Cyclone Nargis Pandaw Charity

Please see Paul's letters below but in the meantime I would ask you to read the small email extract below which we recently received.

Please see correspondence below from Paul Strachan - founder of our cruise partner in Myanmar Pandaw Cruises - about how the Pandaw vessels are helping distribute aid in the Ayeyawady Delta.

Having also been involved with Myanmar for very many years I believe that this is the most effective way to help. In addition to help from outside very many local companies and NGO's are helping with the aid effort including 480 Myanmar volunteer doctors from Yangon who rotate around the Ayeyawaddy Delta distributing medicines and food supplements; there is no disease as had been widely predicted by foreign experts - Myanmar people are helping each other in a very magnanimous way. The Delta people are innovative and for drinking water they have been using coconut water which is in abundant supply... and of course fish. Psychological scars however will be hard to heal.

Sadly many people have cancelled their holidays because of the cyclone - at a time when the Myanmar people needs them; as the song says "...you left me just when I needed you most" ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YfYNdXZ3RY ).

Should you wish to donate please contact Paul on cyclone@pandaw.com or you can call him on +44 131 514 1038 or if you have problems you can contact us on sales@goldenpagodatravel.com and we will ensure he gets your email.

July 28

It is a month since my last report, this long silence does not mean that our Pandaw Appeal has in any way reduced its activities. I have today updated photos on the website to show some latest images including our fifth Pandaw baby, school construction and the further development of our 'Pandaw Family Box' project.

To date Pandaw IV has treated over 5,000 patients and Pandaw II 2,000+ patients on board and a further 3,000+ with mobile teams operating from the ship. That is 10,000 people treated!

Save the Children have now established field hospitals in the Bassein area, so as their mission gears into its second phase no longer require Pandaw II. However, Merlin have indicated a long term need for such a vessel. The new Pandaw Hospital Barge is 95% complete and as soon as government inspection formalities are complete will move from Mandalay to the Delta to relieve Pandaw IV - probably in mid August.

In Laputta we have already swapped Pandaw IV with Pandaw II as P4 needs to be readied for our Chindwin expedition starting 2nd September, where we have a full house. The ship needs to be repainted and put back together as a hotel again.

The hospital barge will cost around $250,000 to complete and we estimate will need $10,000 a month to cover fuel and operating costs. We have sufficient funds to complete the project and operate the hospital barge for the year to come. We do need to look longer term and build up a solid fund to ensure the continued operation of this floating clinic for many years to come.

Merlin will run and fund the medical side as per existing arrangements. The intention is that once the Delta relief effort is over we can operate as a mobile floating clinic upriver, ideally on the Upper Chindwin where we identify a great need. Our finances are transparent and can be followed on the Appeal Finances page.

Many thanks for your support that has made these things happen.

Paul Strachan

June 24

please click here to see latest photos from Pandaw IV in Lautta

today our second baby was born in a canoe tied alongside Pandaw IV - she has been named Nyein Pandaw Lin , for the story go to Paul's Blog

latest developments with our new hospital barges are also detailed on Paul's Blog

our appeal fund now stands at over $600,000 with a further $150,000 pledged enabling the conversion of a second barge as a floating hospital

thanks for your continued interest and support - Cyclone Nargis may no longer be on the news but the Pandaw Team's work there goes on

Paul Strachan

June 16 2008

Pandaw Hospital Barge

Thanks to the generosity of one individual donor we have been able to buy and finance the refit of a brand new barge. The total cost is just under $300,000. The motorised 128 ft barge will be fitted out with clinic, accommodation for doctors and even parking for two trucks. There are ample holds below decks for storing supplies.

The hospital barge will be ready for operations in early July. It will be handed over to Merlin who will run the medical side whilst the Pandaw Team will operate the marine side. The hospital barge will take over from Pandaw IV that must return to normal schedules in October, after serving as a hospital ship in the delta since May.

Once the cyclone relief effort is over, the hospital barge can ply upriver visiting remote river villages to offer medical assistance for many years to come. We have invited Merlin to continue the medical operation long term.

We are currently fund raising to buy and fit out a second barge to replace Pandaw II when she returns to normal service in September.

For more details and photos please go to www.pandaw.com

May 27 2008

We have now photos online of the Pandaw hospital ships and supply operation.

Also, online you will find a blog from Paul Strachan in Rangoon and updates on the appeal and how we are spending our donors money.

www.pandaw.com

Today the first Pandaw floating hospital opened at Laputta. By 1100 one hundred and seven patients had been treated and fed. Patients children and families coming with them were also fed.

For an update on this and other Pandaw Cyclone Appeal activities please go to www.pandaw.com.

This is updated every couple of days and below the update you will find a blog from Paul Strachan detailing what we are doing on a daily basis with some additional observations on the current situation.

In a short while on our website we will include a statement of income and expenditure so donors can see exactly how their money is being spent.

From: Pandaw Cruises [cyclone@pandaw.com]
Sent: 12 May 2008 21:40
To: Golden Pagoda Travel Ltd, Myanmar
Subject: Pandaw Cyclone Appeal - Update

Pandaw Cruises have been active in Burma since 1995 and have the logistical team in situ to operate our river ships to assist in the cyclone relief effort.

We have handed Pandaw IV over to Merlin, a UK based charity - www.merlin.org.uk. They are already in the field and have a team oand supplies there with more supplies to follow by air cargo.

Pandaw IV is now on its way from Henzada where it met the Merlin team who are currently working on converting her to a hospital ship. The bar will become an operating theatre, the dining room a trauma ward, the sundeck a clinic.

A number of Burmese doctors and paramedics will join the Merlin team on board.

Pandaw II has now left Mandalay and is on the way to the Delta. She will also be handed over to Merlin as a floating hospital.

We will load Pandaw II with locally bought supplies in the Irrawaddy market towns as she makes the 5 day journey to the delta.

The Purser has good funds on board and more money is being transferred today to enable him to do buy bottled water, rice, medical supplies, building materials.

All these things are abundantly available up country and very cheap to buy. Much cheaper than flying them in (if they can get in).

The Pandaw Appeal has hired a 200ft barge and tug in Yangon which we will use to send supplies down to P2 and P4 at Laputta. This will be loaded with food, medical supplies and building materials bought locally and flown in once cleared.

This barge will then be moored in a secure mid stream position to act as distribution point and handed over to Merlin. Seagoing supply ships have no where to land (jettys were lost in the cyclone) so the barge pontoon will also act as an off loading centre.

So far our Pandaw Appeal has raised over $150,000 with over $70,000 from old passengers and a further $40,000 from corporate donors.

This is amazing and all our Pandaw team in Burma are totally moved by the outstanding generosity of our old Pandaw passengers and others.

In addition Pandaw Cruises has donated $50,000 to the Appeal to buy fuel for the mission and other supplies to be distributed.

Citimart the leading supermarket chain in Rangoon have made a substantial donation of food and water, now on board Pandaw IV.

An old friend based in Thailand has offered his two private planes to fly our people in and out. Many people have written in offering to go out and help. Right now we have enough people, what we need is more money!

You can help load our ships with vital supplies bought up country and sail them down. You can help pay for the fuel for these ships. Fuel prices have escalated since the crisis began.

We calculate that to hire a barge and tug for 3 months, load it up with locally bought supplies from Yangon to send it down will cost $100,000 per barge.

As insiders with over 25 years experience of working in Burma we are not confident that in bulk aid can be flown in and cleared through the airports speedily. We are doubtful if traditional diplomacy, the UN or the intervention of Asean or China can resolve this impasse.

We know we can supply our NGO partners from locally available supplies until an air bridge can be built. We move fast – no meetings or discussion – just real action.

The Pandaw team are all working pro bono on this project and there are NO administrative costs at all. We are absorbing these within our usual company operating expenses. We have a great team on the ground, expert in the logistics of Burma’s inland waters, and they are all totally enthusiastic about this mission.

Burma is a river country and understanding her rivers is the key to any successful operation there. This is what we are good at and where we can try and help.

All of us who have worked or travelled in Burma feel that this is a country that has touched us in some way. Now we can repay the Burmese for all the warm hospitality and enriching experiences we have in the past enjoyed there.

Thank you for your support.

Paul Strachan

I have had a number of emails and calls from concerned old passengers about our team in Burma. I am glad to report that of our 90 employees there no one has been injured. Pandaw IV was moored at Prome and sustained some minor damage but Pandaw II at Mandalay was unaffected. Nearly all our team who live in Yangon sustained damage to their homes. Ma Nwesu lost her roof and Ko Kaw Htoo lost much of his house but the main thing is that their familes are fine.

We were sorry to hear that our old Pandaw I, which we ceased operating in 2003, sustained significant damage in dry dock our best wishes to the current owners and we hope that this important historic ship can be salvaged.

If you would like to donate any money to help the people of Lower Burma at this time please contact me. Meanwhile I am checking out a suitable NGO organisation who can help in these areas. We can get funds into Burma very easily.

I had a call from our Yangon office this morning and they reckon it will be a month before power, water, phone and other services will be restored. On a more positive note, internet is working at Pagan and we will be temporarily moving our office up there until services are restored in Yangon.