under water throughout the year.

Future works still to be done with the victims.

After presenting the initial activities that the Salesians and the group had done, there are still many relief works to be still done. There are many other programs to be done for the people. They are: Livelihood program, Regeneration program, Repairing houses, Rebuilding schools, Building roads and Bridges.

We are very grateful to our friends and benefactors for the wonderful works you are doing for the flood victims and the sufferings. So far the Salesians of Myanmar were able to bring to these flood victim areas relief goods of 70.000 USD thanks to the EAO regional and worldwide solidarity of 10 provinces and many benefactors from East Asia - Oceania, Europe and USA.

God bless you!