The Secretary-General of ASEAN and Chair of the ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, today visited Seik Gyi village in Kungyangon Township in the Irrawaddy Delta to observe the progress of the Community-Based Early Recovery Pilot Project. The project was adopted by the Tripartite Core Group (TCG), which is marking its 100-day establishment today.

Dr Surin, accompanied by TCG members, representatives from ASEAN embassies in Yangon, ASEAN volunteers and ASEAN media, saw how the village was slowly getting back on its feet after the destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis in early May this year. With ASEAN’s support, the villagers are rebuilding a building for religious rites within the village monastery complex that collapsed in the wake of Cyclone Nargis.  The village artisans have built new fishing boats and new fishing nets have been donated to enable the villagers to restart their livelihood. Some 30 community wells were being cleaned for the villagers to draw water from, while saplings of the betel leaf plant were provided to the villagers for replanting.

The project was initiated by the ASEAN Volunteers, who had visited Seik Gyi village and had consulted with the villagers to identify their urgent needs to recover from Cyclone Nargis. After a rapid assessment with the community, the project was designed according to the community’s needs for early recovery.

Dr Surin said, “It is very rewarding to see and know that ASEAN’s contribution is making a real difference to the villagers of Seik Gyi. Their happiness is palpable.  They are filled with hope for the future. The contribution by the ASEAN Volunteers is also laudable. We hope and anticipate that more ASEAN Volunteers will step forward to participate in this community building process. This project is a concrete example of how we are building a caring and sharing ASEAN Community. The success of this project can be a model for other affected villages.”
The Community-Based Early Recovery Pilot Project in Seik Gyi is funded by the ASEAN Cooperation Fund for Disaster Assistance, which was set up by the ASEAN Secretariat in response to Cyclone Nargis. ASEAN individuals and companies, ASEAN friends and partners had contributed to the Fund. The project began in early August this year and is slated for completion in another two months.

Apart from visiting the village monastery, Dr Surin and TCG Chairman U Kyaw Thu launched two fishing boats at Toe River and visited a betel leaf plantation garden.  Dr Surin also visited the neighbouring village of Myat Lay Yon, where village artisans are building 20 fishing boats with ASEAN’s support.

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Notes:

Seik Gyi Village is located in Kungyangon Township, about a three-hour drive southwards of Yangon. It has a population of about 1,300. A majority of the villagers are Buddhists. Betel leaf planting and fishing are the two major occupations.  Betel leaf is a major cash crop not only for the village but also for the Kungyangon Township, which takes its name after this plant.

The TCG comprises representatives from ASEAN, the Government of Myanmar and the United Nations. It is chaired by U Khaw Thu, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Government of Myanmar. The TCG has been facilitating trust, confidence and cooperation between Myanmar and the international community in the humanitarian relief and recovery work post-Cyclone Nargis.