‘Hoe kijkt coördinator Say Say Phaw terug op het project?’
De partner vertelt... van 16 september 2019 door Say Say Phaw
Elk jaar vragen we onze partner hoe het project is gegaan en welke lessen de partner heeft geleerd.
Context and summary
Describe the original plan/idea for the project. Has the project been executed as planned?
2019 saw a continuation of its activities for the Mawlamyaing Christian Leprosy Hospital (MCLH) – a hospital that still maintains its original work by providing health care for ‘people affected by Leprosy’ and thus responding to the Lord’s commands to take care of ‘these the least’ amongst us.
The World Servants assistance is a response to meet the needs identified by an evaluation and an outcome to be met in the 2017-2021 proposal that self-sufficiency of the hospital be initiated. Self sufficiency of the hospital depends on much of the services provided by the hospital staff. World Servants realised that this depended also on the quality of welfare support the staff provided by the hospital. They rightly identified the availability of standard housing facilities and supported the building of staff quarters for the staff.World Servants have been keen on providing support to the MCLH in line with the Biblical principle of taking care ‘of the least of these my brethren’ Through provision of support by improving the staff housing facilities, this also contributes towards the realisation of the hospital’s expected outcome 3.2 – motivated staff..
This year’s activities are a continuation of activities which began last year in 2018. It was carried out as planned and the final touches to the building concluded sometime in the future.
Give a (short) general description of the implementation of the project.
The Sep up team arrived from World Servants earlier in 2019 to prepare and assess the needs for the continued assistance of WS towards MCLH which also included a visit to the project site. Discussions were held with both the TLMM and MCLH staff in charge of the project and agreements reached on the dates of implementation with regular exchange of notes about the status of the project implementation.
Two volunteer teams arrived in August 2019, the first team in early July and the second team in August. Each team stayed in Mawlamyaing, at the MCLH for three weeks and contributed their services.
How do you look back on the following topics? How was it arranged, what went well, what could be done better?
Construction
Buildings worked on
The construction is being managed by the same contractor who was there last year and also the two volunteer groups of 2018.
It was a continuation of last year’s construction activities beginning with the third floor.
The construction process starts in May 2019 in preparation for MY119 and My219 team. The frame for the roof is set up and roofing completed before the arrival of world servant group. When first group (2019) arrived, the constructor workers and world servant group work on ground floor slab for about 3 days. They also work on the brick partition for the second. When second group arrived partition for last floor is done. Now the building is almost completed and can say about 70% up to 2nd floor. Partition is finished about 60% with the help of world servants. This year’s work was towards the completion of the third and fourth floors of the planned 16 two-bedrooms apartments for the staff of the MCLH at the back of the hospital compound.
The volunteers themselves worked on the work of the logo.
Tasks to be done
Communications between TLMM and WS HQ as well as between TLMM and MCLH before the arrival of the teams for coordination and for prepared plans to be implemented on time as scheduled was smooth and timely. Information with regards to the travel permits i.e.visa for travel to Mawlamyaing now has to be handled by Mawlamyaing as TLMM is now a local organization – local travel handled at local level.
Programs
Children program
Arrangements were possible due to the hospital’s day care centre and the disability resource centre that has a special programme for disabled children.
Cultural and touristic outings
Local Burmese dancing was taught and all volunteers heartily participated and even gave a performance on graduation.
The first team was able to visit all scheduled sites of Setse (seaside beach) and Hpaan ( boat trip to caves in the Kayin/Karen State). The second team enjoyed a riverine trip to Bilugyun and KadoeKawHnut only, weather conditions not permitting.
Life Skills program and Football for Water
Teams enjoyed interactions with staff of the hospital and patients as well as those other persons they met in the course of their volunteer work and scheduled activities, thus building up a relationship of understanding and friendships between the two nations of Myanmar and the Netherlands at the local level.
Cooperation and involvement
Leadership team World Servants
The volunteers were at their best in involving themselves in all the scheduled activities. Presence of translators was of great help also.
Leadership of WS was thorough in ensuring that there would be no delays or obstacles to the volunteers work right from the preparations till they arrived back safely in the Netherlands. They also ensured that a direct communications system was available and accessible between them and the volunteer teams in the field especially for emergencies.
Local leaders / key persons
All arrangements for the volunteers’ stay at Mawlamyaing were made under the leadership of the Medical Superintendent of the MCLH in full cooperation between the TLMM and WS HQ
Community
Communities involved in the project were the immediate communities of the hospital including its staff and patients and those in the sites visited. Involvement of the local community was brought about by the setting up of tournaments for football between the volunteer teams and the local youth groups.
Beneficiaries
The very presence of the volunteers in the hospital and in their homes was very positive for the staff and their families. It established a relationship and an understanding of the reasons for their presence. The volunteers also were ambassadors for the Netherlands, a country which would have remained only on the map, if they had not been physically present.
Presence of volunteers also helped in the way of strategizing how and when youth should be mobilized as an initial first step with regards to their involvement as future leaders and raising their interests in one’s own country.
(Local) authorities
They were helpful and obliging in the issuance of the stay permits in Mawlamyaing.
Facilitation of the team
Accommodation
Volunteers were accommodated in rooms of a building being constructed by the MCLH as a training cum meeting centre that has 9 guest rooms. These rooms are self-contained with bathrooms that include toilets and hot and cold water facilities for showers. Room facilities, such as beds and mattresses have not been available as the finishing touches to the building are still on-going but there was an added comfort of the presence of an air-conditioner in each room. Laundry services were provided for both teams. Purified, filtered water was available for all rooms but were still advised to drink boiled water and to use the filtered water for mouth-washing purposes.
Food
Dining room facilities were provided in the side room of the day-care centre in the church and is midway between the construction site and their accommodation.
MCLH ensured that food was enjoyable and introduced Myanmar dishes which was a bit spicy initially and proved to be allergic for one or two volunteers initially.
Transportation
Arranged transportation for being met at the airport on arrival and departure from Yangon, travel to and from Mawlamyaing to Yangon was without problems.
Travel for tours was limited due to weather conditions but transport for local visits were OK.
Safety
All health and safety measures agreed upon between TLMM and WS were observed.
Lessons learned
It was very obvious that with the experience gained from each year, the local team where able to facilitate and support the youth team very well, the local team were empowered and gain more confidence hosting these events and were really proud of their accomplishment.
