We take a four hour drive to Tbaeng Meanchey in Preah Vihear province with Carol Cassidy. Our first stop the abandoned children’s orphanage, Carol has supported for the last 10 years, to deliver blankets, mosquito nets, rice and vegetables.
By Nina
We drove up country 1 hour on hard surface, 2.5 hours on dirt road 80% full of pot holes. Our destination Tbaeng Meanchey in Preah Vihear province Carol Cassidy’s ‘studio’ so primitive, dirt floors, endearing weavers, amazing to find such luxurious textiles created ‘from the red earth’. Here over 40 rural artisans, land mine survivors earn a sustainable income under the generous care of Carol’s NGO Weaves of Cambodia.
From the red earth of Preah Vihear, Cambodia, a community of determined land mine survivors is creating a sustainable income through traditional weaving. In 1998 with five women making silk products and now employs over 40 rural artisans who use their artistic skills to earn a sustainable income. “We strive to uphold Fair Trade values by ensuring that all team members are able to enjoy a healthy and safe working environment.” Carol Cassidy.
Patient Total October 2008
| October 2008 | Year to Date | Total since 1999 | |
| Outpatient | 12,860 | 92,733 | 601,469 |
| Inpatient | 214 | 2,339 | 24,876 |
| Intensive Care Unit | 58 | 622 | 3,894 |
| Low Acuity Unit | 85 | 856 | 7,741 |
| Emergency | 603 | 6,418 | 88,051 |
Dear Nina, John, Sue and Wieland,
I have sent you a thank you similar to the attached but just wanted to make sure you did receive it.
The truck is wonderful and has really made a difference to the lives of the children in our direct care and the children in our free school. I took a group of young children to the zoo near Kanchanaburi last week and they loved going in the truck. So much easier to keep the children safe and to manage large numbers.
The truck has even made a couple of late night emergency runs to the hospital in Kanchanaburi.
It is brilliant, Thank you,
Kind regards, Mark
Manager
Children of the Forest Project
Sangkhlaburi
Thailand.
Over the past four months, we have made tremendous progress towards assisting in the recovery from Cyclone Nargis made possible with your generous donations. Although this disaster has faded from the media, the job of rebuilding lives continues to be a challenge.
Along with providing for the most basic needs of simple food, water and temporary shelter, the donated funds have been used for:
On August 6th, close to 8,000 lbs of donated medicines and high energy food were successfully air lifted to Yangon from Vancouver with 100% of the goods cleared without interference from government authorities. The value of this shipment exceeded $300,000 CDN.
Myanmar remains one of the more interesting, least travelled, delightful countries in the world to visit, regardless of its politics. It is easy to travel in Myanmar with much of the money tourists spend going directly to the local people. We would encourage you to consider exploring this fascinating country.
On 15 August 2008, Burmese Travel Agent, William Myatwunna, who has handles our travel arrangements and for several other Vancouver travellers was named one of the world’s 128 Top Travel Specialists by New York based Condé Nast Traveler magazine. William is the managing director of Good News Travels Myanmar.
http://www.myanmargoodnewstravel.com/
goodnewstravels@gmail.com
How many days were you in the Delta?
Three days
How long getting there?
7 hours by car which is enough to kill you, 7 hours by ferry and 2 hours by my raft with a 40 HP motor. Left at 2 am and got there for dinner. Very difficult trip!!!
What did you see?
50 % of the homes have USAID plastic sheeting on their homes. Lots of homes completely destroyed. Very sad eyes. Lots of children and life moving on as normal. Except the people are having to live on hand outs rather than making a living. They want to get back to making a living. Shortage of, actually a lack of supplies,i.e. have no fishing nets and they desperately need these nets now or they will miss the fishing season!
And in terms of permanent physical damage to the landscape?
I did not see any real physical damage to the landscape. It certainly is very beautiful down there.
What was the state of rebuilding?
Those that can rebuild are rebuilding. Those who cannot are not rebuilding. I don’t think there is any corruption. I met with hundreds of villagers and their only request was for nets so they can start fishing next week when the fishing season starts.
What is mood of the locals?
Very sad. Most have lost so many family members. They feel hopeless because they have to depend on hand outs and can not get on with their life because they lack the tools to earn a living.
Did they look healthy or hungry?
They are fine. Just very depressed and feel hopeless. In your opinion what do you see or sense will be the most difficult issue in the coming months? Post traumatic stress!!! Food shortages!!!
Trust you are well…When will we see you in BKK? I hope to be back down in the Delta in November and December. I truly hope you can help with some fishing nets ASAP. The season is just starting and it is during the next 3 months that the majority of the fish are caught for the year. After meeting with hundreds of villagers it was obvious that this is what is needed more than anything. Your help would be very much appreciated. Thanks, KM
by Colin Hinshelwood
Concierge.com‘s Insider Guide
Last Spring, while Myanmar’s government was refusing foreign aid for the survivors of Cyclone Nargis, local travel companies were among the first to provide relief. When little Ma Pandaw grows up, she can tell her pals she was born on a luxurious cruise ship. She first saw the light of day in its bar, which served as a temporary delivery room after the ship was converted into a mobile hospital to treat victims of the cyclone that swept through Myanmar s Irrawaddy Delta in May.
Ma Pandaw s mother, 17-year-old Khin Mar Oo, named her baby in honor of the ship in which she was born. The Pandaw IV was lent to the cyclone relief effort by Pandaw Cruises, one of dozens of tour companies, hotels, and resorts in Myanmar that responded to the Cyclone Nargis disaster by collecting donations and offering their staff, transportation, expertise, and, in this case, a replica of a nineteenth-century steamboat. We have collected $600,000, mostly from former passengers, said Pandaw Cruises founder Paul Strachan, adding that another $150,000 had been pledged.
The Kitchen Soup project is going great and delighted to help.
Sorry for late Reply because I was seriously ill for 3 days and I could not go anywhere. I went to clinic and now I feel better but I am coughing non-stop. I also take medicine for cough but it is not better.
I go to help every Friday to cook and deliver the food with my new friend Merlyn. We together feed the children rice and curry and also check what the monk needs for coming week to feed the children. There are 138 primary students, who can not afford to attend school so instead they come and study school lessons in this Monastery. There are 3 teachers, 5 cooks and about 15 monks at this Monastery. Last month, we made a meeting with teachers and monks to donate weekly to feed the children.
It’s very sad to hear so many within Yangon are living in harsh conditions in damages homes without any help. We’ve seen the same problem in area we are volunteering in. Our team came back on Saturday and said that they had visited the villages that were rated 2nd on the scale of disaster but they are very desperate and have not received any aid. They need basic things like food and tarpaulin and clothes as they are busy planting right now but have no food or money to sustain them. The worst hit villages are now been well cared for. We are therefore concentrating still on getting food and clothing to those villages that are hardest to reach and have not received aid yet.
Yes, everyone is busy focusing on the Delta. However, I will see if there is anyone with the organization and infrastructure to help. Everyone’s funding is for the Delta regions. I think any work in Yangon would be dependent on if you were able to raise the funds for this. Hope you can!
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