2008-06-29T02:32:00.000-07:00

"To see how they [cyclone survivors] suffer is a heartbreak. To observe how they refuse to surrender and their determination to rebuild their lives is certainly an inspiration."

Surin Pitsuwan

Secretary General

ASEAN

Up date photos!

2008-06-29T01:13:00.001-07:00

2008-06-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

"To see how they [cyclone survivors] suffer is a heartbreak. To observe how they refuse to surrender and their determination to rebuild their lives is certainly an inspiration."

Surin Pitsuwan
Secretary-General of Asean
Chair of the Asean Humanitarian Task Force

Up Date of Aids distribution!

2008-06-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

Up Date: What is going on?

So far, ABA has raised a little over 20,000 A$. Thanks to you all for your generousity, and kindness. We are truly grateful to both individual as well as friends who not only donate but also organise fund raising for Burmese. Friends from including Germany, Argentina, Dawin, Alice Spring, Sydney, Melbourne sent their donation to ABA to save thousands of lives.The money have been constantly transferred to Burma and Aid have been distributed to more than thirty monasteries in the Irrawaddy through Saytana shin, grass root voluntary organizations.

Saytana shin organization is a respectable voluntary organization whose members include medical professionals to laborers. They have been distribution Aid daily to the remote villages in the Irrawaddy delta [see how http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/on-the-outside-looking-in/788860.aspx].

By using owncars, rented trucks, ships, boats, tractors and carried supplies by themeselves, Saytana shin has outreached the cyclone victims. They drove shipments and dispersed this aid into the devastated delta areas. They are the true heros on the ground.

The monks are doing marvellous job! The monks are existing respected community leaders in Burma. Monks have their own network and access as every Buddhist man has to become a monk at one stage in their lives. Every village has a monastery. While foreign Aid workers are still struggling to get access, and being restricted by bureaucratic hindrances to deliver Aid, these Saytana shin and monks are by passing the military roadblocks with dana practice [see http://www.saytana.wordpress.com.au/], most fundamental practice of Buddhism. It has proven to be the most successful operation. Above all, dana is thousand years old Burmese Buddhist traditional practice by ordinary Burmese and even the most powerful regime can not break it.

What's the biggest challenge for the monks/ volunteers?
Donation! The biggest challenge for them is not a problem of access to the cyclone victims but too much access and too little Aid to offer them. Simple they have not enough Aid to offer. They need more help.

ABA's funding is coming from individual donors like you and me. As now Burma is slowly fading from the world's face, donation is coming fewer. Both monks and saytana shin say that the most difficult thing for them is they have to turn their back from the cyclone victims without being able to offer anything after all the supplies that they carried run out.

One of the monks said ‘after we hand out all our supplies and yet there are still many are lining up. You can see they are desprate. You can see they need help. Seeing those already suffering people under the heavy rain and leaving them behind without being able to offer any food or kinds that break my heart. We got access to the most remote areas within five days but we have not enough supplies to offer.

What more needs to be done?
Help!! Help! Help! After over a month, people are still surviving wihtout shelter, food and anough clothing and blanket. Many receive no aid. Starvation and extreme weather exposure of burning sun and heavy rain are making them sick. Dried clothing, blankets, tarpawling and rice are mostly needed.

Places!

2008-06-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

Monks & Aids!

2008-06-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

Fund Raising for Burma Cyclone Victims

Up date photos!

Up Date of Aids distribution!

Places!

Monks & Aids!