THANK YOU !!!
Now that international aid agencies are operating in Myanmar, we are letting the experts do the recovery work. Our local operators who are travel agents in Myanmar are still working in the disaster areas but we have scaled down. We sincerely thank everyone who donated when the victims urgently needed help; and we want you to feel good and proud that your monies went to work before Red Cross were allowed in.
Our Myanmar Relief Fund site no longer accept donations. For those who wish to contribute, please donate directly to Red Cross, Unicef or any reputable charity organizations that are working there now.
OUR TEAM CONTINUES RELIEF EFFORTS
Jun 13, 2008
- Red Cross is taking care of food and water
- US, France, Britain aids are still waiting for junta approval to get into Myanmar
- Our team in Myanmar continue to dispatch mosquito nets and tarpaulins
WE ARE HELPING THE VICTIMS NOW
Jun 6, 2008
- I am in Bangkok attending Tourism Thailand hosted trade show; had conferred with some of the operators from Myanmar involved with the relief efforts. Our money has been at work in the disaster area. Food were dispatched in coordination with village heads and monks. We are also distributing mosquito nets and tarpaulins for shelters.
-We hope foreign aids will be able to function in full force.
FOREIGN AIDS SLOWLY GETTING IN
May 28, 2008
-3 days after the announcements, only few visas are issued and a handful of foreigner allowed into Myanmar
-We are continuing our relief efforts until major helps arrive
-Pandaw Cruises has also begun truck deliveries of supplies. The 2 boats-turned-floating hospitals are treating more than 200 patients a day
-Columbus Travels has been busy distributing food and basic items, one village at a time working alongside village heads and monks. See the latest at http://columbus.pictiger.com/albums/26859/
-To all of you who donated, your money is helping the people right NOW. Thank you!
- Those who are here for the first time, donate to the Myanmar relief fund. now.
-I am travelling to Thailand this weekend on business. I may hop over to Myanmar to witness the on going help my affiliates are doing.
MYANMAR GENERAL LETS FOREIGN AIDS WORKERS IN
May 25, 2008
- Myanmar government lets foreign aids in. The news we have been waiting for; but an unbelievably three weeks late; after the disaster struck, at all victims' expense.
- Unicef was the first to dispatch its workers from Bangkok. Red Cross and others will be right behind.
- There could be areas where Myanmar government does not want foreign workers to go into, but our local Burmese helpers can. We therefore will continue with our mission; and monitor the situation for an extended period of time.
- When we are satisfied foreign aids are able to reach out to the worst areas, we will stop our mission and pass everything on to the experts
- Soon, news and tv footages will come out of Myanmar. Brace yourselves for some devastating news when you learn the extent of the damage cyclone Nargis has done.
- Please help. Donate to the Myanmar relief fund.
- All Canadian proceeds will go to Canadian Red Cross and all US proceeds will go to the American Red Cross.
YOUR DONATION AT WORK
May 22, 2008
-Food distribution by Columbus Travels in Yangon is flowing, working alongside with village heads and monks making sure villagers are being rationed equally.
-Our other two other partners Pandaw Cruises UK and Exotissimo's efforts are seeing results
-Pandaw Cruises UK has raised a whopping $450,000 to date. Two of their river cruise ships are in action. Pandaw II is operated by Save the Children organization. Pandaw IV has been handed over to Merlin, a UK based charity; this ship is now a floating hospital, treating more than 100 persons a day with volunteer medical team on board.
-Exotissimo continues with food distribution and has raised $88,000 to date
-Here, we have raised just $1912 to date however we are merely starting. We need your help to make it happen. Your donations goes DIRECTLY to the people in need.
- Think about what your contribution can mean to the people in need. $20 will buy one bag of rice that can feed a family of four for a month; $30 will pay for a basic bamboo hut with tarpaulin roof (to collect rain water for drinking) to shelter a homeless family.
- We will continue our efforts as much as we can; and all remaining monies will be turned over to International aid agencies when they are allowed into Myanmar and work effectively.
CANADA ONE VACATIONS sent Fund to Myanmar
May 19, 2008
-Yangon electricity restored, hotels and airport are in operation.
-Asean countries received green light from the general to enter Myanmar with aids
-Red Cross and other international aid agencies are not yet allowed in
-Our operators inspected the affected area, Pyapon and Bogalay area is receiving some help
-Our operators want to focus on saving lives by distributing food to deeper area accessible only by boats; where bodies since cyclone struck 2.5 weeks ago are not yet retrieved. Spread of disease is also feared.
-Canada One Vacations sent $1100. We need more. Please donate online.
Please note: donated funds that we receive will all be accounted for. We have created this disaster fund account in the name of Myanmar Cyclone Relief Fund exclusively with Pay Pal and will be transparent in our management of the funds. As we are not a charity organization, all volunteered works will not levy charges to the Fund for our efforts. At the right time, we will also transfer this operation to international agencies when these agencies are allowed entry into Myanmar.
CANADA ONE VACATIONS Creates Myanmar Cyclone Relief Fund
May 15, 2008
Dear Friends,
The devastating 190km/h (120mph) winds that swept through Yangon and the Irrawaddy Delta area of lower Myanmar has finally passed on Tuesday. The worst natural disaster in Myanmar in decades, Nargis leveled five areas, including the parts of capital Yangon and the low-lying Irrawaddy River Delta.
Yangon is damaged but has survived and clean up is underway, with electricity available via generators. Internet access has also returned and we can communicate with our operators in Yangon via emails.
All hotels are open and operating on generators and is limited to night time only in some hotels. Transportation is possible and many fallen trees have been cleared from the roads. The airport at Yangon is fully functional and international and domestic flights are operating. Travel to upcountry destinations is safe and life and tourist activity in Mandalay, Bagan and Inle Lake is fairly normal.
The Disaster is mainly in the Irrawaddy Delta where the storm caused a sea surge that smashed through towns and villages.
The people in the Delta are in desperate need of food, shelter and clean drinking water. International aids are slow entering Myanmar due to governing policy glitches. We are not waiting for meetings, discussions, and more meetings; so we decided to jump into action to deliver whatever we can.
Canada One Vacations Helps the Irrawaddy Delta
Canada One Vacations has set up an Emergency Fund with a donation of CAD$1,000, and we now organize a fund raising drive to solicit from anyone who would participate in this humanitarian effort. This fund will be sent directly to our local operators until we find a trusted and effective NGO or charity to take over. Be it $10 or any amount, your support counts.
Canada One Vacations works with three local operators in this project, primarily with Columbus Travels in Yangon; Exotissimo in Bangkok (with local office in Yangon) and Pandaw Cruises UK (with local office in Yangon) who are all members of Myanmar Travel Associations. We need to action to fast track relief efforts at least until international aid agencies are allowed into the country.
Fortunately our Myanmar operators' offices suffered minimal damages; and there is still electricity, so we are in a unique position to carry out an impromptu mission of our own to help quickly and effectively and to ensure that funds go directly to where they are needed most.
Funds raised will be able to buy immediately needed goods in Yangon; and our operators' company trucks were already at work since the past weekend delivering food to the affected area 20 miles from Yangon; and more trucks will be utilized. Our aim is to continue this effort until international aid agencies are operational.
Donate to the Myanmar Cyclone Relief Fund
If you wish to help the people of Myanmar donate here to make a credit card donation for any amount. To put things in perspective: $20 will buy one bag of rice that can feed a family of four for a month; $30 will pay for a basic bamboo hut with tarpaulin roof (to collect rain water for drinking) to shelter a homeless family.
By visiting our site today, you have shown that you have a heart and want to help the poor victims of the recent cyclone in Myanmar. These unfortunates may never get the chance to thank you' in person. On their behalf we would like to say 'Thank you'.
Canada One Vacations specializes in travels to Asia. We are not an aid or charity organization, although we work closely with a network of operators across the region, including Myanmar. We work out of a shared love and connection with the people and the place.
Disasters can destroy lives in an instant, and we are working to minimize its awful impact. Please join us in this effort to provide hope to this unfortunate area. Small contributions now can make incredible differences for many.
Every donated dollar will go straight to the relief effort. We will use our experience and connections in Myanmar to ensure that the aid goes to the people in need right away.
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Andy Ling
President
Canada One Vacations