Myanmar

School Rehabilitation, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Child Protection

Since Cyclone Nargis in 2008, Terre des hommes (Tdh) has implemented 4 school rehabilitation projects enabling thousands of children to return to school. In 2011, 23,433 people benefited from Tdh activities.

The context

The financial and technical support for the work of Terre des hommes Italy in Twantay Township commenced in May 2008 immediately after Cyclone Nargis struck the Ayerawaddy Delta. The area where Tdh is active has a population of 308,000, involved in agriculture, fishing and subsistence activities. The already fragile general situation deteriorated severely after the cyclone when a total of 234 villages were flooded or destroyed, affecting some 185,000 people (60% of the entire population). Almost 70% of its schools were damaged as was access to drinking water. In the immediate aftermath, the risk of water-borne diseases and epidemics was high.

Our intervention

Emergency intervention – Immediately after the cyclone Tdh supplied emergency material to the victims (food, shelters, medicines) and started rebuilding schools, latrines and drinking water points, as well as encouraging health and hygiene in the schools and communities.

School rehabilitation and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene – Today, Tdh has finished renovating the schools and has intensified its activities to promote health, water, sanitation and hygiene. Committees for school maintenance have also been set up to guarantee sustainable management of the water installations and the school infrastructure.

Child protection – After more than a year of surveys and negotiations with the Myanmar government, a Tdh project for child protection saw the light of day in July 2010. Tdh’s team of social workers collaborates with the Department of Social Welfare to reintegrate many children, now held in government institutions, with their families and communities.

• 96.157436 16.791164

  Yangon District

• 95.938318 16.707532

  Twantay district