HI Burma blog
Note, we have anonymized the identity of our volunteers in Burma for visa reasons. However, we expect to be able to feature more details in the near future.
July 7, 2008
Fundraiser in Brussells!
Austrian volunteers Eva and Netti have arranged a HI Burma fundraiser at the Brasserie Bellevue, Brussells, at 9pm on Saturday, 12 July. Read more about the Hêbê Party. Buy your super-trendy HI Burma T-shirts there!
July 3, 2008
Special focus - Burmese planting season ends soon!
- The rice crop needs to be planted by the end of July (otherwise there will be no harvest in January 2009 and people will have to wait another 6 months for a harvest).
- To make this happen, tillers need to be distributed urgently along with fuel and rice seed. (Traditionally, water buffaloes are used to plough the paddies. The location of the villages and the current situation disqualify these from being appropriate means of urgent relief aid at the moment.)
- In one day, a hand held Rotor Tiller can till approximately 6-7acres of paddy field. This will be adequate to feed one family for one year even with less than optimum yield. 30-50% yield only is expected from the fields, as all of the paddy fields have been flooded with saltwater and sand. They will take years to recover to their optimum levels of production.
May 21, 2008
Hi,
Yesterday we went to a village which is far away from Yangon. We went there with a Burmese Christian who can speak Thai. We had to dressed up like Burmese, so the soliders wouldn't recognize us. We took a boat and a taxi and it took 4 hours to get there.
On the way to that village we passed many villages and saw lots of damage from the storm. Along the way we saw damaged houses because of tree fallen on them, and people who don't have a place to live, so they have had to make tents from wood and plastic or leaves to keep the rain off. We saw lots of people on the side of the road waiting for help or food. They run when they see cars or trucks because they think they might get food or clothes from those. Some truck drive slowly and throw stuff on the ground, and people have to run and chase for it because it so much needed, but there is not enough stuff for them. I saw people sitting in a long line just waiting for first aid. I saw these scenes along the way to the village. On the way back it was raining and people were still standing in the rain because there is no place for them to live. I saw a high-water mark from where it was flooded 2 weeks ago. Some spots are up to 2 meters high.
The place that we went to is another town. The name of the town is P_____. It is small like Pai in Maihongsorn (Thailand), and we took a tricycle to a small village. The same scenes were repeated over and over again with the people no place to stay. They have to stay together in a temple. We saw 100 people sitting in line waiting for another time in the hope that people will come and give food and stuff to them. We walked past the temple to go to the village. We met an old couple who stay with their neighbor because the empty land next door used to be their house. People here have to fix their houses by themselves. Some people have to borrow money, and pay 20% interest per month if they can't pay back. I asked some Burmese what they are going to do if they don't have money to fix their house, and they said they have to stay in a temple or stay with a neighbor. The storm by itself already made everything bad, but the flood make it worse. Any rice that they have is all wet because of the flood and the destroyed houses.
We will go to another village tomorrow which is not far from town.
May 20, 2008
Hi,
We have been here 3 days already. We are doing good and are trying to get into the places that lots of people died, but we can't because they have a checkpoint and the soliders won't allow us to pass to the delta area. Tomorrow we will try to get in again.
We are still in the cappital city of Burma and we met lots of local here and they are trying to help their people too. We just sent some Burmese people to the areas with stuff like clothes, rice and garlic. I heard that some people are moving out of their villages because 95% of people in their village passed away, but the goverment didn't do anything about dead bodies, so it smells so bad. We heard lots of stories about people losing their loved ones during the month and it's so sad. One girl lost her 5-day-old baby from the storm. They said the storm brought lots of water like a big wave, and they are poor people. They didn't have TV or anything to watch in order to be warned about the storm. They thought it was just a normal storm.
I visited one village near town and they live in very small houses made of bamboo, and in that village the water price went up from 20 cents to 60 cents. I know it seem like nothing, but for them, who don't have any jobs, it costs so much for them to live like this. I heard people in Burma get paid less than $30 per month. Some have 5 kids and their houses don't have roofs because of the storm. There are lots of needs here.
I have to go but I will try to upload pictues. I tried but it didn't work this time.
May 12, 2008
Little update here. Thai TV interviewed people who have been able to talk to their families in Yangon. They said they saw the dry food and things that other nations gave to the goverment have been selling in the local market. Our survey team will get their visas for sure. Will keep you updated when there's more. Thank you for finding it in your heart to help.
May 9, 2008
More information: the food can now only be brought in by plane but they will try to find a way to bring trucks in from the Thai border, but we did not have the permission yet. The other way is to buy food in Burma.
May 9, 2008
Morning from Thailand,
My name is G___. I live in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I joined Hi Phi Phi in 2005 and know many awesome people there. I'm trying to go in to Burma as soon as I can. 3 of my Thai friends are going on a survey trip next week to Yangon, so I will be able to give you more information soon. They will be leaving maybe on Wednesday 14th. I will go on the 25th May join with the local Burma NGO, where my friend is working.
I will keep writting when I have more information. Thank you so so so much for all your help. I'm glad to join with all of you.
G___
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