the Portico
“Our mission is to enhance the relationship between the University and its alumni and friends and promoted pride and commitment within the University Community.”Grad helps Myanmar overcome its past
Even in the middle of the dry season, it’s pouring rain in Myanmar, says Andrew Kirkwood, M.Sc. ’94, who has been living in the Southeast Asian country with his wife and two young children for the past six years. For a country that has seen more than its fair share of natural disasters and political upheaval, Myanmar is not defined by its past, says Kirkwood.
“The people are incredibly hardworking, creative and friendly,” he says. “They’ve just had a really unfortunate recent history.”
Helping children is what first brought Kirkwood to Myanmar, and that’s what motivates him to stay. While working for Save the Children, he assisted with relief efforts after cyclone Nargis devastated the country in 2008. The cyclone was the worst natural disaster in Myanmar’s history, resulting in almost 140,000 deaths and affecting 2.4 million people.
More than two years later, some of the worst-hit areas were still recovering when another cyclone struck in October 2010.
“I don’t think there’s any question that cyclones are going to be more frequent and probably more severe in the coming years,” says Kirkwood. “Most people are predicting that’s the case because of global climate changes. I expect that Myanmar will be hit more frequently by these really significant natural disasters.”
Cyclones aren’t the only problem facing the country. Outside of sub-Saharan Africa, Myanmar has the second highest child mortality rate after Afghanistan. One hundred thousand children under the age of five die each year from preventable diseases like diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia. Less than 50 per cent of children finish grade school.
Despite being surrounded by more prosperous countries like China, India and Thailand, Myanmar has not fared as well as its neighbours, and almost 50 years of military rule have taken their toll, says Kirkwood.
His new position with the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT), which is administered by the United Nations Office for Project Services, will focus on improving the incomes of Myanmar’s poorest people. The main contributors to the $100-million fund are Australia, Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the European Union. Other partners include UN agencies and non-governmental organizations.
Established in 2009, the fund is aimed at improving agricultural productivity by securing fair prices for agricultural goods, helping farmers get their produce on the market more efficiently, and providing micro financing.
Kirkwood says he looks forward to raising awareness among Western countries, including Canada, of the need for more financial aid in Myanmar.
“Because it’s quite a high-profile fund, many people outside the country are watching carefully to see how this money is spent,” he says. “Is it going to have an impact? Can it be spent responsibly? I’m quite confident that, yes, those things can be done, and I’m keen to demonstrate that. Hopefully that will mean Western governments will increase their assistance to Myanmar; there’s no question that the need is there.”
Besides giving money to charities that work in Myanmar, Kirkwood encourages Canadians to visit the country and experience the natural beauty, culture and people for themselves.
Working in international development has many rewards, the biggest of which is the opportunity to help others, says Kirkwood. “I feel pretty lucky every day when I get up knowing that I managed to find a vocation where I get paid for working in interesting places, meeting interesting people and trying to help people who really need it.”
BY SUSAN BUBAK
