Friday 1 August 2008
Save the Children, the biggest international aid agency responding in Myanmar (Burma), has already reached over half a million people, including 225,000 children.
"A great deal has been achieved in the last three months, but there is still so much more work to do. It will take years for these families to rebuild their lives. It's vital that aid agencies, like Save the Children, have enough money to keep working," says Guy Cave, Director of Programmes for Save the Children in Myanmar.
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Min Min, 6, lives in a village surrounded by rice fields and huge trees. His home was destroyed when Cyclone Nargis tore through Myanmar in May this year.
"When the cyclone hit we ran off to an old barn. I was very scared," Min Min recalls. "And when the cyclone came we thought it was only going to last for a few hours. But it lasted all night. I was with my mother when it happened and we just ran."
"Our house was completely destroyed," Min Min's mother says. After some days the family started building a new place out of bamboo and this is where they live right now.
The education of children like Min in was badly affected during the emergency. More than 4,000 schools were damaged or destroyed. Many schools that did survive the storm have been transformed into temporary shelters.
Min Min's school felt the force of Cyclone Nargis and is still to dangerous for students to go near.
It is essential that we help children like Min Min return to education. Temporary schools, like the one provided for Min Min, offer safe spaces for learning, as well as the opportunity to provide support for children.
Min Min was able to attend his 2nd grade class, in a temporary school that has recently been built by Save the Children. "I like everything about school," Min Min says. "I like to read and to play with my friends. I like studying mathematics and I want to be a doctor when I grow up."
Save the Children has helped over 51,000 students return to education. 70 schools have been repaired and we have built 183 temporary schools. "For children this age, education is on of the most important things. In the aftermath of a disaster, education can create a safe and happy environment," says Min Min's teacher.
Thin, 9, lives in a camp near Labutta, Delta West Region, for people that have been displaced from their homes. "These families lost everything and are dependent on the food they receive to survive," says Thein Zaw, Livelihoods Manager, Save the Children.
"The cyclone flattened farm land, destroyed farming and fishing equipment, killed livestock and contaminated water. Farmers have said that they don't have enough seeds to plant this season and cannot afford to cover the costs of fertilisers or new equipment for the next seasons planting," says Guy Cave, Emergency Program Manager, Save the Children.
"The paddy field were flooded with seawater during the storm. I am really worried that the baby rice plants will not grow well this year," says Kyaw Soe. Save the Children is launching immediate livelihood support to help 134,000 people.
After the cyclone Daw Tin Tin is struggling to keep her business going. She used to be able to travel by boat to get stock, but because of increasing fuel prices hiring a boat has become too expensive. "Before Nargis, the prices of vegetables were half toady's price," says Daw Tin Tin.
Pho Wai, 14, lost both his parents in the storm. He and his brother now live with his aunt. Like many families, Phyo Wai's aunt is forced to make difficult choices between paying for his education and helping her family recover.
In addition to our food distributions, we'll be supporting families to rebuild their livelihoods by helping them buy the essential items they need such as fertiliser, fishing nets and diesel for tillers which are used to work the land. We're also providing repair kits for items such as fishing nets and boats. Over 190,000 people will benefit directly from our livelihoods intervention.
Please support our work to help families recover and return children to school by making a donation online or by calling 0800 8148 148.
Save the Children's immediate response has included giving out plastic sheeting to 100,000 families to build shelters, distributing 1.9 million kgs of rice, 96,000 sachets of diarrhoea treatment, 10,500 mosquito nets, 7,000 blankets and 14,000 bars of soap.
As the response moves into the rehabilitation phase, Save the Children will be helping children get back to school, helping parents to start earning money again and looking after children who were orphaned or separated by the cyclone. We have set up 78 safe play areas for around 8,000 children, given out school supplies and helped over 50,000 children get back to school.