Emergency Assistance for the locals of Myanmar

The situation in Myanmar continues to be affected by social turmoil and soaring prices, and the majority of people in the rural areas where we work are forced to live in difficult conditions. Against this backdrop, we are continuing our efforts to improve the livelihoods of people in rural areas. In this report, we introduce our efforts and results.

 First, in our agricultural technology training program for the sons of farmers in rural areas, which began last July, we have been providing training in the fields of rice cultivation, vegetables, fruit trees, and poultry farming, combining on-farm training and classroom lectures. In the training on rice cultivation, which is the staple food of Myanmar, in response to the current turmoil in Myanmar and the increasing number of farmers who cannot use chemical fertilizers due to their rising cost, we used the training farm to provide training on cultivation techniques for recycling-oriented agriculture using organic materials available around us, which resulted in a higher harvest this year than in the previous years. As a result, this year's harvest was larger than usual. The trainees were able to learn the techniques by taking part in an integrated training program from sowing seeds to harvesting, and some of them said that they would like to put the techniques they learned into practice in their own rural communities.

 In addition, at a nearby school, students learned how to grow familiar vegetables through a home vegetable garden initiative. Currently, with many families struggling to make ends meet due to soaring prices, there is a concern that an increasing number of students are affected by unbalanced nutrition because they cannot eat enough vegetables and other foods. In this project, students were encouraged to increase their vegetable intake as much as possible by growing vegetables in their own vegetable gardens using vacant lots in their homes, and they worked hard to manage their own gardens. It is hoped that this initiative will be continued at each of the students' homes in the future, leading to improved nutrition.

We will continue to do what we can to help stabilize the livelihoods of rural residents, even if it is only in a modest way. We look forward to your continued support.

It is unfortunate that many local people are still suffering because of the prolonged social turmoil in Myanmar. The prices of commodities, including basic household needs and farm inputs, have soared two to three times since April this year. With this, the poor are greatly affected. 

The extreme weather conditions caused by climate change have affected the agricultural production of local farmers. When it rains, it is usually heavy, which often results in flooding. Meanwhile, long dry seasons often result in the withering of major crops of rural farmers, such as sesame, mung beans, and sunflowers. As a result, the income and livelihood of the farmers, who are mostly small-scale growers, became unstable.

In July of this year, other than our short-term training for farmers, we began conducting training targeting the sons of local farmers. Under this program, the trainees learn both theory and practical skills and knowledge in rice cultivation, vegetables, fruit trees, and poultry production. The high prices of farm inputs such as chemical fertilizers hindered the local farmers from buying them. As an alternative, we teach the trainees about the sustainable recycle-oriented farming, including how to make organic fertilizer and ferment organic matter that can be easily obtained on the farm. The trainees are always excited to learn sustainable farming methods.

In any way that we could, we felt the need to continue supporting the rural areas, especially in agriculture production, their main industry.

We look forward to your continued support.