Community Partners International

Reminder! Webinar: COVID-19 and Conflict in Myanmar's Ethnic States, Part 2 November 4, 2020 10 AM - 12 PM Myanmar Time... In Burmese language with English interpretation In Part 2 of this webinar series, we welcome representatives from ethnic health organizations in #Kachin, #Shan and #Wa States, and a special guest from the Forum of Federations, to discuss how ethnic concerns, federalism, and peace negotiations intersect with #COVID19 response on the ground. Please join us! Register via Zoom: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AJo6oipvTT2rI828ZATltw Watch on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/cpimyanmar/live/

++++++ = The recording of #CommunityPartnersInternational (CPI)'s live virtual cooking event, "Fusion Flavors", is now available to watch: https://youtu.be/Rmn0tJr2Qn8 Learn from Executive Chef Saw Naing of renowned Santa Monica restaurant Tallula's how to make his mouthwatering Burmese-Indian-Mexican #fusion Potato #Samosa Flautas.... A big thank you to Chef Saw, Tallula's and the B.K.Kee Foundation for supporting this event.

A team from #CommunityPartnersInternational (CPI) and the Center for Policy Impact in Global Health co-authored this newly-released policy report: "Myanmar's Policy Response to COVID-19". Download and read in full here: https://centerforpolicyimpact.org//Myanmar-National-Respon #COVID19 #COVID19Myanmar

Save the Date! Webinar: COVID-19 and Conflict in Myanmar's Ethnic States, Part 2 November 4, 2020 10 AM - 12 PM Myanmar Time... In Burmese language with English interpretation In Part 2 of this webinar series, we welcome representatives from ethnic health organizations in #Kachin, #Shan and #Wa States, and a special guest from the Forum of Federations, to discuss how ethnic concerns, federalism, and peace negotiations intersect with #COVID19 response on the ground. Please join us! Register via Zoom: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AJo6oipvTT2rI828ZATltw Watch on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/cpimyanmar/live/

With support from the Humanitarian Assistance and Resilience Programme Facility, #CommunityPartnersInternational (CPI) is helping communities across #Myanmar affected by natural disasters with #humanitarian #aid. During October, CPI partners the Kachin Back Pack Health Worker Team (BPHWT) and the Mon National Health Committee (MNHC) reached more than 750 households in 12 villages across #Kachin and #Kayin States and #Tanintharyi Region impacted by #flooding. The families rece...ived emergency food and non-food items including eggs, canned fish, rice, cooking oil, onions, garlic, chili powder, fish paste, beans and candles. Restrictions on movement due to #COVID19 have made humanitarian access more difficult in many parts of Myanmar. Through steadfast efforts, the Kachin BPHWT and MNHC teams were able to reach these communities and safely distribute #emergency #relief. Under this initiative, CPI and partners will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to communities in eight states and regions of Myanmar during 2020. #NaturalDisasters #GlobalWarming #ClimateChange #COVID19Myanmar

Hello #Foodies! It's not too late to sign up for our fun virtual event live-streamed from #California! Join us for: "Fusion Flavors - a culinary #adventure from #Myanmar to #Mexico" - http://onecau.se/CPI When: Sunday, October 25, 2020 @ 11 AM PDT / 2PM EDT Where: Online (from the comfort of your home!)... At the event, watch Executive Chef Saw Naing of Santa Monica's renowned Tallula's restaurant show us how to make Potato #Samosa #Flautas, a fusion #Burmese, #Indian and #Mexican #appetizer. Sign up now and we'll send you the #recipe! Please share widely. The more the merrier!

Sustaining children's education during #COVID19 lockdowns is a challenge faced by countries worldwide. With support from private donors, #CommunityPartnersInternational (CPI) is working with the SaYa- Foundation in #Myanmar, to help primary school children access online learning during #lockdown. Through the "Learning at Home" program, the Saya Foundation is creating online video lessons in Burmese language shared on Facebook (https://bit.ly/371auJv). So far, the Saya Fou...ndation has enrolled 340 young learners and their parents in 21 townships across Myanmar to participate in free online learning courses. Supported by their parents, they watch the online lessons and submit assignments for review by Saya Foundation teaching volunteers. Additionally, the online video lessons are available for anyone to watch and have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on Facebook. The Saya Foundation is also working through volunteers to reach young learners who don't have internet access. This pilot initiative is being trialed in Kayah State. The volunteers, who can access the internet, gather with small groups of young learners and use the online video lessons to guide in-person learning. Through this initiative, CPI and the Saya Foundation are helping children to keep up with their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. #Coronavirus #COVID19Myanmar #LearnInLockdown

Live Online Benefit Event: "FUSION FLAVORS - A culinary adventure from Myanmar to Mexico" When: Sunday, October 25, 2020 @ 11 AM PST / 2 PM EST Where: Online (from the comfort of your home!)... Don't Miss Out! Sign up today at http://onecau.se/CPI Join Executive Chef Saw Naing of Santa Monica's renowned Mexican restaurant Tallula's for an exclusive live online event to benefit #CommunityPartnersInternational (CPI). Chef Saw playfully combines his deep passion for #Mexican food with his #Burmese and #Indian heritage for a cuisine that’s utterly unique. Now you can discover some of his secrets! We'll send registered guests a list of the ingredients that Chef Saw will be using so that you can cook along with him if you like! Please share!

On October 16, representatives from #CommunityPartnersInternational (CPI) and The Pre-Collegiate Program of Yangon in #Yangon, #Myanmar, attended an online ceremony to sign a grant agreement to inaugurate the "Leadership for Change Nurtured through the Liberal Arts" project. Under this agreement, CPI is supporting the Pre-Collegiate Program to provide up to 20 Myanmar students from different backgrounds and regions with a 16-month foundational course in Liberal Arts. The cou...rse will help students to prepare for further academic studies and develop the critical thinking and analytical skills necessary to become empowered changemakers. Alongside core classes, the Pre-Collegiate Program offers enrolled students opportunities to participate in community service, internships, and field trips to further deepen the connection between academic learning and practical approaches to the challenges faced by communities across Myanmar. The agreement was signed by Dr. Nu Nu Aye, Head of Programs, on behalf of CPI, and by U Kyaw Win Tun, Program Director, on behalf of the Pre-Collegiate Program.

As seasonal #flooding in #Myanmar worsens, communities in vulnerable areas are facing regular and sudden #displacement from their homes. For #women and #girls especially, maintaining #health and #hygiene while #displaced can be challenging. With support from the UNFPA Myanmar's Women and Girls First Program, #CommunityPartnersInternational (CPI) helps to distribute dignity kits to women and girls affected by flooding in #Kayin State. These kits contain a range of useful items... to help them cope with displacement including clothing, a reusable sanitary pad set, a solar-powered flashlight, soap, shampoo, a toothbrush and toothpaste, nail clippers, slippers, a comb, and laundry detergent. In early October, CPI project partner the Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW) distributed 240 dignity kits to women and girls in the Thar Yar Kone and Kawt Nwe Clinic areas of Kawkareik Township. A further 260 dignity kits will be distributed to women and girls in flood-affected communities of Hlaingbwe, Kawkareik, Kyainseikgyi and Myawaddy Townships in Kayin State in the coming weeks.

With support from the Myanmar Humanitarian Fund, #CommunityPartnersInternational (CPI) is continuing to support #humanitarian initiatives for internally displaced and conflict-affected communities in #Kachin State, #Myanmar. In early October, CPI conducted #nutrition training sessions with 41 members of staff from the Kachin Development Group (KDG) and the Kachin Back Pack Health Worker Team (BPHWT). During the sessions, participants explored complementary feeding and its im...portance in meeting the nutritional requirements of infants when breast milk alone is not sufficient. CPI also provided training to help participants conduct participatory cooking demonstrations to support good nutrition practices for young children in the communities that they serve. Participants explored nutritious recipes using locally available foods for children between six months and two years of age. Moving forwards, KDG and Kachin BPWHT staff will transfer what they have learned into their efforts to help internally displaced and conflict-affected communities in Kachin State to maintain good health and nutrition. #1000Days #InvestinNutrition #Malnutition #Stunting

Village Committees (VCs) are a cornerstone of #CommunityPartnersInternational (CPI)'s #health system strengthening approach in #Myanmar. Comprising community members, VCs play a vital role as a focal point of health service access, #accountability and responsiveness. They help to collect community feedback, guide service improvement, support patient referrals, and promote important health education initiatives in the local community. In late September, with support from the U...SAID Burma-funded Advancing Community Empowerment in Southeastern Myanmar (ACE) project, CPI held three workshops in southern #Shan State and #Kayah State in partnership with the Civil Health and Development Network (CHDN) to provide further training for 68 VC members. To date, CHDN has established VCs in 88 villages in their service area. During the workshops, VC members explored key concepts of community-based health systems, community empowerment and participation in health. They also learned about the Village Health Development Funds provided under the ACE Project to support the development of health services at the community level. #HealthForAll #NoOneLeftBehind #EmpowerCommunities

While the #COVID19 pandemic remains uppermost in people's minds and in the #health service agenda, it is vital that we continue to advance broader health initiatives. In late September, #CommunityPartnersInternational (CPI) conducted online training sessions over three days with 20+ representatives from member organizations of the Ethnic Health Systems Strengthening Group (EHSSG). During the sessions, participants explored concepts of #UniversalHealthCoverage, equity and financing in health, and received updates on the health financing in #Myanmar. These sessions are part of a broader initiative to help EHSSG member organizations prepare for financial and demographic transitions. #HealthForAll #NoOneLeftBehind #UHC2030