Double your Donation for the Rohingya

Over the past few years many people have asked me which organisations they can donate to that would ensure aid reaches the Rohingya. The answer has always been a little muddled, since getting aid in to the hands of the Rohingya has always been a difficult operation with few NGOs operating in the area and those that have been have generally had to keep a really low profile.

Partners Relief are one charity however that have managed to do some fantastic work for the Rohingya. They have actually operated in and around Burma for years working with different ethnic minorities wherever the need has been greatest. They operate through building trusted friendships with those people who need help and assisting them in whatever ways they can as the opportunities arise.

Here is a video from some of the wonderful work they were doing in 2012 after the attacks started:



This is how the Partners Relief story began:

Is that not beautiful?

Partners relief is founded by a truly wonderful couple, Steve and Oddny Gumaer.
This is Oddny talking about the Rohingya:


I'm posting all these videos to help you understand how much I trust and love these wonderful people so you might be encouraged to support a wonderful opportunity we have this week.

Oddny has written a beautiful book Picking Flowers on Dusty Roads which includes short stories from their work in Burma over the years. I'm in the middle of reading it at the moment, and every word is an inspiration.

Oddny also writes a blog. This is the most moving blog post I have ever read in my life. It is about a Rohingya lady who lost nearly all of her family.

Steve is equally amazing. When a tropical cyclone threatened to wipe all the Rohingya out last year, and the rest of the world had let these people down, Steve was on the beach with them, risking his own live to feed 5000 people who had not eaten in days!

A few weeks back my Rohingya friend in Burma was giving me updates over Facebook as a fire approached his own home and they gathered their belongings in case they had to leave. Thankfully the fire was put out before it reached my friend's house. He sent me these photos, you can see from them how terrible it was and how desperate the situation is now.

Can you imagine watching this fire approach? Trying to put it out with a small bucket and no protective clothing? Can you image running to save everything you have and to keep your family from danger?

Can you imagine looking at this, where once stood your village?

Can you imagine the fear of these children as they waited to see if their parents returned and wondered where they were going to live now?

What will become of these people now?

Is this where they will live now, start again, and with what?

I contacted Steve and Oddny at Partners Relief to ask if we could set up a fund to try and help the victims of the fire (and those before). They told me of a fantastic opportunity that has just arisen. For every donation received to the Rohingya this month, a generous donor has agreed to match the amount, up to $50k USD!

This is too good an opportunity to miss. We can actually DOUBLE OUR MONEY for the Rohingya! But we only have one week left to make the most of this chance. Please help! UPDATE AS OF Thursday 4th April, we have an extension until the END OF THIS WEEK to donate to this fund (just a few days left - please help make the most of that).

To give please follow this link and make sure to select 'Emergency Fund' to ensure it goes to the Rohingya:
http://www.partnersworld.org/donate

Please be assured that Partners Relief are doing everything they can to make sure all donations reach the Rohingya.

Please ask your friends and family if they can donate also. Thank-you!!