Beyond FUNDRAISING: Direct Donations to Desperate Myanmarians

I’m tempted to apologize for a dire call for donations on Mother’s Day, but as we move on to other pressing issues I’m afraid the people suffering untold miseries in central Myanmar will be quickly forgotten. Since the onslaught of Cyclone Nargis on May 3, aid has been notoriously slow in arriving to those in need thanks to the idiocy of the military government in this country formerly known as Burma. So I understand why many in the West would hesitate to donate via the typical aid organizations.

But there’s another way, and it’s an ideal way to get funds directly to the front lines of the current war (and yes, these people are fighting a war every minute against depression and despair after the sudden loss of loved ones, against homelessness, starvation, fatal water-borne illnesses, lack of security, the fear of impending violence) in this impoverished delta region via those on the front lines: Burmese monks.

According to the impressive international internet-advocacy organization Avaaz.org, “the monasteries are the only source of shelter and food for Burma’s poorest people. They have been on the front lines of the aid effort since the storm struck.” To send your donation to the Burmese monks “the most trusted and reliable institution in the country” of Myanmar, go here. Avaaz.org reports it’s already raised over a million and half dollars in this week-old effort.

If you’re still unsure, imagine you’re a mother whose children are dying for lack of clean water to drink and a protein-rich biscuit to eat, a mother who’s children are not only dangerously ill but who have nowhere to sleep and feel safe, a mother who may be sick and dying and grieving herself. Let’s help the Burmese Monks do what they do so well by flooding them with tangible proof we truly care about these mothers and their families on this day we call Mother’s Day. Then let’s spread the word so others can pitch in and feel good and confident about where their donations are going. The hardships these poor people are facing aren’t going to go away overnight; neither should our concern for them or our determination to help.

Photo © Associated Press