Monday January 25th, Taste the World, a wine tasting at the Four Seasons Hotel 7pm – 9:30pm. It is a CWAF sponsored event… net proceeds to benefit Angkor Hospital for Children. Bring your cheque to bid on the silent auction!!!

Link to purchase tickets online is http://www.fwab.org/help_event.php.

OR to purchase by cheque before January 15th only:
Cheques payable to “Angkor Hospital for Children”, mail to

(After January 15th up to 4pm January 22nd, please hand deliver cheques to 2160-650 West Georgia Street.)

Click here for a black on white printable version of the official flyer

Check out some of the items in the silent auction

“As the recent apocalyptic Myanmar (Burma) hurricane unfolded before our eyes on hundreds of millions of screens, the world watched with impotence. The numbers of those killed in the swath were staggering: over 100,000 (the real number may never be known); over 1.5 million people homeless, without food, shelter, water or medicine. Living in our relative security, try to imagine what it must be like trying to survive such conditions even for a week!

Fortunately, we’ve joined up with Nina & John Cassils, and their very worthy and credible non-profit Myanmar Relief effort. John and Nina have been heroes on this side of the world, selflessly working 20 hour days raising awareness and funds, and making sure that all relief gets to the people in the worst affected areas. Nature’s Path is having the honour of contributing several pallet loads of energy bars that will make a difference between life and death for many families. I heartily urge all who can help with food, medicine, water purification equipment and funds, to support legitimate Myanmar Relief, where every day, every hour counts.”
Arran & Ratana Stephens

65_REDROSES will Premiere on THE PASSIONATE EYE on CBC News Network (formerly CBC Newsworld) on Monday, Nov.16 at 10pm ET/PT …

This week, CW Asia Fund received a very generous donation of Pharmasave Children’s chewable multi-vitamins, Gastrolyte oral rehydration salts and Nexcare first aid Steri-strip for closing small cuts. These products will be used by Dr. Frank Smithuis and staff in rural Yangon.

We are very grateful to Mr. Lap Wu for making these critical products available.

Thank you!

In October CW Asia Fund faced the sudden passing of a wonderful friend.

Dusan Svedic, October 19, 1944 – October 19, 2009. Our beloved Dusan died tragically with his two brothers in an auto accident on the 19th of October, 2009 in Gornji Milanovac, Serbia, Yugoslavia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to a fund in memory of Dusan Svedic at the CW Asia Fund/TIDES Canada Foundation.

Dusan was the happiest traipsing through the jungles of SE Asia, In memory of Dusan, CW Asia Fund together with Alexander and Grania will continue to support his love for children’s education and healthcare in the countries he love to travel and explore.

CW Asia Fund public service announcement preceded the private thank you screening of 65_ RedRoses on Sunday October 25, 2009 at the VanCity Theatre.

VIFF 2009 Closing Gala Awards: 65_RedRoses scoops up three awards
By Craig Takeuchi

“It was 65_RedRoses’s big night. The documentary about a local cystic fibrosis patient was the big winner at the Vancouver International Film Festival’s closing gala awards presentation on October 16 at the Granville 7 Cinema.”

“The documentary by local filmmakers Philip Lyall and Nimisha Mukerji, about the struggles of Lyall’s friend Eva Markvoort while she was awaiting a lung transplant, scooped up three awards.”

As of September 30th, the building for the satellite project at Sotnikum is 80% complete. Due to some cost savings, the building has been extended to 17 x 17 meters and has a covered waiting area in front. In addition, the water tank for the entire Sotnikum hospital has been refurbished and a donated water purification system will be installed in December which will benefit the entire facility.

Overall, the project is a little ahead of schedule. Currently, the supplies and equipment for the facility are being purchased and training for new staff will begin in the next few months ahead. A combination of expatriate and Khmer Physician staffing will ensure both enough quantity and quality of staffing to make the venture successful.

Read more …

“I (Ms. Anonymous) just talked to a friend from UNICEF Myanmar who is working in the disaster area in Myanmar. Just as we heard, it sounded quite exhausting and frustrating to work out there. My UNICEF Volunteer friend has been working in a village called Laputta where over 40,000 people are displaced. UNICEF Volunteer said the resources that actually get there are too little, both human and material. For example, babies who lost their mothers need milk, but they could not find powder-milk to give. There are not enough clean clothing and footwear for people to change. Doctors have been warning about the outbreak of tetanus and other infectious diseases. The price of construction material for shelter is sky-rocketing ($200/10-person shelter). ”

Source: UNICEF Myanmar May 22, 2008 11:16am

Can you work effectively in Myanmar?

“You can work here very well, and to say that you can’t is a lie,” said Frank Smithuis, a physician and the longtime country director for Medecins Sans Frontieres. “Look, the human rights record is shaky, yes, and it’s politically nice to beat up Burma, but the military has actually been quite helpful to us.” Dr. Smithuis said the delta had recovered well enough – and that enough other agencies were working there – that he had deployed his staffers to poorer, needier parts of the country.

“Because of sanctions there is a lot of suffering, and we see that particularly in the humanitarian-aid field,” said Frank Smithius, Myanmar country director for Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders. “There’s definitely hope in the aid community that the policy will be reconsidered.”

“The Myanmar people are victims of a humanitarian boycott,” Smithius said. “There is enormous pressure on politicians in the West to look politically correct, and they get human rights brownie points by being very strict on aid.” (Source: Myanmar loses aid to political “brownie points” – Bloomberg 5 May 2009)

Read more …