The Rotary Club of Homer-Kachemak Bay has been involved with projects in Rahkine State since late 2013 when a club member traveled there to assist with health fairs and health care missions in two cities. Rahkine State is in the NW part of Myanmar/Burma near the Bangladesh border. Sittwe, the main town, is about 620 miles from Yangon. Rahkine is a very poor State. Our club collaborates with a not for profit partner, the Dr. Saw Mra Aung (SMA) Foundation which was founded in 2015 to help alleviate some of the needs of the people in Rahkine State. The Foundation has local project managers in various areas of the State who identify local needs, supervise local laborers, pay bills, and provide reports and photos. Our Club's Rotarian, who went on the 2013-14 mission, personally knows, and has worked with several members of the Board of Directors of the SMA Foundation. The Foundation also collaborates with the Rotary Club of Yangon, Myanmar, and has received donations from that Club. During the dry season (March-May), ponds in many villages eventually become dry. Villagers need financial assistance to excavate these ponds to 100 x 100 feet so that during the rainy season, which begins in June, the ponds can fill with rainwater. The villagers transport the pond water, in large bowls, to their homes for their daily needs for drinking, cooking, and washing. Once excavated, the ponds typically last at least 15 years. This proposed project would fund the excavation of three (3) ponds during the dry season in 2019. The International committee members for our Club will correspond with the SMA Foundation representatives and monitor the progress of the pond excavations. If possible, a Club member may travel to the area as an observer (not grant funded).
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