In 2022 Anglicans in Development sent funds to the Church in Myanmar from its ongoing emergency appeal to support people who had fled to Toungoo and Yangon, after being displaced from their homes in other parts of the country by the upheavals that are affecting Myanmar.

The emergency appeal funds aimed to assist families to recover economically from this upheaval. Seventy families who sought shelter in Toungoo have now returned to their homes and have been resuming or setting up small businesses with the funding from AID.

One of these families is U Saw and his three-year-old son. U Saw is now back to work in his home state, transporting orders of rice, cooking oil, fish paste, tea, milk, and other groceries between the provincial capital and another major town. His customers are happy that he can deliver their orders.

The support from AID has enabled U Saw to fund the rising costs of fuel and other expenses.

CPM catechist, John Htin Lin (pictured), said, “The support for the families arrived at a time of great need because it really helped them to address the expenses and the prices of commodities which are climbing up day by day. For the people who are involved in transportation business, they face increased price of diesel or petrol among other challenges.“

He added that families were amazed at the support they received from AID, and they have not enough words to express their thanks.

John himself bought a breeding goat with the support he received. His goat will give soon give birth and will supplement his small allowance as a catechist. The priest-in-charge planted a vegetable garden for his family with the support received, so that it will be supplement his small clergy allowance.

Another of the families has harvested its corn and is able to use it for food as well as supplementary income. Above all, all the families including the clergy and catechist send their prayers and best wishes to all AID’s supporters for their kind and timely assistance.

Meanwhile, the families who fled Sittwe settled in a place south-west of Yangon where they had few opportunities to make their livings.

One of these was U Kan Tone’s family. He is married with one son who had just completed high school. When the families had to leave their homeland, they had nothing. So, the support of the AID funds was most welcome.

With this support, Kan Tone’s family, along with six other families, learned pig-raising skills, including the need to keep mosquitoes away from the pigs using netting around the pig shed. They were then given pigs to breed. Once the pigs breed the original families will teach the skills to six other families. They will also sell some of the piglets with the funds going back into the program to benefit the new families, and so it will continue. And, as with AID’s partner in the Philippines, E-CARE, the original receiver will be able to return his original grant to the program within two years, thus turning from a “receiver” into a “giver”. So, AID’s original gift will be multiplied many times over.

A burden has clearly lifted from U Kan Tone. He says, “From a time when we have nothing in sight to make a living, we are now standing on the way to our future, with the help of the donors. We will try our best to make this project successful. My son is also helping by cleaning the pig shed daily. We are doing this for the future of our people”, he added hopefully.

Money from this new revolving fund is also planned to be used for the health and education of the displaced families.

AID thanks our generous donors for making this vital support possible.