Shelter from the Storm: A Lifeline for Karenni's Displaced
In the following excerpt, we wish to introduce you to one of our heroes. This is one of our ground contacts who has been doing incredible work on the ground to support those in need, often at great personal risk and sacrifice to himself. The tremendous caring and generosity we see across Myanmar society continues strongly today, and with people like the following individual managing your donations, we can rest with absolute certainty that it is good hands. Please take a moment to read his message in your own voice, understanding who he is and why he is doing what he is doing, and if you are so moved, please consider a contribution of any size.
“Their parents had to flee continuous bombings by artillery and fighter jets, as well as fighting between the local resistance and the military. Their kids endure extremely difficult conditions, especially during the summer when access to water is scarce.”
I have been dedicating my life to the people of Kayah State and Southern Shan State for the past 10 years. In my job before the military coup, my main responsibilities were to relief people's suffering because of natural disasters such as fire or lack of water. My good knowledge of the terrain and the fact that people knew me and trust me, allowed me to efficiently distribute aid in many remote villages.
Then when the Military Junta did a coup in February 2021, I was one of the first people in the Kayah State to participate in the Civil Disobedient Movement . I decided to relocated myself and my family, in a village that is located in southern Shan State. This village has so far been miraculously spared by the military junta attacks. As you can imagine, many people had to flee the bombings and attacks in the Kayah State, and a lot of them settled in IDP camps around my new home. Here I have been managing a Boarding House which tries to offer quality education to local children who can't afford to attend school. Before the Covid and the coup we even had the visit from Sayadaw U Tejaniiya who supported our students through small donations. We welcomed 21 boys and girls for the 2023-24 school year and we are now in the process of selecting 40 students for school year 2024-25.
During the past 3 years, besides my responsibilities as the manager of the Boarding School I have also ;participated in several food and medicine distributions in the many IDP camps in the region.In 2023 July i was appointed as a Department officer of Humanitarian and Rehabilitation in Karenni. I serve one hundred thousand of IDPs in Karenni State. It is really a big challenges for that. But i try my best for the sake of IDPs.
People do also call me when they need financial or psychological support. Two weeks ago for example, I was called in a village which was bombed by a fighter jet. One man lost all his six family members (2 parents, 2 daughters, 1 sister, 1 wife) in just an instant. I tried to console him and offered him some food.
As you can see I have a lot of experience and great knowledge of the IDP camps in the region and I can assure you that I can use your donations appropriately and efficiently. Please note though that all internet connections in Kayah state have been cut for more than 6 months. I mostly have to rely on Starlink devices.
Regarding the food distribution to the children in the camp near my current village, I first need to purchase the food. This process is very complicated and dangerous as I need to go and buy it nearby and go 60 miles to do so, to a place which is still partly under the control of the military junta. Then I must arrange for its transportation to the camp location near us, before distributing it to the children I will make sure that this donation is well-documented with photographs.
I wish to tell you a story about the children so you better understand the situation. Most of them come from Demoso and Pekon Township and have been living in this camp for about three years. Their parents had to flee continuous bombings by artillery and fighter jets, as well as fighting between the local resistance and the Tatmadaw. They endure extremely difficult conditions, especially during the summer when access to water is scarce. They live in tarpaulin tents, often with six people sharing a single tent. Due to the heat and poor living conditions, many children develop skin infections. The tarpaulin tents become very hot, and the lack of water and soap exacerbates the poor hygiene conditions.
Besides those health concerns, currently the main problem is the lack of food. Many children are severely malnourished because no foreign aid can reach these areas. Initially, they relied on the food their parents brought with them and on donations, but now they have no more food reserves, and donations are very rare. This is why I feel it’s important to provide them with some rice and meat.
As you can see, I have a lot of experience and great knowledge of the IDP camps in the region. I can assure you that I will use your donations appropriately and efficiently. Your support is very important for us to continue providing food, medicine, and help to those who need it most. Every donation can make a big difference, helping children get nutritious food, and families to find some stability.