Thank you! Metta would like to thank all the support that is pouring in from our friends abroad (see bank information below for more donations). We are much encouraged by it, and it keeps us going even in these difficult times. Many of you are asking us for proposals, and we are happy to announce that our staff is in the last stages of finalizing the global budget and proposal!

Metta has been present in the area since the aftermath of the Tsunami in 2004, and this has enabled us to mount a quick response. In Yangon, the Program Director and Communication Officers are working day and night, with additional help from many skillful volunteers. We have been able to mobilize local organizations and people from the area who can act there. Here is a breakdown of the most current number of staff members and volunteers.

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2000 hrs

Thank you! Metta would like to thank all the support that it pouring in from our friends abroad. We are much encouraged by it, and it keeps us going in these difficult times. Many of you are asking us for proposals, but we are responding at the moment on the run, so please trust that we have competent people that are doing all they can, and meanwhile accept our updates you on the situation as it evolves, including the support we have provided and are planning to provide.

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“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
Nature’s Path Foods Inc.

Press Release
Yangon, 13 May 2008 – Yoma Strategic Holdings Limited, SPA Myanmar and First Myanmar Investment Company (private non government related businesses) have taken over responsibility for Cyclone Nargis relief support for two of the hardest hit areas in the Irrawaddy Delta, Ngaputaw Township and Hainggyi Island on the tip of the Delta on Pagoda Point at Cape Negrais.

Initially, as a group, we envisage supporting 20,000 people in these two Delta towns – Cyclone Nargis passed directly through Hainggyi Island, and past just below Ngapudaw. Our initial assessment team returned to Yangon last night from the Delta to report to us on the situation on the ground, and we have established our Relief Command Centre in Yangon at the Grand Meeyahta Suite Apartment 309 to coordinate the main relief effort.

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Two days after we left Myanmar with high hopes and plans for our next few months of aid work, Cyclone Nargis hit the most vulnerable areas of Myanmar along the Iraraddy River. While we were still in Bangkok, John and I began to receive news updates from the field and were forced into a state of shock at the level of devastation and destruction the cyclone had created.

…”Cyclone Nargis” destruction is massive due to 3 – 8 meter surges that went deep inside the country, in effect worse than the Tsunami. Entire villages swept away even 50km behind the coastline… There go your children, there go your wife and there go yourself. We began immediately without assessment of damages to send truckloads full of food, shelter material and a medical team with medicine on a boat to an island. The next truck, boat to another island and so forth. There were many many dead bodies…..

We knew that the logistics and challenges of bring emergency relief aid to the 1.2 million Burmese in remote areas was going to be a challenging undertaking. The best solution for immediate aid was for us to join together with other private donors, local businesses and local NGOs to help those in distress. Returning home through Taipei, we committed to our friends and partners in Myanmar that we would begin fund-raising and co-coordinating relief aid supplies as soon as we arrived home.

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CWAF along with the help of many others filled a 40′ container and shipped it to Cambodia. The container was filled with everything from bicycles for the children at M’Lop Tapang to ultrasound machines for Angkor Hospital for Children. Here are some the emails to CWAF:

CWAF, the container! Thank you! David and I had a seriously mad day at port. I can now totally understand why you were stressed filling it, so much stuff! We are still sorting it out as it got dark and we only half emptied. We already have received great stuff and the bikes were a huge bonus! Will email you more when we have it all unpacked. Warm wishes, Maggie M’Lop Tapang, Project Director (www.mloptapang.org)

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