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----- Original Message -----
From: Judy Savage
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 11:07 PM
Subject: [ADDC-group] Re: Disabled People Await Post-Cyclone Aid in Myanmar
Dear Frank
Thank you for circulating this information. I am very pleased to be able to tell you that The Leprosy Mission (TLM) has been involved in assisting disabled people in the Nargis area since very soon after the disaster happened. A project was put together and is being supported by various partners.
I have included a report about the project which was received today. Indeed the task is enormous, and unfortunately we have only been able to make a small impact but at least it is something for PWD in this area. If anyone is interested in more information please contact me and I will do my best to help.
Best wishes
Judy Savage
Overseas Project Manager
The Leprosy Mission Australia
[log in to unmask]
The Leprosy Mission International Nargis Special Project: Press Release 01.10.08
'Thousands still await help'
Four months after Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, through the efforts of TLMI staff to
identify and provide assistance and rehabilitation to persons with disability the true scale of
the needs are being uncovered. In less than three months, initial survey work by teams
based in Yangon, Hlaing Thayar, Bogale and Pathien have identified over 1,000 persons
with disability affected by Nargis. Large, high density population areas have yet to be
surveyed, and likely to yield many more needs.
So far, the team has travelled by car, motorcycle, bicycle, boat, helicopter and on foot to
reach villages and homes. Likewise, persons with disability travel for up to a day to reach
one of the three rehabilitation centres recently opened in stricken areas. On a recent visit of sites, an initial assessment of the progress to date was made, and an idea of the likely short and medium term needs was assessed.
On a visit to a large village upriver from the town of Bogale, we were struck by the
eagerness of village elders to participate in helping restore the lives of persons with
disability. In this village of over 1,000 households, many had lost homes, possessions and
livelihoods when the tidal surge covered their village. To date, very little outside help has
reached them, and yet the residents were very happy that many of the 150 persons with
disability in that village were receiving assistance-as 'they are not so able to help
themselves'. In this village, a network of brick pathways is being extended to allow persons
with impaired mobility to access the village amenities, and to access the river shore where
business can be conducted. This is in addition to restoring homes, together with enhanced
accessibility to connect homes with the pathway.
Other more distant sites, village tracts with hundreds of persons with disability have been
identified, but as yet, due to high workload levels for staff, no interventions have been done.
The immediate needs are for expanded teams for outreach programmes. Centre based staff
are already overstretched in dealing with up to 50 persons per day requiring therapy and
training, and following up existing livelihood and housing programmes. Distant sites, up to a
day's travel away, will require additional outreach teams equipped with boats, bicycles and
motorcycles to allow rapid field supervision. Additionally, opportunities and needs for
expanded community adaptations are presenting themselves. The cost of expanding access
pathways in the boggy, marshy delta is challenging-and yet in many cases a crucial
component of seeing genuine integration of persons with disability into the social and
economic life of their community.
Staff welfare is also an issue. All the staff are young-many in their first job. It was wonderful to see the dedication and commitment, and the willingness to really work with persons with disabilities to find solutions. But the stresses are high, and in some sites, there is very little opportunity for relaxation. A staff retreat, planned for December 2008, will be an opportunity for staff to take time out and reflect on what has been a hectic beginning.
It is impossible too, to miss the significance of these interventions. The scale of the Nargis
crisis and responses draws comparisons with the 2005 Tsunami, and yet to date, there has
been very little emphasis on disability issues by major relief agencies. Without the efforts of
TLMI, and relief efforts from DPO's, and commitment of the Department of Social Welfare to
the needs of persons with disability, the situation for persons with disability may well have
been neglected. Efforts are underway to establish a broader coalition to address these
needs, along with a more comprehensive action plan to consolidate and co-ordinate
rehabilitation measures for persons with disability affected by the Cyclone. With the true
scale of needs becoming clearer every week, the TLMI Nargis Special Project clearly has
much work left to do.
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