FireFly Mission
donates every cent that it receives to the charitable cause for
which the funds are raised.
-
We are a
volunteer driven organization with no overheads
-
All administrative, travel, living
and lodging expenses are fully borne by our volunteers.
FireFly Mission believes in the principle of cultural relativism and
do not support projects or organisations that may attempt to convert
recipients or involve in activities that disrespects local cultural
dynamics
Project
CYLCONE NARGIS, Myanmar – 3rd Update (2 July 2008)
Believe it or not!
There are still
a large number of victims who still need lots of help
Despite the much
publicized effort by international relief organizations, there
are still many villages that have not received any assistance.
We found this out when our Relief Team 2 traveled to these
villages where we had provided some humanitarian assistance
before the cyclone struck. This is what our Relief Team 2
reported in their recent (10 Jun– 15 Jun) mission:
“We traveled for
hours by boat to reach these villages where previously we had
built schools and clinics. Nothing had prepared us for this
shock: Their homes are gone and their farmlands destroyed by sea
water. There was an echo of silence … the silent suffering of
the villagers. The only consolation is that the infrastructure
of the school we built had withstood the onslaught of the
cyclone … only the roof needs to be repaired.
We distributed
basic necessities packages and about 1,600 bags of rice (50kg
per bag) to more than 1,000 families (about the number of
families living in 2 blocks of 16-storey HDB). News of our
presence spread far and fast, and there were appeals for
assistance from villages located in MORE remote areas. Our
hearts sank as there was only so much we could do.
Having ensured
that they had something to keep them going, our next priority
was to get the villagers back on their feet… to work on their
farms, to grow rice. This task is all the more urgent now as
this is the beginning of the planting season.
If they do not start now, they
will have nothing for the rest of the year.
First we gave them
the rice seed. But their buffalo were wiped out by the
cyclone. So we bought ploughing machines, and supplied the
diesel fuel for this 1st planting. They should be
able to plant 3,000 acres of farmland (50% BIGGER than the Toa
Payoh Housing Estate).
To ensure that our funds are
properly spent and accounted for, one of our volunteers* stayed
behind to supervise. The supervision includes also the purchase
of building materials to rebuild the clinics and schools.”
(* Update: this
volunteer has since taken leave of absence from work to stay
there for the next 2 months.)
How do we spend your donation so far?
FireFly
Mission has to-date (as at 22-June-2008) spent S$167,166.59 of
close to $465,000 collected, for immediate relief and mid-term
rehabilitation work. Purchased and supplied the following
supplies:
None of the money collected is
used for administrative charges or to pay for the Relief Team’s
travel and other costs. The donation is used FULLY for the
victims of the cyclone.
We are close to hitting our S$500,000 target!
The good news is that we are close to our collection target (set
in May 2008) of S$500,000. As at 22 June 2008, the total
collection is approximately S$465,000, being made up of:
S$415,275.10, RM37,346.50, US$3846.56 and
RM66,350 (collected in Johor). Thanks to so many of you who believe
in us and the difference it can make to those victims we can
reach in Myanmar.
Why we need MORE donations
In the worst hit
areas, which happen to be the places where we are familiar with
because we had provided some humanitarian assistance in the
past, we assessed the need to rebuild 6 schools and 2
clinics.
Schools reconstruction will cost from S$20,000 (primary school)
– S$150,000 (middle cum high school), a sum that is not enough
to build a Singapore school tuckshop / buy a 3-room HDB
apartment. The estimated costs for clinics reconstruction are
between S$30,000 – S$80,000.
These schools and clinics will serve about 15-20 villages or
2,500-3,000 families (more than the number of families living in
4 blocks of 16-storey HDB). The total cost of this rebuilding is
estimated to be S$500,000, most of which is to pay for the
building materials. The labour is provided partly by the
villages themselves.
Due to far wider coverage of relief and rehabilitation effort,
we have reset our target to S$700,000.00.
We need a further S$235,000!
We therefore appeal to you to help us so that we can help MORE
people to help themselves. Please donate generously. Share
FireFly Mission’s work in Myanmar with your friends and
family…see the photos (www.fireflymission.org/cyclone_04.html)
and they will be moved into action! Thank you.
Why you should direct your donation to Cyclone
victims through FireFly Mission
·
Our long 8-year
track record of humanitarian work in Myanmar, especially in
those areas hardest hit by the cyclone.
· Our
dedicated volunteers as exemplified by one who took leave of
absence from work for 2 months, and another who recovered from a
heart surgery some 3 months ago.
·Equally
strong and compassionate local contacts who share our vision.
·Every
cent of the donation goes to the intended cause, without any
deduction for administrative or other costs;
we have no overhead cost.
·Our
volunteers pay for their own way on all mission trips.
How to donate
Please Continue to Donate Cash
For practical
purposes, cash donations are preferred. We are working with
several local parties in Myanmar whom we had worked before and
whom we found to be trustworthy and reliable. They will purchase
the necessities and materials and oversee our projects with our
oversight. At the moment, one of our volunteers is there to
ensure that the funds are correctly spent and accounted for. We
just don’t hand over the money to an organization to let them do
what they want.
Make your Chequespayable
to: “Firefly Mission”
and indicate at the back of the cheque “Cyclone Nargis –
Myanmar Appeal”
Kindly send the cheque to: 3 Hume Avenue #08-05, Singapore
598719
OR
If you prefer Electronic
Transfer (ATM / Internet Banking), please deposit your
donation to:
On receipt of your kind donation,
we will send you an acknowledgement letter coupled with an
official receipt.
Transparency and Accountability
All donors may check their names
in the donors list from our website
http://www.fireflymission.org/acknowledgement.html.
If you are unable to confirm your
donation, you may report to our Internal Auditor (email:
singaporepohseng@yahoo.com.sg)
100% Goes to the Charitable Cause
FireFly
Mission donates every cent that it receives to the charitable
cause for which the funds are raised. All administrative,
travel, living and lodging expenses are fully borne by our
volunteers. We are a volunteer driven organization with no
overheads.
Fast Facts
Death Toll, Missing & Homeless
At this moment, the death toll is
reported to be 77,738 and increasing. Another 55,917 people are
still reported missing and additional 1.6 million and 2.5
million people are homeless.
Summary of Accomplishment of
Relief Team 2 (10-15 June 2008)
·Distributed
about 80 tonnes of Relief Food Items (Rice) to about 4,000
victims staying in 9 villages located in Bogale, Moulmeingyun
and Dedaye Townships
·Distributed
about 10 tonnes of Relief Food Items (Rice, Biscuits, Canned
Food, Instant Noodles, Milk Powder etc) to villages located in
Dedaye Township
·Purchased
and distributed 1,100 of Necessity Items (clothing, mosquito
net, utensils etc) to 1,100 families staying in 13 villages
located in Bogale, Moulmeingyun and Dedaye Townships
·Distributed
Relief Medical Supplies (about 250kg) to Dedaye Hospital
·Distributed
Relief Medical Supplies (about 600kg) to Pyapon Hospital &
Relief Medical Camp
·To
purchase and distribute rice seeds and ploughing machines to
replant about 3,000 acres of rice farm - we will also supply the
diesel fuel for the 1st replanting of rice after cyclone
·Tarpaulin
(110 rolls of 100 yds) supplied to repair houses and for
temporary schools
·Reconstruction
of school in Shouchyaung Village is progressing well, to be
completed in a few weeks time
·In
addition had also identified 5 more schools for reconstruction -
had requested our partners in compassion to draft plans of
schools and prepare estimated budget
·Had
also identified 2 destroyed clinics in Taman and Byinggazee
villages, and had pledged to sponsor the reconstruction
Estimated number of beneficiaries:
10,000 people
(immediate - exclude medicine) &
30,000 people (6-18 months, after completion of schools &
clinics)
NOTE: Details of Items and Cost
are given in Appendixes
1.The
most immediate task is to provide the villagers with paddy seeds
and diesel fuel in time for the start of monsoon crops. Planting
should be taking place between now and early June as the monsoon
rains move in. This will help to put them back on their feet
and to work on the huge tract of field lands. Most of their
buffaloes were killed during the cyclone, hence the need of
diesel fuel for their small farm machines.
2.We
have identified and pledged to rebuild 6 schools and 2 clinics
destroyed by the cyclone. The estimated cost and building plans
are being drafted. We aim to start rebuilding soon after
monsoon, i.e. from end of October 2008.
3.We
have also initiated the Cyclone Orphans Adoption scheme, with an
initial target of 40 orphans (the number has since been
exceeded, and currently more than 50 children have been
identified) - to be provided for, with food, shelter, care and
education. Plans are being discussed and will be announced
soon.
Next Mission
Our 3rd group of
volunteer coordinators,
Relief Team #3,will
be leaving for Myanmar in the end of July, to follow up on all
the relief and rehabilitation plans described above.
For more information of our
activities, please visit our website @ http://
www.fireflymission.org
