By Fr. Charles Saw, SDB
First phase:
Rescue and support for the afflicted areas:
- Myit Kyi Na (Kachin State)
- Kalay and Neighboring villages (Chin State)
- HinThaDa and Thone Se (Yangon Archdiocese)
When the flood started, we the Salesians in three groups together with the Diocesan Clergy, Past Pupils and Volunteers, tried to reach out to the remote villages in 4 Dioceses ( Myit Kyi Na, Kalay, Mandalay and Yangon).
- We distributed Food (mainly rice, drinking water and instant noodles), beddings (mats and mosquitoes nets), medicines (water purifier pills, skin lotions for itches, dehydration powders and some minor illness remedy).
- We relocated the villagers (mostly women and children) to safety by providing transports (by boats and small ships) and gathered them in Church compounds or state schools buildings for some weeks, providing daily food and beddings.
- We managed to reach out to as many as 60 villages with different supplies.
The second phase:
Re-sending the flood victims back to the respective places with some provisionsof food and medicines for their daily upkeep. This phase is just starting now: Their fields (paddy and seasonal vegetables) are destroyed by the flood or mudslides, causing them to be without food or livelihood for the coming year.
Now our focus in this second phase is on:
- Cleaning the buildings and roads, helping people to re-enter their homes, distributing food and supplies, assisting the people to re-establish their livelihood, assisting the school children.
- Indeed in the early hours of August 28, 2015, two villages near Kalay were swept away by mudslides caused by the heavy rains.
BUT for some places we are waiting for the second or third attack.
Since the flood is not restricted to a limited area, the vastness of extensive needs is beyond our capability. Although in the past we tried to reach out to as many as possible, now we deem it better to focus on the practical number which will be really effective by our service.
There are still many villages where the help does not reach. Some villagers of remote places came on foot for 10 days to ask for help. We are waiting for the other groups (of good will people) to get worn out before we actually reach out to the most needy. We are not doing much except distribution of Food and bedding for the time being.
Documentary photos show the young Salesians of Myanmar in action, delivering the food and first necessities to the most remote areas of flood victims..
Ongoing awareness and fundraising campaign in the EAO region and beyond
Period between 18 – 30 August 2015
Both provincial mission offices of AUL and KOR have already sent a substantial help and continue the campaign; as well the FIN province and PNG-SI Delegation already contributed, while THA province got in touch with MYM. Four of the major Mission Offices (G5) – New Rochelle, Madrid, Torino and Bonn – already offered their help. The SDB Economer General sent to Myanmar one of his staff to help the MYM Vice-province to organize more effectively the accounting and reporting system.
August 30, 2015
APPEAL of the Salesian Mission Offices around the world is going on
Here are the details for the funds transfer for the MYM solidarity through SDB in Hong Kong:
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Bank account title: Salesian Society (Hong Kong)
Bank: Industrial Commercial Bank of China
Account number: 701 530013345
SWIFT code: UBHKHKHH
