The Burma Humanitarian Mission supports community based health-care and education projects that improve lives of the Burmese people. Read more about the Burma Humanitarian Mission here.
This past week, the nation's most popular marathon sold out in record time: 30,000 bibs gone in 2 hours and 27 minutes. Incredible. A lot of runners, however, were frustrated as the registration website crashed on them and they couldn't get into the race. Countless folks felt cheated out of the chance to run the Marine Corps Marathon. Well, there are still thousands of opportunities to run: Charity teams. Why joint a charity team? I've run a dozen marathons. My first 6 marathons...I ran for myself. Lots of pride. Lots of people encouraging me. Then,I started running for charity. It changed the marathon. People respected me for taking on the challenge of a marathon. When I asked folks to support my run...they extended a warm degree of admiration...to give meaning to my miles and transform my run into doing something to help others. Whether they gave $10...$100...or nothing but kind words...their support was unlike the casual comments of support when I ran just for me. Then, during my training runs...during the marathon...when it got tough...I recalled those supporting me. I couldn't and wouldn't let them down They were now part of the marathon...and my legs were theri legs to get to a shared finish line of 26 miles, 285 yards...and helping others. An when it got really really tough, I thought of those I was helping...the pain they endure...how often they were forgotten and had no hope. I kept running...because I and all my supporters had NOT forgotten them. So, hit up the charity page for the Marine Corps marathon...or your local road race. You'll find a cause that speaks to your heart. Every one of them is good. And, if you do have a bib...join a team anyways! Most will extend to you their special perks/benefits. You don't have to run the Marine Corps marathon...or any marathon. You can run for charity in any road race....of any length....any where. Sure, Burma Humanitarian Mission has bibs for the Marine Corps marathon. We also have a team in the San Francisco Marahton, Half Marathon and 5k on June 16t. Come join us! Put a reason in your run. You will not be the same...nor those who support you and those you are helping. See you at the start line...and finish line! Original article was written by Michael Isherwood. The Burma Humanitarian Mission supports community based health-care and education projects that improve lives of the Burmese people. Read more about the Burma Humanitarian Mission here.
On Monday, April 22nd, the European Union considered a permanent lifting of sanctions on the Burma regime. Citing promising signs of freedom, European leaders feel the end of restrictions on the regime is warranted. Yet, one week earlier, the regime’s army wrecked havoc in Eastern Burma. On April 14thand 15th, the Burma soldiers arrested and beat 15 adult men – beating several until they were unconscious. The soldiers destroyed one man’s vehicle and robbed another. During this same time, an army unit fired 10 mortar rounds into Loi Zay village – injuring a 20 month of boy and an 8 year old boy. Further south, another army unit fired 40 shells into the village of Mong Kay, damaging the school and numerous homes. Apparently, not satisfied with the destruction it caused, the soldiers indiscriminately fired automatic weapons into numerous homes. As a result, in the first weeks of this month, more than 400 villagers have fled their homes, seeking sanctuary in other villages or the jungle area. They are cut off from their food supplies, meager medical support and schools – not to mention economic livelihood. Sadly, all this occurs far removed from the media spotlight. It creates a permissive atmosphere for the brutal regime to act with impunity. The EU’s action only reinforces and encourages such activities for their failing to hold the regime accountable. This reality reinforces why cross border organizations, like BHM’s Backpack Health Worker Teams, remain as critical today as they’ve been for the past 14 years. Where there is violence, we shall bring compassion and care. My thanks to those who support us! Original article was written by Michael Isherwood. The Burma Humanitarian Mission supports community based health-care and education projects that improve lives of the Burmese people. Read more about the Burma Humanitarian Mission here.
We have returned to the Thai Burma border once again. This trips affords us the opportunity to connect with our friends in the Backpack medics. We learn quickly that the postiive news out of Burma is only partially accurate. On the positive side, many in the eastern Karen state feel it is easier to move around. The Regime is providing travel documents, allowing them to travel within Burma. At the same time, Army units do extract a tax, complicating necessary travel. What is missing from the reports is the violence that the Burma army continues to inflict in the eastern states, where a ceasefire is more an allegation than a reality. In Y_____ village of Mantong township, Burmese soldiers raped two women in April. Nearby, in Tangyan township, a number of people were forced to act as guides and/or porters for army units. Three young girls, under the age of 16, were forced to lead a patrol to a new village. The trek lasted overnight and the girls were given no food or shelter. A few days later, a group of 5 villagers were forced to guide and porter for an army unit. To ensure they didn't escape, the 5 were tied together. As the soldiers camped over night, they ordered the villagers to fetch water. One young boy reported the tragedy that followed: "When we went to fetch water, my father stepped on a landmine and died. immediately in front of me. My friend's father also died. There was nothing I could do." Death visited those in the east in other forms. Also in April of this year, three soldiers from one of the ethnic group's militia returned to their village in Namsan township to help with the harvest. Despite the donditions of the ceasefire, the Burma army arrested all three and tortured and killed them. Faced with this level of violence and the regime's attitude toward the Karen, Kachin and others, the people of eastern Burma still are confronting violence and instability. The only health care provided to them comes from the backpack medics, who brave the risks to care for their own. Original article was written by Michael Isherwood Rainbow Village Help Center is a TFish Strategics Member. It was established for the purpose of giving glasses to impoverished children.
There are 243 students in Yunnan Pu’er Special Education School. Of these children, 3 have low vision and 38 are mental retarded. The rest of the children have language or learning handicaps. Since there is no doctor at the school, we have to train teachers how to use a visual tasting chart and suggested setting up visual file. The teachers participated in the whole process of vision screening, and they had some preliminary understanding about the students’ vision. Niyao is hearing impaired. He has amblyopia but received no prescription in his childhood. The esotropia with nystagmus became more serious as he grew up. He is 16 now and has missed the best period for treatment. Hou Yinbo was led to low vision by presbyopia in his childhood. With the strong demand from his teacher, his parents bought glasses for him, but they were damaged 3 years ago. His parents have not bought a new pair for him since then. Yingbo’s corrected visual acuity is about 4.4, while the normal child should be above 4.8. We hope his vision will become better or remain stable. (This is the 2nd of a 20-post series that will be posted by Orphan Impact from March 1 to December 31 as we provide feedback to the East Villagers community about how we utilize the $20,000 in funding support we received from Chao Foundations/Transparent Fish Fund).
We "broke ground" this week on the new site that will soon become the headquarters of the Orphan Impact operations in Vietnam. Following a month of bid collecting and price shopping, we selected the architectural design firm of Saigon Eco Construction to represent us in renovating and designing our offices. The firm was incredibly gracious to offer their services to Orphan Impact free-of-charge because of "how impressed they were with our unique way of helping Vietnamese orphan children to prepare for their futures." We are thrilled to have such an amazing company helping us ensure that our space is purpose-built and designed to meet our needs and our goals. Just over 8 months ago, we cancelled the lease on our previous offices so that we could put the $350/month of savings to better use in the orphanages with who we are partnering. We moved our offices into my apartment - cramming desks, computers, projectors, whiteboards, and far too many miscellanous computer parts, cords, and wires into a small spare bedroom. While our staff has been gracious, I know they were growing weary of continually feeling like they were intruding into my personal space. But in about two weeks time, this will no longer be a concern. Our new offices are located in one of the best locations in Ho Chi Minh City, smack dab in the heart of District 1, down the street from the Provincial People's Committee and the famed Rex Hotel. Saigon Eco Construction is helping us to design a space that will be modern, yet modest....professional, yet simple. The space will be set-up to showcase our work in orphanages throughout Vietnam to our visitors, while also providing a comfortable space for our staff to collaborate together while they plan lessons for the children that are aimed towards inspiring them towards an interest in becoming lifelong learners. But the most exciting part of our new office space will be that it will allow us to jumpstart our expansion plan of getting computers and internet training into more orphanages in the Mekong Delta region of the Southern Vietnam. The offices will feature the space we need to begin training new teachers who will begin leading the classes in the new orphanages later this year. As soon as we were awarded the grant from the Chao Foundation/Transparent Fish Fund we knew that we wanted to utilize the funds to help start the expansion of our program into new orphanages to reach new children. Setting up the space for training our new team of teachers is the first step! Original Article was written by Tad Kincaid. HOW is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in the USA, whose staff consists of all volunteers. Its mission is to provide hope and care to neglected, abandoned, and orphaned children in deprived areas of the world with a specific focus on VietNam. WARNING: Graphic images below.
Well, it certainly has been quite a while since I have been able to update everyone on the process and continuing work that Helping Orphans Worldwide, HOW has been working on and there are many updates, changes, wonderful things, horrible upsets, and continued love pouring in. Please know that some of these photos are very upsetting so I will only post a few on this blog, and then will update the album as the photos are coming in. We usually do not post upsetting photos and like to only show the glorious efforts of our work, but in the case of EB (Epidermolysis Bullosa), which is: "A rare genetic skin disease that causes the skin to be so fragile that even the slightest touch will separate the layers of the skin. The skin literally breaks, resulting in painful blisters and open wounds. A mother may never be able to hold her child tightly because the skin would peel off and bleed. Children with EB may never run or play as other children because even the slightest friction will cause them great pain." We really have no choice but to be honest about what happens and the roadblocks we are finding along the way in Vietnam. As EB is genetic the countries, which are developing, are some of the most difficult to get help for. This genetic disorder is horrific anywhere and everywhere but in the countries where the education surrounding EB is limited, we are facing things we had no idea about and hard working with many amazing volunteer doctors, nurses, kind people making wound care donations, and with the wonderful financial help of "Transparent Fish Fund", and "The Ping and Amy Chow Family Foundation" and we are making slow but positive progress, and then we are finding road blocks that make us work harder, hunt for creative solutions and deal with issues that are making our work next to impossible but we will never give up. Panda Care is a volunteer group formed after the May 2008 Sichuan earthquake. They aim to help children living in poverty who lost love ones to the disaster. The Gaoding village is located in the Niejia township of Ganzi Zang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. The villagers live high up in mountain areas where the road has not been paved, and with the lack of education in their community, they are isolated. Many of them do not know the outside world and are afraid of being cheated, so they are reluctant to venture beyond their village to find work. The villagers earn their living by farming, but they can only grow corn and potatoes because of irrigating problems. Children walk nearly 10 miles down mountainous paths to go to school. Such situations make it difficult for the villagers to have any hope or ambition for a better future - a mindset that has been passed down for generations. The severe winter has brought snow to the mountains. We sent a truck-load of clothes and other goods donated from Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Hangzhou before the road ends up covered by the snow, so that the villagers would have sufficient warmth for the winter. In addition, we carried out a workshop to encourage the villagers to support their children’s education. The activity helped them understand how educating the children could have a positive influence on the whole family. It was a meaningful day, well worth all of our efforts. Original article written by Guirong Ma, translated by Maggie Li, edited by Yanyan Zhang A dorm at school Rainbow Village Help Center is a TFish Associate Member. It was established for the purpose of giving glasses to impoverished children. Location: Longkou Primary School of Funing, Yunnan Province Visit time: November 2, 201 When we began to see outlines of houses spread across the mountain, we realized we were finally nearing the Longkou Primary School. The school principal and teachers were waiting for us when we arrived. They prepared meals for us and also gave us an introduction to the teachers, students, and their parents. Some of the teachers are Zhuang ethnic minority who have been in the area for several years. They stayed to help Yao ethnic minority children living in the mountainous areas adapt to the outside world. Xingzhi Migrant Art School is a non-profit organization that offers art lessons for the children of migrant workers who otherwise would not have this opportunity. This update was written by Director Gu, the founder of and a teacher at the Art School. It has been 5 years since the establishment of the Xingzhi Migrant Art School, which aims to provide art education for impoverished youth. These students have never had any art education before, and they also face shortage in school education. So far at the Art School, there are about 300 students, many of whom have already created quality art works despite money shortage. Their works have been confirmed and praised by people across the globe. Xingzhi Migrant Art School believes that technology and training can change each child fate. The School and its dedicated teachers work hard to develop the intellect, curiosity, and independence of these children so that they will start being viewed as equal as any other child their age. A hand that holds the brush now may become the hand to influence the world in the future. It may be a small hand, but it is full of strength and creativity. It may be a small hand, but it will change future. It may be a small hand, but it is of my own. Original article written by Xiaochen Gu, translated by Maggie Li, Edited by Yanyan Zhang Mulan Community Activity Center is a community of migrant workers. People from the community do not have much access to entertainment. As a community service center, Mulan will hold cultural recreational activities and encourage residents to participate in the life of community. It snowed on December 14. One of our volunteer teachers proposed to build a snowman. All children agreed to the proposal in a heartbeat and dashed to the field outside the Mulan Room. The field is piled with construction wastes that local villagers discarded after they were done building their houses. Our children do not have a place to play, so they would often make up games in and around the wastes. Today, the snow made the world - including the construction debris - white, so our children were in especially good mood. We were reminded of how the children's nature is to love playing. We had planned on making a snowman, but they started to throw snowballs at each other. With sweat, gasping, and shouting, the snowball fight continued with happy noises. Original article written by Rui Zhang, translated by Maggie Li, edited by Yanyan Zhang |
TFISH FUND BLOGWe update news and reports directly from the field written by our NGO partners daily. Top PostsPHOTOS & VIDEOSIN THE NEWSCategories
All
Archives
August 2017
|