Shae Thot: The Way Forward

Integrated Community Development in Myanmar

Shae Thot
Pact Myanmar

Shae Thot Beneficiary Newsletter
July 2014
This newsletter is intended for the rural communities in the Shae Thot Project Areas
Coming October , the USAID funded Shae Thot Project will be three years
old. The five year long Shae Thot project - from October 2011 to
September 2016 - is being implemented in nearly 2,040 villages in 20
townships in Magway, Mandalay and Magway Regions of the Dry Zone
and also in Kayah State as well as in peri-urban Yangon, reaching out to
nearly two million citizens. Shae Thot Consortium partners include
Pact (Consortium Lead), Marie Stopes International, Pact Global
Microfinance Fund, CESVI and UN-HABITAT as well as seven local
non-governmental humanitarian assistance organizations.
Currently, Shae Thot Maternal and Child Health Program is phasing out from
four townships in the Dry Zone - namely, Myingyan in Mandalay Region,
and Seikphyu, Salin and Aunglan Townships in Magway Region - where
project activity implementations have been accomplished. The
monitoring shows some basic infrastructure and MCH sector developments
in these townships have improved greatly. For these accomplishments,
Shae Thot appreciates the collaborated spirit and efforts of all partner
organizations , as well as regional government agencies , and above all,
citizens!
Shae Thot - Towards the Better Future
Shae Thot has achieved remarkable impacts
on local communites!
Page 2
Untringly Serving the Community.with Compassion and
Dedicaton!
(Tin Tin Aye, Shwe Pyi Tha Township, Yangon Region)
Shae Thot Project focuses on the four main sectors : health, livelihood and food security , water and
sanitation , and community institutions and local governance strengthening . This newsletter highlights
on the accomplishments in the Maternal and Child Health Sector (MCH).
Tin Tin Aye gives practcal learning sessions
to community children @ Pact

Maternal and Child Health Sector Accomplishments
October 2013- March 2014
Shae Thot is currently being implemented in nearly
1,700 villages in 20 townships. From the beginning,
nearly 2,040 villages have received the project
related assistance.

A total of 937 mother groups , with 12,378
members, have been formed in 237 villages.

During the period, a total of 339 community
volunteers have received training in maternal and
new born care, nutriton promoton, common
childhood illnesses and early childhood
development.
During the period, the village development councils ,
in collaboraton with community volunteers, held a
total of 502 nutriton promoton events in which
nearly 26,000 under fve children partcipated. They
also held 423 baby weighing events in which 3,606
under fve children were weighed and recorded.

A total of 83 community volunteers have been
trained as Water, Sanitaton and Hygiene (WASH )
promoters , and these volunteers distributed 3,582
hygiene kits to families with pregnant mothers and
under fve children.
Now, every house in our sub-ward has fy proof latrines. Together with the community nutriton volunteer, we
have held nutriton and baby weighing events . We also explain the importance of nutriton and sanitaton as well
as four clean aspects. When the nutriton volunteer moved to another township, I have taken both dutes - working
as Nutriton and Wash volunteer. Up to now, I have held six nutriton and baby weighing events at my home. It
means extra work but I am satsfed. Now children in the neighborhoods know the importance of seven step hand
washing process. I have decided to carry on with these tasks tll we could fnd and train a new volunteer for
nutriton. Well, I am untringly serving the community, due to compassion and dedicaton!
Although my township is some 16 miles north of downtown
Yangon, our neighborhoods are kind of peri-urban. When rains
come, they become flled with water, mud and waste - absolutely
dangerous from sanitary point of view. I run a kindergarten at home,
for the kids in our ward whose parents are away all day. So far,
business has been somewhat good. Since most people are daily
wagers, they work from early morning hours well into late evening ,
and therefore could not care for what happens in the
community. Especially, they have very litle knowledge in basic
health issues.
When Shae Thot arrived in October, 2012, and held community
workshops on Four Clean Project, I atended and became a
community volunteer for water and sanitaton. Its interestng! I visit
homes to explain basic health knowledge to families. Although people
would remain skeptcal at frst, gradually they understand my works.
Cover photo : Staf members of Maternal and Child Health sector, Shae Thot Program,
Pact Myanmar, assist villagers to form Village Development Commitees (VDCs)


I Am Alive Because of Shae Thot Team ......
Naw Kawt Kaw, Lo Law Htee Village, Mawchee, Area Kayah State
Situated deep in the mountainous Mawchee Area of Kayah State,
Lo Law Htee Village is somewhat detached from the mainstream society. The
nearest health center is three hours away by walking, during the dry season.
The village is very backward, and villagers do not speak Myanmar language.
39 years old Naw Kawt Kaw , a natve of Lo Law Htee, just gave birth to her
eighth child in last March. She was assisted by her husband , Saw Day Kuu
Lu, and his aunt, as they had done for her other seven children. However,
this tme, it happened that Naw Kawt Kaw sufered post partum
hemorrhage. If she had not received care and treatment, her conditon
would have become very serious. Fortunately, Maternal and Child Health
team of Hpasaung Township from Pact Myanmars Shae Thot Program,
together with a midwife from township medical ofce, was in the village, for
Extended Program of Immunizaton. A relatve of sufering woman
sought help from the combined team.
The team cared Naw Kawt Kaw and her infant. And she recovered. The
husband was grateful, Bringing my wife in coma to hospital would be very
costly and dangerous. Thanks to Pact Myanmar and the nurse, her life was
saved. Now, I am going to atend the workshop on basic health care , given
by Pact Myanmar. Two weeks later, Pact Myanmar MCH team and the
accompanying midwife again visited the village and gave post-natal care to
Naw Kawt Kaw and her baby. In additon, they gave the couple on birth
spacing counseling.
Maternal and Child Health is one of the main sectors of Shae Thot Program. The followings are pictorial
records of program impacts on local communites

Naw Kawt Kaw and her newborn baby
was cared by Pact Myanmar team and
the government medical personnel
The above graph shows the improvements in maternal
health care in four Dry Zone townships - Salin, Seikphyu,
Aunglan and Myingyan - by March 2014 when Shae Thot
began to phase out afer three years of giving assistance to
local communites. As the blue (baseline) and red (end line)
lines show, situaton has improved greatly. The number of
women that received PN care by properly trained persons
reaches 96 percent while the number of women that used
clean delivery kits reaches 98 percent . Pact Myanmar
appreciates the overwhelming enthusiasm and support
displayed by regional authorites, partner organizatons
and communites.
Salin...Seikphyu...Aunglan..Myingyan
Shae Thot phases out.
Ongoing Shae Thot actvites
Yinmarbin, Sagaing Region
Currently, Shae Thot Consortums project
actvites are being implemented in Sagaing
Regions Yinmarbin and Butalin Townships,
The picture below shows a member of
Maternal and Child Health Defender volunteer
team from Tagaryin Village explaining three
food groups to the village women. Scale
(in blue color) used for baby weighing can also
be seen in the picture.

The following is a pictorial record of Maternal and Child Health
actvites , Shae Thot Consortum
For more informaton:
Andrew Meaux
Senior Program Specialist
Washington D.C
ameaux@pactworld.org
Mathew Tiedemann
Chief of Party
Yangon
mtedemann@pactworld.org
Sparsely populated , with difcult terrain, and decades long
conficts, Kayah State in the south eastern part of Myanmar is lef
behind in development. Therefore, local populace have enthusiastcally
welcomed Shae Thot Project , a joint efort by Pact Myanmar and
partner organizatons. Photo on the lef shows the home visit care by
Pacts Maternal and Child Health team to a family in Kubawhtee
Village, Hpasaung Township. The girl lying nearest to the nurse (in
white blouse) is 18 years old and was found very weak due to
malnutriton at that tme. Pact Myanmars MCH team gave her the
necessary care and medicines. And now she has recovered.
Images from the Land of Kayah People
Photo on the right shows staf
from Hpasaung Township gave
trainings to maternal and child
health defenders in villages.
Lef behind in development
compared to other regions,
local populace warmly welcome
the humanitarian assistance
programs like Shae Thot.
Yesagyo Township, Magway Region
Photo on the lef shows villagers
atending training on Village Health and
Development Fund (VHDF) played
games emphasizing coordinaton. The
training focused on the VHDF fund
management .
Bawlakhe Township, Kayah
The above picture shows Pact
Myanmars Shae Thot staf held a
community meetng to form
the village development
commitee in Kayah Paing Village.
The meetng was held at night
because it was the only tme
when village people were
available.

Shae Thots Maternal and Child Health sector has cared hundreds of
thousands of children since the last quarter of 2011. The graph on the
lef illustrates the status of vaccinaton to under fve children in the
four Dry Zone townships where project implementatons had begun in
September 2011 - Salin, Seikphyu, Aunglan and Myingyan - by March
2014. The vaccinaton program focused on fve major diseases that are
common to children : Measles, Hepatts B, DTP, Polio and BCG.
Healthy Children Through Shae Thot Maternal and Child Health Program