Earlier this month, Cyclone Nargis, the strong tropical cyclone that was named the eighth-worst in the world’s history, devastated Myanmar, the southeast Asian country formerly known as Burma. Comparable to the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, Nargis has left an estimated 100,000 Burmese people dead and more than 2 million homeless.
Khin Khin Soe, a University scholar from the Myanmar capital of Rangoon, knows that her husband and two children are safe, but that took several days to learn.
“I was very worried. After the storm, all electricity, phone lines and water supplies were cut off, and I could not get in contact with my family,” Soe said. “I was afraid (the children) will be very scared about the situation and they would get some psychological trauma or (something) like that. But after I got contact with them, they are OK.”
Soe is one of 11 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowships Program scholars at the University. A Fulbright exchange activity, the Humphrey Program provides 10 months of non-degree experience to mid-career professionals.
“They’re all in charge of major social change in their cultures,” explained Peggy Dame, director of program development for the American English Institute. “They all get together here and meet other professionals in similar fields.”
Soe, a medical doctor with an interest in HIV/AIDS policy and prevention, earned a master’s of public health degree from Mahidol University in Thailand before working with the Myanmar Red Cross Society and Ministry of Health. She has been at the University since March 30; she likes Oregon because she thinks the people are very kind, though she finds the area to be too cold. In June, her fellowship will take her to Emory University in Atlanta.
“I think she’s fantastic,” Dame said, of Soe. “She’s a serious professional. I think right now, she’s torn because her country’s falling apart and the government is having a hard time letting aid workers in. She knows her whole family is safe, but that’s all she knows.”
When she initially heard about Nargis, Soe was upset and wanting to go home to help. She said because Myanmar has an oppressive military government, there aren’t many communication networks within the country. Many people in other countries have more information about the cyclone than Myanmar people.
“I was very sad and I can’t believe this kind of thing,” she said. “This is the very first time in my life there’s (devastation) like this in my country. I want to go back and help the people in Burma in this situation but it is difficult to go back – it’s a long process so I decided to stay here and do the best for my people.”
Soe wants to start fundraising at the University and Dame is working to help her.
“We have to figure out how we can do it,” Dame said. “I don’t know if, legally, I can even have a big jar on my desk because I don’t know what the University would say about that.”
For now, Soe is making a bulletin board on the first floor of Pacific Hall, outside the Yamada Language Center, with information on Myanmar, including Web sites where people can donate.
“I want people to know about our country and the problems of our country, and help the Burmese people,” Soe said.
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