Recovering the cyclone-affected population in Ayeyarwaddy Delta in the middle of erratic monsoon weather has been a herculean job for act for peace's partner. Following a prompt relief assistance that has enabled over a million people to quickly continue their life, a move towards early recovery was taken through a farm recovery project that has provided agricultural inputs to thousands of farm households in 11 cyclone-affected townships. The initiative allowed more than 58,000 farm households who live by tight farming schedules to quickly work their land, plant monsoon season rice and harvest in November-December 2008 despite the challenges that they had to put up with.

The affected population has overcome various risks before reaping the benefits from their monsoon paddy crop. The cyclone has caused two biggest challenges among farm households i.e. heavy rains that has brought floods and left behind heavy silt and sedimentation on farm land; hence it was hard for the rice seeds to grow. It is estimated that these challenges affected 20 percent of the paddy fields and 40 percent of the sown paddy fields wouldn’t survive the test of nature.

Cultivating monsoon season rice was the only choice for most cyclone-affected farm households whose life hangs on to a strict planting schedule. No planting equals no food, no money and no hope; the latter is life’s essence that disaster response initiatives are trying to rekindle. The affected-areas where act for peace's partner works, consist of three different geographical setting and land conditions. The flood prone areas were the first priority to receive paddy seeds. If otherwise, it would be too late for the farmers to work on their land and to expect yields. The areas with high salt intrusion came second. This area required salt-tolerance paddy seeds to survive the high level of salt in the land. The last was paddy fields on higher ground areas that require high yield varieties. Through consultation with the local agricultural office, 11 different paddy seed varieties, that would survive the harsh monsoon weather, were chosen for distribution to cyclone-affected farm households. A quick "germination test" was conducted at act for peace's partner’s office and in the field to test whether the seeds will grow or die. In total, the whole process of the farm recovery project from choosing the right variety of paddy seeds, conducting crash germination test and seeds distribution commanded 10 pressing days.

The average acreage of a farm household is five acres. Despite the challenges of cultivating monsoon rice, their plot of land would yield 300 baskets of rough paddy. When the harvest is collected, a farmer would divide them for various needs. The first priority is to save the rice as seeds for the next planting season. Next is daily consumption. In third place is saving the rice as stock at home, which they would usually sell later on for urgent needs in the near future. When all is done, they would sell the rest of the harvest. Based on a rough calculation from 2007 general harvest, from 300 baskets of harvest from five acres of paddy field, a farm household would save 10 baskets of paddy for future seeds, 50 baskets will then be allocated for daily consumption of five persons, the average members of a farm household. The use of the remaining 240 baskets would depend on the most urgent needs of a family, whether they would sell it right away while price is low due to abundant stock of rice during harvest season or keep it at home for later selling to obtain a higher price. It is common for a Myanmar farmer to obtain a "kyau tin ngwe" – similar to cash advance – from a nearby rice milling owner before starting to work on their land. They would use the cash advance to buy agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, renting more animals if necessary and other daily necessities. When harvest comes, farmers would sell their paddy to the rice milling owner to repay their debts. At this point, farmers would suffer around 10-20% losses in terms of price of rough rice because the rice milling owner bought the paddy lower than the prevailing price as a token of debt pay off.

A landless laborer lives alone with his two children after losing his wife due to the cyclone. She had gone into Bogalay town to sell vegetables that day. The violent winds trapped her and she has never made it back home. He received relief items from act for peace's partner and has found farm work in his village resulting from the farm recovery assistance from act for peace's partner.

• Water baskets used to collect rain water have been supplied to 1,572 communities serving an average of 150 individuals in each location with drinking water. The same partner has provided 24,836 tarpaulins helping more than 100,000 people create temporary shelters.
• Four water purification systems were provided for emergency use by UNICEF. These purification systems have provided safe drinking water for approximately 10,000 people.
• More than 80,000 individuals have been assisted with food items. Several partners are engaged in food distributions ranging from one partner working with WFP in ongoing monthly distributions to other partners doing less regular distributions of family packages in communities of particular concern.
• One partner is assisting communities through an innovative small grants mechanism. Village committees, initiatives by local religious groups, self-help groups and other emerging civil society organisations are provided with small grants for local purchase of food and other relief items befitting an estimated 120,000 individuals. This project particularly tries to target communities falling into the gaps between the larger international relief efforts.
• Since July, one partner is providing some communities with power tillers, fuel and rice seeds in order to help the villagers ensure a rice paddy harvest towards the end of the year.
• It is hard to quantify (and easy to underestimate) the psycho social aspects of our partners activities. Small scale assistance to funerals (for all religious groups) as well as regular visits by staff to destroyed and remote villages play an important role in restoring local confidence and helping survivors cope with losses and suffering - and gradually regain the will and strength to rebuild their lives.

Thanks to our generous supporters, act for peace has been able to commit over $550,000 to local partners in Burma through the ACT (Action by Churches Together) international alliance. Our partners aim to provide aid to to over 1.3 million people and require further assistance to better serve the survivor's long-term needs. This is a largescale human tragedy with enourmous implications for the future of the Burmese people.

To give to the act for peace Burma Cyclone response appeal, please:

• Click here to give through our secure site (choose Emergency Appeal: Burma (Myanmar) Cyclone);
• Call our toll free number on 1800 025 101;
• Send a cheque or Postal Money Order addressed to act for peace, Locked Bag 199 SYDNEY NSW 1230 (with 'Burma Cyclone Response' written on it).
• ABN: 64 493 941 795

Over 90% of funds to this appeal will be sent to the field. Less than 10% will be used for administration and fundraising costs. Gifts over $2 are tax deductible. Any excess funds from the act for peace Burma Cyclone Appeal will be applied to on-going development work in the region.