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Please Help Us Support Earthquake Relief Efforts in Mandalay
We are Aaron and Lex Saari, teachers at an international school in Mandalay, Myanmar. We are from Portland, OR, USA, but have been living and working in Mandalay for about 2.5 years. We have fallen in love with the people of Mandalay- they are the kindest, most generous people in the world, and it is heartbreaking to see them suffering from this devastating disaster.
After safely evacuating Mandalay after the earthquake on April 2, Aaron and I have been in Yangon, working to connect with earthquake response teams and to determine how we can best help. Taking time to regroup and rest has been important, but now we are ready to get to work. We are also looking into safe housing options in Mandalay so we can return and assist directly.
Right now, both established NGOs and grassroots efforts are mobilizing, and we hope to join forces with them. Many dedicated individuals on the ground are already providing urgent relief. They desperately need financial support to continue their work.
How Your Donations Will Help:
- Food & Water Relief – Our dear friend, a local teacher in Mandalay, has been working tirelessly with her colleagues to cook and distribute meals to those in need. Her own home is destroyed and she is living on the street, yet she continues to cook and deliver meals. Your donations will help buy ingredients so they can continue feeding people. (The attached photos show their meal prep and deliveries this week to 500 people.) There are many others like her doing the same, and we want to support them as well.
- Medical Support – A local doctor and small business owner we know is providing free medical care to those most affected. He also owns a local business with a safe green space where people can temporarily shelter. Your donations will help to purchase essential medications and supplies for him and his patients.
- Reconstruction - We are partnering with Aid4MDY, a nonprofit group founded by some of our high school students focused on longer term reconstruction and rehabilitation needs.
100% of every dollar donated will go directly to these urgent efforts. We don’t need to transfer your donations from the U.S. to Myanmar because we’re using our own local salaries here in Mandalay to directly support the relief efforts. This allows 100% of your donation to go toward meaningful action — getting resources into the hands of people who truly need it and those doing incredible work on the ground.
If you’re unable to contribute financially, please help by sharing this fundraiser. Thank you for your support and for standing with the people of Mandalay during this crisis. We hope the world will stand with them now and show that they have not been forgotten.