SINGAPORE: Walking dogs to raise funds, sending over essential supplies and setting up donation drives – these are some of the ways Singapore's Myanmar community is helping to send aid home in the aftermath of a deadly 7.7-magnitude earthquake.
More than 2,700 people have been confirmed dead in what was the strongest earthquake to hit the Southeast Asian country in over a century. Thousands more have been injured and the death toll is expected to surpass 3,000, said Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing.
Aid groups in the country have warned that the need for food, water and shelter is urgent, and the window for rescue efforts is quickly narrowing.
When they received news of the earthquake, pastors Daniel Kyaw and Yamin Thiri, who are husband and wife, immediately contacted their families in Myanmar to make sure they were safe.
Even though their family members were not affected, the couple felt "broken and sad" for those who were badly hit, said Pastor Yamin, a native of Yangon. "It's a life being shattered and broken. So that's really heartbreaking," she said.
Rather than act purely on emotion, they quickly shifted to action. The couple, who are with the Myanmar congregation of Cornerstone Community Church in Singapore, began mapping out the hardest-hit regions and identifying critical supply needs in collaboration with local churches and ministries on the ground.
Together with their congregation, which includes many domestic workers, they began sourcing and preparing relief items such as tents, rice, oil and water purification tablets – some of which are more accessible in Singapore than in Myanmar.
"Anything that they can't get in Myanmar, we will send from Singapore," said Pastor Yamin. "We are trying to see what the gaps are that we can fill as a community."
Transportation logistics are now being arranged to deliver the supplies from Yangon to more severely affected areas like Mandalay. In the meantime, the church continues to offer emotional support to members whose families were impacted, many of whom are unable to return home due to ongoing political instability.
Others like IT engineer Su Pyae Aung have taken to raising funds for earthquake victims – by offering dog care and dog-walking services.
The 30-year-old had personally donated S$500 (US$370) to a non-profit organisation. But she wanted to do more.
A dog owner herself, she knew that dog-sitting and dog-walking services did not come cheap. So she came up with the idea to offer them at affordable rates and channel her earnings to earthquake relief efforts.
"This earthquake will need continuous support … it's not just a one-time donation. A lot of people lost their houses and we also lost a lot of historical buildings," said Ms Aung, who is from Yangon.
"This might take years to rebuild and recover. So I want to find a sustainable and stable (way) so that I can donate monthly and not stress myself out."
She charges S$30 for daycare, S$50 for overnight boarding and S$10 for dog-walking and play sessions. But she said her prices are flexible. "I just wanted to help out and get more funds. The price is not a problem."
Three clients contacted her within a day, with some even visiting her home to ensure it was suitable for their pets. Ms Aung also plans to take a pet first aid certification course to better serve both pets and their owners.
Her goal is to raise at least S$300 in the first phase and continue donating monthly. She plans to run her services for about a year, but may extend this if she gets more regular customers.
Ms Su Pyae Aung with her toy poodle Kiko. (Photo: Su Pyae Aung)
Myanmar students in Singapore are also doing their part to contribute. Among them is Hein, a 20-year-old business student and president of a Myanmar student organisation at one of Singapore's largest universities. He requested not to use his full name or to name the institution as he is not authorised to speak on its behalf.
After the earthquake, Hein and his team launched a fundraiser. But it was difficult to identify local community groups in Myanmar who were on the ground as there was no centralised and systematic rescue effort.
So his team had to review the organisations' social media pages, check public comments and verify through contacts on the ground before disbursing any funds.
"This direct connection helps us ensure that the donations are reaching those who truly need them," he said.
As of Wednesday, the student group has collected about S$2,000 in donations, with plans to continue the initiative.
"As much as we can, we will continue raising funds. While immediate rescue efforts are crucial, we recognise that many people will also need long-term support to rebuild their livelihoods after this disaster," Hein said.
"Our mission is to assist our fellow citizens back home, even as we acknowledge the limits of our resources."
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More than 2,700 people have been confirmed dead in what was the strongest earthquake to hit the Southeast Asian country in over a century. Thousands more have been injured and the death toll is expected to surpass 3,000, said Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing.
Aid groups in the country have warned that the need for food, water and shelter is urgent, and the window for rescue efforts is quickly narrowing.
TENTS, WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS
When they received news of the earthquake, pastors Daniel Kyaw and Yamin Thiri, who are husband and wife, immediately contacted their families in Myanmar to make sure they were safe.
Even though their family members were not affected, the couple felt "broken and sad" for those who were badly hit, said Pastor Yamin, a native of Yangon. "It's a life being shattered and broken. So that's really heartbreaking," she said.
Rather than act purely on emotion, they quickly shifted to action. The couple, who are with the Myanmar congregation of Cornerstone Community Church in Singapore, began mapping out the hardest-hit regions and identifying critical supply needs in collaboration with local churches and ministries on the ground.
Together with their congregation, which includes many domestic workers, they began sourcing and preparing relief items such as tents, rice, oil and water purification tablets – some of which are more accessible in Singapore than in Myanmar.
"Anything that they can't get in Myanmar, we will send from Singapore," said Pastor Yamin. "We are trying to see what the gaps are that we can fill as a community."
Transportation logistics are now being arranged to deliver the supplies from Yangon to more severely affected areas like Mandalay. In the meantime, the church continues to offer emotional support to members whose families were impacted, many of whom are unable to return home due to ongoing political instability.
Related:
DOG-WALKING TO RAISE FUNDS
Others like IT engineer Su Pyae Aung have taken to raising funds for earthquake victims – by offering dog care and dog-walking services.
The 30-year-old had personally donated S$500 (US$370) to a non-profit organisation. But she wanted to do more.
A dog owner herself, she knew that dog-sitting and dog-walking services did not come cheap. So she came up with the idea to offer them at affordable rates and channel her earnings to earthquake relief efforts.
"This earthquake will need continuous support … it's not just a one-time donation. A lot of people lost their houses and we also lost a lot of historical buildings," said Ms Aung, who is from Yangon.
"This might take years to rebuild and recover. So I want to find a sustainable and stable (way) so that I can donate monthly and not stress myself out."
She charges S$30 for daycare, S$50 for overnight boarding and S$10 for dog-walking and play sessions. But she said her prices are flexible. "I just wanted to help out and get more funds. The price is not a problem."
Three clients contacted her within a day, with some even visiting her home to ensure it was suitable for their pets. Ms Aung also plans to take a pet first aid certification course to better serve both pets and their owners.
Her goal is to raise at least S$300 in the first phase and continue donating monthly. She plans to run her services for about a year, but may extend this if she gets more regular customers.
Ms Su Pyae Aung with her toy poodle Kiko. (Photo: Su Pyae Aung)
STUDENTS PITCHING IN
Myanmar students in Singapore are also doing their part to contribute. Among them is Hein, a 20-year-old business student and president of a Myanmar student organisation at one of Singapore's largest universities. He requested not to use his full name or to name the institution as he is not authorised to speak on its behalf.
After the earthquake, Hein and his team launched a fundraiser. But it was difficult to identify local community groups in Myanmar who were on the ground as there was no centralised and systematic rescue effort.
So his team had to review the organisations' social media pages, check public comments and verify through contacts on the ground before disbursing any funds.
"This direct connection helps us ensure that the donations are reaching those who truly need them," he said.
As of Wednesday, the student group has collected about S$2,000 in donations, with plans to continue the initiative.
"As much as we can, we will continue raising funds. While immediate rescue efforts are crucial, we recognise that many people will also need long-term support to rebuild their livelihoods after this disaster," Hein said.
"Our mission is to assist our fellow citizens back home, even as we acknowledge the limits of our resources."
Related:
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