Story
Dear Friends,
Two years ago today, on 2nd
May 2008, a powerful cyclone Nargis hit south and rice bowl of Myanmar, the
Ayeyarwaddy delta, killing 240,000 and left 2.4 million in destitution. It was
the worst natural disaster in Myanmar's
history. More than half of those who died are women and children and those
children who survived lost one or both parents and they are in great need of
help.
The rural poor were hardest hit
by the strong wind and tidal waves as mangrove forests, the natural defences in
the event of such disasters, have disappeared long ago due to many years of
illegal logging. The scale of destruction was worst in Bogalay Township.
For example, in a group of 38 villages (known as village tract), all 3174
houses disappeared under 15 feet high tidal waves. Of the 15,918 people only
3069 survived. There are similar stories in other townships in the same area.
There remains enormous problem
for those orphans who lost one or both parents. The government prevents legal
adoption to prevent child trafficking but encouraged the nearest relatives and
close family friends to look after the children. Its policy is to keep orphans
in their own community where possible. Only those children with no carers were
sent to centres run by the social services.
The majority of orphans live with
their close relatives, usually grandparents, who themselves are old with no
regular income. Therefore it is real strain to feed extra mouths. However, they
do their best to share whatever they have with the children and also tried to
send them to school.
It cost about one dollar a day to
support an orphan i.e. $360 per annum for food, accommodation, as well as for
their education.
FORM is an environmental charity
with no previous experience in disaster management. However, due to the
national disaster during cyclone Nargis in 2008, FORM has participated in the
emergency relief work during the crisis by donating essential needs to the
cyclone survivors. This was only possible due to the generous donations of
friends from different parts of the world when FORM and BOB/ malikha Lodge made
an on-line appeal (Justgiving etc). It is also due to the donation of ETW as
well. Following that we are taking part in the rehabilitation projects in the
delta area by planting trees to restore the mangrove forest, digging wells to
provide clean water for villages as well as building embankment to prevent salt
water pollution to rice field.
We now have a scheme of adopting
cyclone orphans by providing financial support. It cost just a dollar a day to
support each child for food and for his/her to continue with education. You
have the choice for the full support e.g. $360 for one year or $30 for a month.
Myanmar used to have the 4th
largest natural mangrove forests in the Asia Pacific region. At least 50
percent of it has disappeared mainly due to illegal logging. There is
scientific evidence that mangrove forests are natural defences which save lives
in the events of cyclones and tsunamis. The magnitude of death (240,000) during
cyclone Nargis is mainly due to the destruction of such natural defences. Mangrove
forests have unique eco system for its rich marine life providing food and
shelter as well as for breeding of marine life such as fish and prawns. As
evergreen tropical forests each acre of mangroves removes 20 tons of CO2 from
the atmosphere and exudes O2 back into it.
We guarantee to plant a mangrove
tree for just one US dollar. We will plant and maintain your tree for at least
50 years followed by sustainable extraction. Our school children are
enthusiastic to help in tree plantation. It is quite educational for them as we
explained them about global warming, climate change and its catastrophic
consequences. Children in the cyclone-hit areas have already seen it.
Myanmar
is the biggest country in South East Asian peninsula about the size of Texas. It has vast
natural resources including tropical rain and mangrove forests. A lot has been
destroyed but they can be restored provided we have financial resources.
We, in FORM, are doing what we
can to prevent or minimise the climate change as well as helping those poor
cyclone orphans.
Please help us to help them.
Thank you,
Dr Win Maung
President and founder
Friends of Rainforests in Myanmar (FORM)