MYA/002
Eastern Shan State Rural Development and Inclusion Project

The Eastern Shan State (ESS) is an exceptional case of disadvantage in a country struggling with numerous cultural, political, economic and environmental challenges. Based on a thorough problem analysis and needs assessment in the target areas, the overall goal of the project is to promote inclusive, cohesive and sustained groups, communities, institutions and systems for the benefit of the rural population of ESS.

The two specific objectives of the project are:  

• to improve the means and resources for legal livelihood activities of the local communities;  and
• to promote the interaction, interdependence, cooperation and capacity in the community's development of participatory governance.

The deficit in interaction and cooperation can be explained historically, going back as far as to the beginning of the decline of the vast and powerful Shan Kingdom (from Yunnan to Arakan border and containing more than 100 ethnic groups), which already commenced in the mid-17th century. This was followed by more recent colonial and/or war-torn disruptions (1930-2000). This period of 70 years of poverty in Myanmar was reflected by the displacement and isolation of populations from internal and cross-border conflict that has stunted economic growth, including human capital and natural resource development. More recently, since 2000 and until 2021, a period of military restraint provided a pause in the accumulation of damage, grievances and displacement, allowing for development interventions, planned and conducted with local leaders and family heads, negotiated with the political authorities in each domain and ensuring material benefits and development impacts.

Since development prospers through cooperation and interdependence, MYA/002 aims to first and foremost involve and serve villagers who need more food, water, electricity, mobility and communications – all requiring continuous mutual reinforcement – to be gradually formalised in committees at township, tract, village and community levels.

Geographically speaking, the following three clusters/areas are concerned:

• the 5 Tracts of southwest Keng Tung Township with 11 000 people, including ethnic minorities emerging from very insecure conditions;
• the most severely damaged areas of Keng Lap, with approximately 2 000 people of mixed ethnicities along a vital border area of Tachileik District; and
• an additional 2 000 disadvantaged and predominantly Shan people in five villages in the low density midland of the Mong Phyak Township.

Since the MYA/002 project has a specific geographical and population focus with considerable technology development, innovation and piloting, a direct financing modality via local management structures, technical expertise, and dispersed facilitation in the targeted tracts/districts and among the different villages is being implemented.

Following the military coup of February 1st 2021, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation has decided to temporarily suspend the activities of the project MYA/002 and is closely monitoring the situation.

Latest news

• MYANMAR - Cope with the collateral damage caused by the measures taken to tackle Covid-19

  Published on 29 May 2020    By Sandrine THINNES   

  The Eastern Shan State Rural Development and Inclusion Project, MYA/002, works in 89 target villages with approximately 16 700 people. The targeted population consists of 100% ethnic minorities emerging from very insecure conditions (acutely remote, high altitude, former no-travel zones) and/or damaged areas (earthquake). These communities have very limited access to services and are totally reliable on self-sufficient agricultural and livestock production for survival.

  

  Commonly, this time of the year, the most vulnerable households are experiencing rice shortage which would be lessened via traditional coping mechanisms of finding daily wager work. These mechanisms are currently not available to the villagers in view of travel restrictions due to COVID-19 health and safety measures.

  The Government of the Union of Myanmar has drafted a COVID-19 Response Plan consisting of 7 goals in which Goal 4 consists of Easing the Impact on Households via unconditional in-kind transfer to vulnerable households and at-risk population.

  The target population of the MYA/002 project falls to 100% under the definition of vulnerable and at-risk population. In view of the uncertainty of when lockdown measures might be lessened, the onset of the rainy season and the ploughing of rice fields, the MYA/002 target population is in need of in-kind support for food security reasons to sustain strength (caloric in-take) and resilience of the individuals. From recent exchanges with beneficiaries, many households are already facing hunger and malnutrition, which will also heighten the health impact of a possible local COVID-19 outbreak.

  MYA/002 supports all households in the target area with a 1-month ration of rice, oil and salt. Basic hygiene articles like soap will also be provided to support the COVID-19 prevention measures. The 1-month rice ration is renewable in case COVID-19 measures remain in place or destitute households need further support.

  

  MYA/002 coordinates the distribution of the in-kind support via the General Administration Department’s village tract clerks, the village chiefs and the village development committees already functional in parts of the targeted area to ensure the equitable distribution of the rations to the households in each of the 89 villages.

  The distribution started on 28 May 2020, the first 171 households of some 2 800 households were immensely grateful for the support even if they had to carry the rice bags on foot back to their village.

  The delivery and distribution of more than 250 tons of goods will continue over the next few weeks in the MYA/002 project area.

  

• MYANMAR - No one will be left behind

  Published on 21 May 2020    By Project MYA/002   

  Luxembourg development cooperation promotes cultural diversity to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development through the Eastern Shan State Rural Development and Inclusion Project-MYA/002, in a region where the majority of the population is facing many cultural, political, economic, and environmental challenges. The project adopts a direct financing modality, empowering local management structures such as village development committees via training and the application of appropriate technology, technical expertise and facilitation among targeted communities.

  One of the main hypotheses of the project's strategy suggests that the phased cooperation and necessary interdependence for new activities will gradually improve attitudes and practices in social organisation, which is to be based on mutual respect, resource sharing, community development and informed governance.

  See the project in action here:

  

  Benefits and impact to date:

  • More than 7,200 people currently have access to clean water in their homes;
  • 256 households have a sustainable supply of electricity for household lightening and small electric appliances through a pico-hydropower system;
  • 44 community tea farms and 171 individual coffee farms were established with a survival rate of 95% of seedling production;
  • Implementation of 5 model pig farms with selected farmers, resulting in spontaneous replication of household pig farming in 5 of the poorest villages;
  • 3,935 people trained in operation and maintenance of village water and electricity systems, safe drinking water production, solid waste management, basic animal healthcare, livestock breeding, agricultural production, village development, and vocational training (sewing course).

• MYANMAR - Nearly 15,000 people in rural areas will have access to information and telecommunication technology

  Published on 7 January 2020    By Sandrine Thinnes   

  On Friday 13 December 2019, LuxDev, the bilateral development agency of the Government of Luxembourg (via Eastern Shan State Rural Development and Inclusion Project, MYA/002), and Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT), a Myanmar government entity (as “Service Provider”), signed an agreement for the purchase, turnkey building, installation and future operation of three Telecom towers in the Township of Keng Tung.

  

  The agreement, which lists required services in the form of basic data and voice communications, is part of a series of parallel interventions adopting a holistic approach towards rural development and inclusion in three designated target areas in Eastern Shan Stage. The area where the services will be delivered from mid-2020 onwards includes almost 15,000 beneficiaries and is situated to the south-west of Keng Tung city (Nam Khat, Nam Inn, Nar Paw, Ming Inn and Naung Taun – commonly referred to as the “5 Tracts”).

  The counterpart agency assigned to the project is the Department of Rural Development (DRD) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation. The other ministries and/or organisations involved are the General Administration, Rural Roads, Agriculture, Livestock and Education departments.

  

  The two objectives of the Eastern Shan State Rural Development and Inclusion Project - MYA/002 are to improve the means and resources for legal livelihood activities of the local communities and to promote interaction, interdependence, cooperation and capacity in the community's development of participatory governance.

  Project MYA/002, now at the end of its second year, has a 5-year duration and a total budget of 10 million EUR from the government of Luxembourg (in addition to a range of alternative Myanmar contributions).

  Since development prospers with cooperation and interdependence, first and foremost the initiative aims to involve and serve villagers in need of food, water, electricity, better productive/agricultural activities, mobility and communications. These necessities all require consistent cooperation and interdependence, which is to be gradually formalised in committees at Township, Tract, Village and Community levels.

  The delivery of communications represents the promotion of innovation and will strengthen the information network, specifically in the 5 Tracts, and this will thus enable more people to appreciate common interests and the need to cooperate in change, to gain shared knowledge, and to learn by themselves.

  The project sought a cost-sharing agreement with MPT for the provision of hardware and subsequent communications services, with the latter falling under the full responsibility of MPT. Earlier in 2019, MPT already built a tower and started operations; thereby reaching the 5 Tracts target area.

  In consultation with the community, the project will support the provision of phones, radio and internet access for key persons. High priority actors and key beneficiaries are hence a few thousand learners in some 20 schools, between 40-50 teachers, approximately 100 village elders in literacy and information, an estimated 200 village committee members in different technical areas, some 500 leading female and male farmers, some 1500 following farmers (wetland, upland, livestock and post-harvest technologies), possibly some 1000 short-term workers (some with repeat assignments) on tracks and roads and about 100 Myanmar Government staff from six different sectors who will gain knowledge and skills from implementing their responsibilities in planning, execution, maintenance, monitoring and reporting.

  Communications will be closely monitored so as to learn from the uptake and the developmental effects of this intervention in this area, compared with an unconnected “control area” in another Township or District of Eastern Shan State.

• MYANMAR - Pig farming a lucrative activity

  Published on 20 November 2019    By Sandrine THINNES   

  The Eastern Shan State Rural Development and Inclusion Project, MYA/002, recently established 5 pig model farms in selected villages of the target area south-west of Kyaing Tong city in Eastern Shan State.

  

  The MYA/002 team selected 5 farmers willing to start a pig model farm after training Community Animal Health Care Workers in each village and running several information campaigns amongst the 70 targeted villages. The farmers then signed an agreement to follow the new breeding techniques, improved feeding plan and products, as well as to apply humane husbandry practices.

  Although small livestock like poultry and pigs are kept close to the houses, the animals are free to roam around throughout the day. They get fed once a day with leftovers or if the family can afford it with some cooked rice bran. Due to this traditional way of keeping small livestock, the animals are left mostly to their own demise which increases spreading of diseases, excrements and last but not least destroying vegetable gardens and eating any garbage they can find.

  The pig model farm promotes the construction of a pig pen, use of specialised animal fattening feed (which does not need cooking) and supplements like Ruzi grass, cleaning of the stables twice daily and regular treatments/vaccinations (including castration of male pigs).

  Vet Infomation Campaign 

  The first trials have shown that by using the improved feeding plan, the fattening period of the local black mountain pig can be reduced from 16 to 6 months and reaching a good marketable size. The farmers have also noted that the local variety pigs if kept according to the improved techniques have a much healthier aspect.

  Obviously, the project is supporting these model farms with the specialised feed (local production in Myanmar) but only for 6 months as the business plan then allows for the breeding farm to run sustainably on its own.

  Some neighbouring villages have already made their interest known to follow the guidelines, amongst them the small villages of Loi Kye 1&2 and the 11 households of the La Hu Shi tribe (usually nomadic) have surpassed the project’s expectations.

   The poorest part of Loi Kye 1 village

  Their animal health care workers had invited all the households to construct pig pens with material that they had available. They then invited the project to come and check asking to be supported with roofing sheets and the specialised feed. The villages had even plotted some areas to grow the Ruzi grass.

  Honouring this exemplary initiative, the project provided the roofing sheets, fattening feed and training on how to mix the feed ratios and supplements. These households are all living far below the poverty line so that the fattening of their pigs represents a legal and lucrative income activity.

  Livestock traders have already noticed an improved quality and availability of cattle and pigs in the targeted area. They are now more interested in negotiating higher prices as the livestock is treated, vaccinated and of a much healthier constitution. A 6 months old pig fed according to the new techniques can be sold for 150 000 MMK (88 EUR) whereas before the farmer needed to wait at least one year before the marketable size was reached.

  

  Other positive side effects are a cleaner environment in the village, decrease of exposure to diseases for humans and animals, decline in home gardens being raided by hungry pigs and also decrease in using of fire wood as cooking animal feed becomes unnecessary.

• MYANMAR - Harnessing the power of water for a sustainable source of energy

  Published on 3 June 2019    By Sandrine THINNES   

  A natural occurring split in the river near Nam Phu village created an opportunity to construct a hydro-power weir to run two 5 kW low head turbines. The masonry work incorporated much of the natural features and used mostly stones collected from the site.

  

  The villagers of Nam Phu were very well organized and each household sent up to two persons to help the skilled mason crew on a daily basis. The volunteers did an incredible job, especially, as all the construction material had to be hand carried from the drop-off point down through the jungle to the construction site down by the river (one way took 45 min walking).

  

  Most impressive is that the works were completed within 3 weeks. The construction of the weir, the connection of the turbines, the installation of the electric lines, and the connection of the households went all smoothly which contributed greatly to the success of this activity.

  

  

  The test run of the turbines went also very well and the station is now putting out a constant flow of 220 to 230 V. Each of the 52 households in Nam Phu village received 3 LED lightbulbs (3 W), a switchboard with 3 electric plugs, and 15 streetlights were installed throughout the village.

  

  Prior to the hydropower, only a few households were able to afford a solar panel and some electric appliances like a TV/DVD set. Unfortunately, the power to run those sets was never sufficient from the solar panel and so those appliances collected dust. On the first evening of testing the new power source, those TV/DVD sets came out and people gathered to enjoy to sing a song, listen to music or watching a movie from a scratchy DVD.

  

  The villagers of Nam Phu were also beneficiaries of a door-to-door village water system. At the beginning of the year, most villagers did not believe they would be able to enjoy water at their house and electricity. Sometimes, dreams can come true.

  Project MYA/002 will construct more systems at similar locations without too much interference to the natural environment or landscape.

   

   

• MYANMAR - Going digital for data collection in remote villages

  Published on 3 May 2019    By Cynthia Rutare and Nadine Graas   

  The Annual Project Survey of MYA/002 Project took place from 23 to 31 of March in the 5 Tract area of Kyaing Tong township in East Shan State. This was the first time the project MYA/002 used an open-source digital system (KoboToolbox) for collecting valuable information from households and village chiefs in the project target area. The application allows to reduce the need for data cleaning and speeds up the data analysis process.

  

  Young motivated people from the project area were trained for two days as enumerators to conduct interviews with the households and use the tablets to record responses. Supervised by project staff, the two teams managed to visit 22 sample villages over 7 days. The remote area is very diverse in ethnicity (Lahu, Akha, Shan), culture and religion with Buddhist, Christian and animist beliefs co-existing. Even though the enumerators were from the same area, communication was at times challenging given that the accents of the two main ethnic tribes, Lahu and Akha, vary significantly from one village to another.

  

   

  The first results from the survey look encouraging, 94% of the people interviewed were either highly satisfied or satisfied with the project activities so far. Only 9 % of households experienced rice shortage compared to 13.7% during the baseline survey conducted in 2017. Access to water and electricity also increased significantly in the surveyed area.

  Watch the video : click here

   

• MYANMAR - How to operate and maintain a water distribution system

  Published on 7 February 2019    By Sandrine THINNES   

  The project MYA/002 proceeded with setting up village water committees in the 6 villages that benefitted from the  installation of a household water distribution system  in 2018. These water committees will be in charge of its own operation and adequate maintenance of those systems.

  

  Village Water committee of Che Nar Dea

  Each of the 6 water committees was trained on how to draw their water distribution system map, the general functioning of the water distribution systems, the use of the tools and spare parts in the maintenance kit, and also the chemical and physical characteristics of water.

  

  For some it has been a long time since they sat in a class room

  

  Drawing the map of their water system

  

  Given that most of these villages are located in a very remote area and access to education is very limited, the training was delivered in an applied learning by doing approach. Also, many villagers have never used tools such as wrenches or screwdrivers and need to get familiar with their use first.

  

  

  

  Checking the pH level of the water

  Apart from the schematics and the mechanical aspects of the water distribution systems did the project’s Operation and Maintenance expert also focused on team building and managerial aspects of the new water committees. Villagers are used to working with members of their family and have yet to fully understand the concepts of communitary work on common assets belonging to the village as a whole. The sharing of responsibilities and working in a team will be crucial for the proper maintenance of their respective water distribution systems.

  

  Pulling on one string to achieve the common goal.

  

  Water Committee of Ba Ngoo village

• MYANMAR - Staying healthy through personal hygiene

  Published on 11 December 2018    By Sandrine THINNES   

  One of the aims of project MYA/002 is to provide villages in the 5 Tract area of Keng Tung township in East Shan with access to water. Already in six villages efficient door-to-door water distribution systems were installed and the villagers are very happy to have access to water at their doorstep. The efforts to provide more villages with door-to-door water systems from protected sources will continue next year. Access to water gives the project the opportunity to organise personal hygiene awareness campaigns. Improved personal hygiene decreases considerably the most common bacterial infection and causes of diarrhea in children.

  

  

  Apart from installing village water distribution systems, project has also recently started with the construction of decent toilets and handwashing stations in the public schools operated by the Department of Education in the 5 Tract area. The aim is to provide all 17 government schools and some monastic schools with such improved facilities.

  

  The works for these WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) facilities is currently ongoing in the villages of Wan Kong, Nar Paw, Ah Maw Dea and Mong Lu. In the meantime, the project team decided to already launch in those 4 villages a Personal Hygiene Awareness and Demonstration training to the students of the public primary schools. The public school teachers assisted the project team in their efforts to discuss and raise the awareness of the needs of proper personal hygiene amongst the students. The students were gifted a set of soap, toothbrush and toothpaste to become ambassadors for personal hygiene and set examples to their siblings and parents.

  

   

• MYANMAR - Village Veterinarian Extension Services

  Published on 5 November 2018    By Sandrine THINNES   

  After the project had trained the 5th batch of village veterinarian extension workers (village vets) in August 2018, it was time to introduce the 65 trained village vets to the concept of extension work. The project team put together information leaflets on the most common diseases in cattle, pigs and poultry and trained the village vets on how to approach the villagers and share the knowledge.

  

  

  The village vets should approach the villagers in small groups and introduce them to the signs shown by animals if infected by any of the most common diseases. The villagers are then invited to contact the village vet immediately if those signs occur so that the animal can be treated or put under quarantine to avoid further spreading of the disease.

  

  

  

  Although the information leaflets are in Burmese language and many of the villagers are illiterate, the fact that the village vets provided information in their local ethnic language (in these shown cases La Hu) and explained in detail the pictures, the villagers are able to recognize and react appropriately.

  Upon a recent follow-up mission the project team and the field coordinator visited villagers and asked about the leaflets and their purpose. Many households were able to provide the information that was shared with them and even showed the coordinator which diseases they had already come across. They were also very happy to have a village vet who provides the medicine and can thus even cure their animal.

  

  For the moment, MYA/002 project is supporting the village vets with the medicines/vaccines free of charge. The payment of the medicines/vaccines will start once the village vets have completed their full training and also when the project has provided further support to the farmers in improving their husbandry techniques and are able to create an income from their livestock. For now the importance lies on training the village vets and the farmers alike in preventing and containing most common diseases to avoid outbreaks and loss of valuable assets to the farmers’ livelihoods.

  

   

• MYANMAR - Improving Basic Agricultural Knowledge

  Published on 10 October 2018    By Sandrine THINNES   

  Since August 2018, the MYA/002 Agricultural Production Support team in close collaboration with the Department of Agriculture improved the knowledge in basic agricultural techniques of 45 participants from 21 villages of the 5 Tract area of Kyaing Tong township.

  

  Identifying the most common diseases in paddy rice

  Over the course of 3 days, the participants were introduced how to recognize the different types of soil and the most common diseases and pests in paddy crops. The training further included practical exercises in how to set up a compost heap to produce natural fertiliser as well as how to mix natural pesticides from garlic and soap for instance. As many of the farmers work on mountainous terrain, the technique of how to plot a sloping land using an A-frame was very informative to them.

  

  The trainings were delivered in Burmese with a translation into the local dialect of either La Hu or Shan. Information cards were handed out to the participants to support the theory with pictures and images so that even illiterate farmers are able to understand the information more easily. The trainees are invited to share their knowledge with their peers.

  

  Finding the bug in the rice field

  Besides the training sessions, the project team visited those initial 21 villages and recruited farmers interested in setting up a vegetable garden (called home garden) as well as model farms with long term crops such as tea, coffee and/or fruit trees amongst the most common long term crops. The response from the villagers was phenomenal as more than 450 people are interested in setting up home gardens and 91 volunteered to try out the model farm concept. Home gardens are not very common in the villages as they are always ravaged by free ranging chicken and pigs but also most farmers are not very familiar with the needs or techniques of growing vegetables properly. The villagers would however be very happy to also see a change in their diet and are happy to learn how to grow them.

  

  Visiting a farm in Loi Mwe growing cabbage and tea in a mixed plot

  To wrap up this initial training, the project invited the trainees to a learning trip to the Loi Mwe area to visit the model and research farm from the Department of Agriculture, the famous tea village of Ba Wei (with over 70 year old tea plants), a farm/home garden plot as well as a multi crop (elephant foot yam, pineapple and pine trees) plantation on sloping land. For some this trip was also an adventure as it was the first time for them driving in a bus and also to have slept in a guest house. However, such learning trips are so important to help the trainees to better understand the theory as well as to exchange with other farmers in the area.

  

  Ba Wei tea master showing how the fried green tea needs to be macerated before drying

  In the upcoming months the project will support the volunteers with the necessary seeds, seedlings, tools and other material to set up their home gardens and model farms. The MYA/002 team and its partners are looking forward to soon be tasting those homegrown vegetables in a few weeks time.

  

• MYANMAR - 371 households have access to water

  Published on 17 August 2018    By Sandrine THINNES   

  Over the last five months, 371 households have seen their livelihoods improved by having access to water right at their house.

  In very close cooperation with 6 villages of the 5 Tract area of Keng Tung township in Eastern Shan State, the testing phase of installing door-to-door water distribution systems has been successfully completed.

  

   

  A total of 5 water tanks of a capacity of 20 000 l have been constructed.

  From the main water tanks, a distribution system supplies inox tanks of a capacity of 3 000 l located at strategic points in the village. A maximum of 10 households are connected to one secondary tank. This means that each household has now at least 300 l of water at their disposal.

  

  In comparison, the previous cement cylinders had a maximum capacity of 700 l and sometimes up to 40 households were connected to one cement tank.

  

  The success of this testing phase has been tremendous and much of the credit goes to the villagers who have put volunteer work on top of their very busy agricultural schedule to get rice fields ready for planting. During the start of the rainy season, when roads and tracks became impassable, the villagers hand-carried the water distribution material from the nearest drop-off point to their village which could sometimes take 2,5 hours one way.

  

  

  In the 6 villages, over 7 000 pipes have been placed and buried at least 50 cm deep in order to protect them from exposure to the elements and roaming animals.

  

  Many lessons learned have been collected from this testing phase and the project has already identified the next batch of 6 villages to benefit from a door-to-door water distribution system.

  

• Myanmar - 24 village animal health care workers are ready to keep animals safe and healthy in their villages

  Published on 25 June 2018    By Sandrine THINNES   

  In May and June, the Veterinary Department of Kyaing Tong township with the support from the MYA/002 project, conducted two 3-day training sessions for veterinarian workers in the target villages of the 5 Tract area.

  A total of 24 participants from 12 villages were successfully trained on how to identify the most common diseases in cattle, buffalos, pigs and poultry. Each trainee received a bag with a medical kit comprised of tools, generic medicine, and vitamin complexes to treat the livestock in their respective villages for free. The trainees were also invited to support the veterinary department in completing the livestock census as well as contact the department in case they notice an unusually high number of common diseases which could be an underlying cause for a more serious outbreak. 

  Each trainee was tested before and after the course on their knowledge and understanding of animal health care and treatment. They all worked very hard during the training and passed their tests with flying colours. 

  The project was particularly proud that Mrs Daw Na Maw became the first female certified animal health care worker. Mrs Daw Na Maw was very pleased with the training and the knowledge that she gained. At first she was not sure if she would be allowed to bring her toddler but it turned out he quickly made friends in the hosting village.

  The organization and translation from Burmese into La Hu language was ensured by MYA/002 Cluster Field Coordinators, Mr Da Ye La and Mr Ha Ma.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   

   

   

   

• Myanmar - Building water tanks requires teamwork

  Published on 10 May 2018    By Sandrine THINNES   

  A month ago, project MYA/002 launched its very first activity in 5 villages of the mountainous 5 Tract area in the township of Keng Tung, Eastern Shan State, Myanmar. These 5 villages were selected for their priority needs with regard to water. Under the project’s Result 1, the outcome is to provide the villages in the target area with access to safe and affordable water. This will be achieved by constructing a 5 000 gallon (approx. 20 000 liters) water tank as per the standards of the Department of Rural Development under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation. From this main tank, the water will be distributed to secondary water tanks and from those a door-to-door system will ensure that each household has a water tap at their doorstep.

  ^{Preparing the ground for the foundation}

  The village of Che Nar Dea, the most remote and difficult to access of the five selected villages, does not have a water tank and the villagers have to walk downhill for at least 20 minutes to the nearest small spring to fill their cans and carry them back uphill again. As one can imagine, a lot of energy has to be put in to cover the daily water needs for drinking, cooking, washing, watering the vegetable garden and maintaining livestock.

  ^{Fetching one's water for the day}

  The joy was great when the villagers were informed that they would be the beneficiaries of a water tank and a door-to-door water distribution system through project MYA/002. However, it was made clear that this activity would also require support from the village as well. It was agreed that the villagers would collect sand from the river (and this time they had to walk for 30 minutes one way), provide big rocks for the foundation, gather a daily crew of at least 5 villagers to work hand in hand with the masonry team during the construction period, including the digging of a 4-mile-long ditch in which the water pipes from the water source to the water tank will be buried. The village also provides accommodation and cooked rice to the masonry team of three skilled workers. All of this was also agreed upon in the other selected villages.

  ^{Sand and rocks collected by villagers}

  ^{Collecting water for the construction}

  The project provided all of the construction material. A total of 49 truck loads carrying between 3 and 5 tons of materials were used to deliver the construction material to the different locations. To build a single 5 000-gallon water tank, one needs up to 8 000 bricks, 3 tons of gravel, 150 bags of cement, 60 iron reinforcement bars, 30 metal roofing sheets and so on. In the specific case of Che Nar Dea and because of the deplorable condition of the track, the initial 5-ton truck loads had to be dropped off and reloaded on to a 2-ton truck which made the journey 10 times, breaking down twice.

  ^{Slowly making their way up the hill}

   

  ^{Rough riding makes for tough luck}

  The MYA/002 project team knew that only with an exemplary participation from each village was the water tank activity going to be a successful.

  ^{Everyone lent a hand or two}

  ^{Although the projected suggested to have only 5 helping workers a day, the villagers were eager to participate}

  Each of the 5 villages lived up to the task: sand, rocks and water were provided, wood was cut from the community forest, villagers organized turns in cooking for the masonry crews, they showed up every day to help with the construction and learned some basic masonry skills – all of this whilst also having to plough their fields. Even when the tracks had to be improved and trucks pulled out of ditches or up the hill, the villagers were there to help. They truly showed ownership and willingness to provide whatever support they could give.

  Now, one month later and nearing the finalization of the construction of the 5 tanks, the team is very impressed with the outcome and is looking forward to the installation of the door-to-door water distribution system.

  

• Myanmar - Launching Ceremony Eastern Shan State Rural Development and Inclusion Project

  Published on 17 February 2018    By Sandrine THINNES   

  On Friday 16 February 2018, the Eastern Shan State Rural Development and Inclusion Project (MYA/002) celebrated its launch ceremony at the town hall of Kyaing Tong city. High level delegates from the Government of the Union of Myanmar, the Shan State Parliament, the Military, representatives from Luxembourg, local administrations, institutions, political parties, ethnic tribes and most importantly beneficiaries from the targeted villages all came together to take part in the kick-off of this 10 000 000 EUR rural development project. Over the next 5 years, the implementation will be concentrated in about 100 remote villages of Kyaing Tong and Tachileik township in Eastern Shan State of Myanmar.

  
  Registration of participants

  Each distinguished speaker emphasized in his statement the importance of the development of capacities and infrastructure in rural areas as this will contribute in the long run to the economic development of the country.

  The project will more specifically improve the means and resources for legal livelihood activities of the local population in the targeted area. The aim is to bridge gaps by providing the communities with easy access to villages, safe water, electricity, modern agriculture, education and literacy for all as well as a good telecommunications network. 

  
  High level delegates posing in front of the ideal representation of a well developed village in the rural area.

  The Department of Rural Development (DRD), under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation will be the project owner and technical assistance will be provided by LuxDev on behalf of the MYA/002 project. This particular set-up marks a first in the implementation modalities of the DRD and thus close cooperation and coordination between the DRD and MYA/002 technical assistance will be essential.

  The launch ceremony was brought to life by performances from the Shan, Lahu and Akha traditional dance groups which also represent the majority of the ethnic tribes present in the project’s targeted area.

  
  Akha traditional dance group

  Performance of the Lahu traditional Dance Group

  The MYA/002 project team is also composed of representatives from each collaborating country and ethnic tribes from the Shan State. The team is eager to start their collaborative work with their colleagues from DRD. The team also counts on the support of many other relevant stakeholders to improve the livelihoods of the beneficiaries. For any further enquiry or information please contact the project via email: mya002@luxdev.lu. 

  MYA/002 Technical Assistance Team