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Too-Myaung Village, a year after the Cyclone |
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Wednesday, 03 June 2009 |
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It was quite a surprise reaching back to our once relief aided village, Too Myaung village has its visual progress. Yet we see all the way down to Delta from Yangon; de javu tarpaulin wrapped huts partly revealing “UN” sub branches logos, some of USAID.
Surprise is 10 minutes before Pyapon River Bridge there is a palm-bridge making over the little cannel irrigated to the endless rice field; it leads to a muddy path our Too-Myaung village. It’s about 20 minutes walk way from the main road. This short cut we never thought before. These villagers prove they live with thriving plan!
This whole path is donated by owners of rice fields; agreed upon sharing piece of their land as a public use. “Fifty percent of this path is a part of my rice field” said U Tin Win, whose 25 acres of his property lies across the way. “It is about 2000 feet. Imagine if we could have this path, we will not be locked up again if we ever have cyclone again.” Profoundly said U Ohn Maung, the chief of the construction.
“We will have to make this Mud path improved with some paddy ashes so everybody could walk on it easily.” However, this will cost to some extent and donation is needed.
We are welcome with a big hug by U Maung Maung Aye, U Phoe Toe and other several others.
Bittersweet is that all villagers have their own huts again made of palm trees and leaves all over the structure. This will not last, but be able to give them a shelter for a while. Majority of villagers are living day by day basics as their works are uncertain; today this work and tomorrow will be another. May be so, may be not.
Opportunity of earning is still bottle-necked. So is to rice field owners; as the wages rise amazingly and plantations were barely thirty to forty percent successful. Grownups are debts, not profit even they have reduced the workers halfway down.
We are shown “a dragged torn out bridge” which connects the village east and west part. As majority of people lives the other side and majority of community places such as school and monastery (where held all villagers during the hardship survival time of cyclone) are here at this side. Rebuilding the almost collapsed bridge is in urgency due to communal purposes. “Without this bridge in cyclone, we all could have died!” said wife of U Maung Maung Aye.
Water tank is running, so do the ponds that were needed to pump out salty water a couple of times. They all now receive rains for drinking water.
They say “God helps those who help themselves.” These smart and hardworking farmers and farm-workers are worth the help. The heaven is yet to come. What we will do further more to this village, will be discussed on next chapter.
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