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After the hand-out of school books and pencils to all Ga Tan students (enough for a year to each student, reduces expenses for their parents during a school year ), we distributed all at the Delta already well known orange hats from Foerderverein Myanmar e.V. ( family Christian and Ilse Runge - over 16.000 brand new hats - all a good protection against eye catarac ) to all students and other children at the school opening ceremony. Everyone was full of joy, many had seen these now very popular hats already in other villages where MCA had been and distributed before. The pictures speak for themselves.

After we left Ga Tan, we drove to another ethnic Karen village, by boat through the rain to Taungyi village which is located on a big Delta Island, also a real farmer village, most of the people there lost their fruit income as most mango trees there got destroyed and these people are looking for new income with quick cash crop to earn revenue.

It was raining and usual muddy. We are used to the conditions and take it the healthy way, a good mud foot massage is at best under a warm rain shower. See at one picture the empty egg shells above the stove in the hut. This is a special believing of the "Ethnic Karen" at the Delta, they believe that when they collect the shells after the chickens are born and keep them in the house in honor; then the chickens will stay healthy and stay always near the house. We asked the house owner and she confirmed that never had she lost a chicken during the years (maybe on the day when the chicken was on the menu for a festive day- remarks by MCA ).

Here, we were able to obtain additional funds through Hans Dieter Wagner to support students, enable them to get to school and paid all expenses for a full year, selective families who still faced hardships after Cylone Nargis struck. This was very good as we had many more children requiring such help, than the great project of AP Moeller Singapore - Maersk could cover (over 100 students financed already here by AP Moeller Singapore). In addition we were able with this funds to ensure 4 more primary school teachers for four villages at the island where Taungyi is located. Thank you Hans, we are happy to bring you to these villages at your next trip to meet all the friendly and happy people, which have a great hospitality despite the daily hard life.

On our way back we stopped at Mya Khan Thar village and looked after our old friend U Hla Myint who is 91 years old now, we can say he is still the eldest MCA supporter during a long Nargis Aid campaign, and we admire his community spirit and active role in the village, who is always hands-on and active on any occasion. He is always at the distribution organising committee in the front row and he is able to organise the people with strength and kindness, so every one listens and respects him there. He did an incredible job for Myanmar Chefs Association there together with Village Leader U Kyaw Min Naing, who is a young and most energetic man who was with U Hla Myint, the only village of 26 we worked in, which had a day after the Cyclone struck for each family in the village " Aid Distribution Cards ",- made any work at the village for us easy, best to control and ensured at all times that everyone got his fair share. A village leader who should be looked after for the good future of Myanmar and its people. As for U Hla Myint, many of us dream of having such a long and active life like U Hla Myint of the Ayeyarwaddy Delta in Myanmar who is 91 years old, who lives in his bamboo house — as he had always lived that way for over 90 years.

Best culinary regards, yours

Oliver E Soe Thet
President Myanmar Chefs Association
WACS member, Yangon 17.7.09
Union of Myanmar