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MCA in Germany on Partnership Tour

Myanmar Chefs Association received an invitation from LOG - Germany President Frank Franke, to be present at the LOG’s ‘buy a boat for Myanmar’ aid initiative near Frankfurt - Mainz.

MCA organised an original Delta Fishing Boat - 21feet for LOG to Germany, where it arrived at the seasonal start event of the Olympic Rowing Training Center of ‘MRV Mainz’ and was among other boats named to the name ‘Hope’.

The event showed also all big supporters to Myanmar people through LOG - MCA/WACS as Milupa, MHW, Coppenrath Finegebaeck, Odenwald Quelle,  MRG, MRV, Myanmar Fisheries Department, WACS and Action Myanmar e.V. (President Dr Med. Werner Heller and Mallu were came also at Mainz to attend the event.)

The boat was sponsored by the Myanmar Fisheries Federation through U Gyi Ngwe early this year. So far, the whole LOG - MCA ‘buy a boat for Myanmar’ activity resulted in more than 200 Delta fishing boats to Myanmar fisher families at Nargis struck delta.

The livelihood support programme through MCA/WACS is also supported with additional activities by Action Myanmar e.V. - Dr Med Werner & Mallu Heller as well by MHW & BWA Germany through Juergen Mueller Neuendorf. The next boat hand over will be in October 2009 and February 2010. 

The Major of Mainz, Schueler, LOG President Frank Franke and MRV President Juergen Petry opened the Charity event for ‘buy a boat in Myanmar’ with MCA President Oliver E Soe Thet.

MCA Juergen and Oliver E Soe Thet answered the many questions posed by the audience.

The Myanmar boat ‘Hope’ will tour Germany through LOG initiatives for the cause and support to Myanmar people, and on 4 July 2009, it will be in Berlin for the International Day of Nations which will be held at the Myanmar Embassy. In October, it will attend a Charity River Rhine Culinary Show in Frankfurt and in February, the boat will be in the ancient wine city of Oppenheime before attending the biggest Mainz City Festival in February 2010.   

A ‘Myanmar boat on river Rhine’ photo art exhibition by well-known artist Bettina Flittner will tour several countries in Europe, before returning to Myanmar in January 2010. 

MCA Exchange Chefs’ Jacket and Myanmar Grappa with German Star Chef 

Our MCA Charity tour brought us to LOG Vice-President Marie Luise Thune and also to well-known German star Chef Dieter Maus at ‘Maus im Mollers’ at the City Theater of Mainz.

MCA Oliver E Soe Thet presented a Myanmar traditional chefs’ jacket to Chef Maus as well as to Regional President of ‘La Ronde des Gourmets’ Jutta Stork - Felke a bottle of Myanmar-made high-class Grappa to boost further cooperation and communication between Myanmar and the German culinary society.

Chef Maus in exchange treated us with an excellent fine dining dinner and provided world-class service at Maus im Mollers. Jutta Stork - Felke higlighted that she would lobby for more international charity events and projects through ‘La Ronde des Gourmets’ through other chefs societies and definitely WACS, which is a good international platform.

President of LOG Germany Sees Further Projects Through WACS

President of LOG Germany is eager to establish more connection and communication with WACS and WACS member associations for further charity and aid projects; especially for projects involving Children of the World, Save Food for Children. Proposals are sent out through MCA for these projects.

MCA visited LOG Germany head office at Frankfurt International Airport, FRAPORT and EADS ( Airbus ), DB – Schenker and Hilton are strong logistical and financial member and partner of LOG.

At the LOG office, we could see on the World Map that LOG Germany covers nearly all continents and is eager to expand its activities for the daily benefit of children and especially disadvantaged children.

Frank Franke here seen with a Myanmar Puppet as well as Thuene and Treasurer Rolf Geyer greeted and treated all MCA member over the whole time of visit, gave an inside look into the International Humanitarian Aid operation, logistics through Air and Sea world wide. During our presence there, a small child from Ethiopia was flown in and directed by LOG to the Leipzig Clinical Heart Center for emergency treatment.    

MCA handed over a ‘thank you’ certificate to LOG, made out to Myanmar Teak wood in the name all Nargis-affected people of Delta Myanmar, for the now already over one year best support by LOG through MCA/WACS. 

Resuming our MCA trip to Germany on the special invitation of LOG, we are happy to say that it was a great trip with many good opportunities to promote Myanmar through a ‘Human Touch - People to People’, in exchange with culinary experts in Germany for further joint projects.

With full hands, we could return back home, having got a commitment by Action Myanmar e.V. to arrange for around US$440,000 worth of medical drugs and OP utensil donation, logistically arranged and funded by LOG, plus Frankes’ statement that LOG would fill up this next aid donation project between LOG Germany and MCA/WACS with nutritious food, blankets and further medical equipment.

Through MCA, over US$4 million on Humanitarian Aid within 1 year

MCA within WACS is very happy and thankful to all big (especially LOG) and small donors, who helped us achieve more than US$4 million in humanitarian aid to Nargis struck Myanmar people within a short period of 12 months. Most value goes to aid goods.

Thank you and we all value WACS as a global body for all Chefs and People in over 80 countries. 

With best culinary RGDS, yours

Oliver E Soe Thet
President Myanmar Chefs Association
WACS member, Yangon 5.7.09
Union of Myanmar