CHIANG MAI, Thailand – The news continues to report the extent of the damage and the lives lost. While in Chiang Mai meeting my other team members to strategize on how we are going to implement our projects, we met a couple of gentlemen from a large NGO. (more…)

Myanmar – I made it in to Myanmar just before dark.
I heard about an orphanage outside the city that had its roof ripped off and was partly destroyed during the cyclone. I will be there tomorrow morning early to start working.

The leader is telling me the children are sick with diarrhea and badly need a new roof, which is made out of corrugated steel tiles. I’ll see what I can do for a quick initial project.

After that, I have arranged for a driver with a 4 x 4 to take me and my translator to some of the worse-hit areas. We will assess the needs of the people and look for partners already in place. My hope is to get as deep into the zone as possible tomorrow.

I have been unable to get through to anyone at the YMCA clinic where OBI and Humedica hired three local doctors and two nurses. I hope to be in touch with them tomorrow.  I am also trying to track down the World Food Programme team.

I think the doors will soon be open for other aid workers to come in, but for now, OBI is on the ground doing our part in helping the people of Myanmar.

SINGAPORE – Yesterday I met with the Ambassador who was very happy to hear about Operation Blessing’s willingness to respond, but he indicated that he is waiting for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to give the green light to issue visas. (more…)

SINGAPORE – It has been a long and frustrating wait since I first received the news about last Friday’s devastating cyclone that hit Myanmar. (more…)

We’ve already lost track of which day it is, and each day seems to melt into one large swirl of an experience. But today was a day that none of us will forget. (more…)

After difficulties winding through mountainous terrain, we finally arrived in SuXianLing, in Chenzhou this morning.  Lack of daily basic essentials is a stark reality for the residents of SuXianLing, in comparison to their city-dwelling neighbours and what media coverage has shown.  Damage to homes and losses from agriculture is a burden entirely carried by the locals — the notion of insurance and compensation do not exist in these parts of the country.  They had no water supply, no electricity and no machines or equipment, so they totally depended on their own hands to clear the roads.  The impact of the snow disaster here is certainly not recoverable immediately, but will require the combined strength of the local residents over a long period of time to return to their previous state.  What we saw and learnt from being here has made us realise how painful and hard the coming days, months and year will be for the locals. (more…)

You may hear media reports about electricity being “restored to Chenzhou.” Some downtown areas of Chenzhou have had some restoration of electricity –Wal-Mart in Chenzhou has power as well as some other large stores and buildings. Last night, we observed a few restaurants open and a few residential areas with lights on. We know the government has been working quite furiously to try and restore power. Overall, however, the city appeared quite dark to us – as if little had changed. Still only two hotels have electricity and my half of the relief team spent the night in a hotel without power (quite cold!!). From our perspective on the ground, it sure feels like this is day #15 without power in Chenzhou. (more…)

Since arriving in Chenzhou, we have seen the damage and heard the news, and both are shocking.  Early estimates say US$7 billion damages, not counting the losses of businesses and farms.  We got to see some of the disaster areas, and it’s worse than we thought.  I just found out, and was shocked, that there’s no NGO here, no other relief crews besides local government.  They don’t even have enough people to remove fallen trees from the roads.

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Yesterday, Operation Blessing’s Hong Kong, Philippines and Indonesia divisions together responded to the snow disaster in southern China and planned to provide relief in the most-affected Hunan Province. While we were preparing for sending out our first team, we received phone calls from Chenzhou Orphanage and were told that the 140 children were running out of milk powder, diapers and medical supplies; also another rural elderly nursing house asked for assistance on food and warmth. The voices of those help requesting were making us more aware of the serious situation. (more…)

BARGUNA, Bangladesh – After a cyclone hit Bangladesh in November, OBI’s Kumar Periasamy went to the region to help distribute aid and make sure four water purification systems were installed properly in the hardest hit areas. The units are providing clean water for more than 12,000 people.

Early in the morning I was woken up by a call to prayer. It was 5:30 and it was still misty and cold outside. It made me wonder how people in the tents made it through the night. I went to check on the water units and I saw another non-governmental agency distributing relief items close to where the water units were placed. Just as I placed my camera gear on the ground, an old woman, very fragile, touched my knee and said, “Son, can you help me?”

I sat next to her and asked what I could do. She began to pour her heart out. With tears in her eyes she said, “I have been waiting here since 5 in the morning, hoping that someone would help me. I have not received much help. Each time I came to collect items being given away, the younger ones beat me to it. I am too fragile to stand in line and no one seems to hear my cry. She went on to say she had three sons; two died some years back and the one who was taking care of her died during the cyclone. (more…)