Home | Donor Report | List of Donors | Ma Lot Student Profiles | Photo Gallery | Project Updates | More Information September 11, 2008 Greetings from the SAIS Fund for Burma Cyclone Relief! Thank you again for your generous donation! We last communicated with you in June after making an immediate donation of relief supplies to a monastery in the affected township of Hwat Kmu. We are happy to report that over 1,000 people from four villages were helped by the supplies. The main purpose of this update, however, is to report on the developments since our initial trip. The remaining funds donated were put towards the rebuilding of a middle school in Ma Lot, an isolated area heavily hit by Cyclone Nargis one hour by boat from Bogalay. We identified Ma Lot by working through local SAIS alumni and friends. In the last two years, the people of Ma Lot had worked to build a middle school, providing labor and collecting local donations to fund construction. This school was to serve 10 villages and 768 children, and is the only one in the area. Before the cyclone hit it was almost 70 percent built; afterwards, it was rubble. The $11,000 of the remaining donations (raised by you) provided a new roof and foundation. We are trying to raise an addition $5,000 to finish the walls, purchase desks and provide teaching materials. Village leaders and teachers are working together right now to build the school quickly, with much of the labor donated. Workers are using bricks, wood, and iron to construct a stronger building able to withstand future storms, essentially building back better. It is a truly collaborative effort. Professor Welsh visited Ma Lot and the construction site over the summer and had the opportunity to interview some of the students who will attend the school. Their photos and some information about them are available on another page of the website. Through this website, we will also try to provide latest updates about the school progresses, so please check this out in the days ahead if you are interested. Furthermore, the school has agreed to display the names of the donors on a plague at the school once it is completed. If you would not like your name displayed please email cambria.hamburg@gmail.com. If we don’t hear from you by the end of September we will assume that we have your permission. Your donation made this exciting, people-to-people initiative possible. Over 100 people have donated! We are reaching out to others to bring the building of the middle school to completion, and if you would like to donate again you are most welcome to. Please see the donation information below if you are interested. Do not, however, feel obliged. We would not have gotten far without you. Thank you again for your support! Sincerely, Aek, Agni, Aighee, Cambria, Danny, Dany,
Linh, Miwa, Olivia, Pavis (with Prof. Welsh)
PS: To support the completion of the middle school construction, please contact: SAIS Student Government Association
Attn: Jin Lee, SGA Treasurer
1740 Massachusetts Ave.
Washington, D.C. 20036
Please include your email address on your check so that we can continue to stay in touch with you! | 
