Bridge to a Better Future: Grassroots Community Development in the Ayeyarwady Delta

With support from a private donor, Community Partners International (CPI) is working to support 568 households (over 2,200 people) in five villages in Mawlamyinegyun township, Ayeryawady Region, to address their challenges and improve their living conditions. The Better Homes Better Lives (BHBL) Project is a partnership between CPI and local partner Baythitsadarna, a community-based organization linked to a monastery in Mawlamyinegyun.

Mawlamyinegyun lies in the Ayeryawady Delta region in southwest Myanmar. It is a low-lying and predominantly rural region where agriculture and aquaculture are important sources of livelihood. It is the delta for Myanmar’s largest river, the Ayeyarwady, whose vast waters drain through a complex network of waterways that crisscross the region and ultimately discharge into the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Martaban. As a low-lying coastal region, the Ayeyarwady Region is vulnerable to cyclones, storm surges, and flooding.

CPI and Baythitsadarna have worked together for several years on community maternal and child health services. For this new pilot project, CPI and Baythitsadarna consulted with communities around Mawlamyinegyun to identify and prioritize their needs. The communities identified various priorities: health, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, lighting, and community infrastructure.

During the consultation, community members proposed to create women-led teams to act as the focal point and lead for community improvements. Under the project model, CPI will train and mentor these women-led teams in each village to become peer educators and oversee the roll-out of local improvement projects. These teams have now been established in five villages in Mawlamyineguyn Township. In the longer term, CPI plans to train these teams in crucial aspects of reproductive health, family planning, sanitation and hygiene, disease awareness, and nutrition so they can act as a community resource for health education.

One key community concern centered on clean water. At present, community members draw water from a nearby creek. The water is not purified, and children quite frequently suffer from diarrhea. CPI partnered with Thirst-Aid, a Myanmar-based organization focusing on clean water and hygiene, to supply ceramic water filtration units to households in five villages. Thirst-Aid’s water filters are locally produced and designed for optimal ease of use and maintenance. They consist of a tailor-made ceramic filtration bowl that sits inside the rim of a commonly available lidded plastic container with a tap installed at its base. Users pour unfiltered water into the ceramic bowl at the top, which filters the water as it slowly passes through. The filtered water drops into the plastic container, ready to drink. In April 2018, Thirst-Aid traveled to Mawlamyinegyun to distribute the first 176 filters and train community members on filter correct use and maintenance and good hygiene practices.

Many households in Mawlamyinegyun need regular access to electricity. At night, they depend on small battery-powered lamps for light. However, the batteries in these lamps need to be frequently recharged, a service offered locally for 100 kyats per light. Many households struggle to afford this and so minimize usage. The lack of household lighting at night can impact families, particularly schoolchildren who need light to complete their homework in the evening. CPI distributed 250 solar-powered lamps to households in five villages. These lamps provide a free source of light all year round.

Another aspect of improvement identified by the community was cooking practices. Most households currently use the traditional ‘Three Stone’ cooking method, an open fire with three large stones supporting cooking pots. These fires emit large amounts of smoke and significantly contribute to respiratory diseases, particularly in enclosed spaces. CPI showed community members a model of a cookstove that is much cleaner, safer, and more efficient than the ‘Three Stone’ cooking method. Having inspected the stove, community members agreed that they would like to make the switch. CPI has placed an order with a local supplier in Myanmar for 200 cookstoves and will distribute them to households in five villages in Mawlamyinegyun township in July 2018.

To help empower community ownership, engagement, and greater sustainability, CPI proposed a cost-share model in which both CPI and the community would support the costs for the filtration units, solar lights, and cookstoves. Community members agreed and offered to support 50% of the cost.

CPI also supported the construction of a concrete footbridge at Kyaw Nu village. This bridge is strategically located to better connect four villages in the surrounding area and nearby towns. The bridge makes it easier and more convenient for people to travel, particularly for schoolchildren who regularly cross the river to attend school. During the monsoon season, the crossing can become dangerous as the river swells. The bridge was completed in early May 2018, and now people and goods can quickly and safely cross the river. The bridge also helps villages transport agricultural equipment between villages for their farming needs.

Community members also identified various needs in the monastic schools serving the villages in this part of Mawlamyinegyun Township, ranging from hygiene and sanitation school equipment to teacher support. CPI is working with several monastic schools on a range of improvement projects, including the construction of additional latrines, handwashing and bathing stations, and additional classroom benches and chairs. CPI uses local tradespeople, laborers, and suppliers to ensure maximum support for the local economy. CPI supports recruiting additional teachers to help alleviate severe understaffing challenges in these schools and supply a broader range of learning materials.

CPI is also working with these communities to support and develop livelihoods. Beginning in August 2018, CPI plans to develop pilot projects for breeding poultry and cultivating mushrooms with support from a local monastery.
​
Based on the outcomes of this pilot project, CPI will look to extend activities in Mawlamyinegyun to support more communities in improving their living conditions.