Myanmar
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Photo: Benny Manser/Mercy Corps -
Fifty-five-year-old Daw Than Than Shwe, a mother of two, grows 27 acres of rice in Kyu Taw village in Myanmar's Irawaddy Delta. Since the cyclone, Mercy Corps has been helping Daw Than Than Shwe and 131 other rice farmers in her village by creating a seed bank. Each participating farmer member received 60,000 Kyat — about £48 U.S. — for seeds and fertilizer. After each harvest, they put some of their rice seed into storage as insurance against future crop failures. So far, all of the farmers have contributed their share. Five of Daw Than Than Shwe's acres are also planted with improved seeds provided by Mercy Corps. The (non-GMO) seeds yield more rice and show better resistance to droughts and pests than the rice currently used to plant fields. Photo: Benny Manser/Mercy Corps
Our strategy
Make vulnerable communities more food secure and resilient to climate change, while enhancing economic opportunities, strengthening civil society, and improving health and nutrition.
The context
Recent large political reforms have resulted in opposition parties, relaxed media censorship, and thawing relations with countries like the United States. Yet Myanmar’s socio-economic situation remains extremely dire. Heavy reliance on agriculture for livelihoods makes communities vulnerable to droughts, floods and tropical cyclones, all of which are liable to increase in intensity with climate change.
Our work
- Agriculture & Food: Providing tools, high-quality seeds and skill-building to boost rice production; funding roads and other infrastructure to connect remote farmers to markets
- Economic opportunity: Running resource centers for vocational and agricultural training and resources that grow household incomes
- Women & Gender: Helping women organise village vegetable gardens that provide food for their families and turn them into businesses for additional income
All stories about Myanmar
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Myanmar: Bold Woman Makes a Difference December 8, 2008
Yangon, Myanmar - When a massive cyclone pounded Myanmar six months ago, Mra Sabai Nyun knew exactly what she wanted to do.
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Myanmar: Navigating Change in the Delta December 8, 2008
In early May, Cyclone Nargis tore through Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta, its merciless rains and 120-mile-an-hour winds destroying hundreds of low-lying villages and killing more than 140,000 people.
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Myanmar: Mercy Corps Assists Hard-Hit Delta Residents August 20, 2008
In Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta, Mercy Corps emergency responders are bringing relief and beginning recovery efforts throughout Laputta Township, where early evidence suggests that 80,000 of the 350,000 residents died in the storm.
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Myanmar: Bringing Back Bo Kone June 24, 2008
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Myanmar: Q&A: Carol Ward in Myanmar June 17, 2008
Carol Ward is one of four members of Mercy Corps' Global Emergency Operations team responding to the needs of cyclone survivors in Myanmar. Mercy Corps is supporting the medical aid organisation Merlin with a team of disaster-response experts and financial resources.