Thingangone [thin’-gan’-goan’] Community Library officially opened December 14, 2010, the first library constructed under Nargis Library Recovery (NLR) auspices. Previous articles have referred to the library as being in Labutta; Thingangone is in Labutta Township.
Thingangone village is located in the southwest corner of Myanmar, on the Irrawaddy River Delta, and was ravaged by Cyclone Nargis in May 2008. Two small existing libraries were destroyed. The village is the principal community on Middle Island, which has 40,000 population and is about 30 miles long and 10 miles wide. The island is located between the Pathein River and its distributary, the Thatkalthon River. The Irriwaddy River is so large that its distributaries, including the Pathein River, get their own names. The Pathein River itself is at least a half-mile wide for much of its course.
The library, about 600 to 800 square feet, appears well constructed and designed, sufficient to withstand at least some cyclones (In Asia, hurricanes are called cyclones). Three windows, allow light and air when opened, and glass-block windows, located higher on the wall, allow additional light. The building has electric lights so that the library can remain open until 10 pm.
Helping to open the library was an international delegation led by Daw Ah Win, a native of the region and now a United Nations librarian and leader of the UN Vienna Women’s Guild, which provided the $8,500 needed for construction, money raised mostly at bazaars in Vienna. Thant Thaw represented Myanmar Book Aid and Preservation Foundation (MBAPF). Ashin Dhammipiya, the monk who was instrumental in the selection of the village and construction of the library was forced to cancel his visit, but was represented by his brother.
Nargis Library Recovery was represented by David and Carolyn Leuthold, Jack and Sue Simpson, Lyda Adair, Bill Cochran and Dennis Taylor. The local community was represented by the Library Committee, including two high school teachers, a city council member, the chair of the Village Women’s Association, a medical doctor, businessmen and a patroness, plus another twenty community members.
Community participation has started strong. A few books and journals have been donated, and a local sawmill operator has contributed bookshelves. In the first week, fifty people joined as members of the library at an equivalent cost of $3.30 per year. To help increase the success and growth of the library, NLR and MBAPF have agreed to provide books for the library, three-fourths of the librarian’s salary for the first year, subscriptions to several magazines, and training for 2 or 3 librarians and volunteers. Funding to cover these expenses is being provided by Lyda Adair, Bill Cochran and Dennis Taylor. The local community is being asked to provide electricity, shelving and furnishings, building maintenance, and to select and supervise a librarian and to assume the librarians full salary after the first year.
Many houses damaged by Nargis have been repaired. The Myanmar Government has constructed in the community a large concrete Cyclone Survival structure, which in the event of another cyclone will provide refuge for about 10 percent of the village’s estimated 7,000 population. Such structures were seen in a few other Delta communities, and people reported that some of the structures have been made useful by installing in them a medical clinic. At present the Thingangone structure apparently was used for school classrooms while the school building was being repaired but otherwise appears to have no other use than cyclone protection.
The entire group at the ribbon cutting ceremony walked from the library to the Cyclone Survival Center, under warm sunny skies. Older Americans were lagging behind despite the best efforts of the library committee, which held parasol over their heads. Somebody noticed, and soon 9 motorcycles appeared, each ready to allow a visitor to ride double to our next three stops. All of us visitors got exciting motorcycle rides, with skillful drivers avoiding numerous potholes, pedestrians and push carts.
Another development project from a different Non-Governmental Organization was the installation of solar panels to power fans to dry fish and prawns. The use of fans shortens the drying process dramatically (from a few days to a few hours) and improves the quality of the final product.
The Thingangone community has already one example of community cooperation, the construction of an electric generating plant, fueled by the burning of rice husks. Electricity is available from 6 pm to 10 pm. Much of the city has been wired, and about 20 percent of households have television. The project was financed in large part by a loan from the military division commander, Shwe Mun, now reportedly the number 3 general in the Myanmar government. The village is repaying the 17 percent interest loan over three years.
Since this is the delta of the Irriwaddy River (renamed in Myanmar as the Ayeyarwaddy [ah-yair’-wah-dee’] River, no roads lead to Middle Island and boats provide the only access. Given the available schedules and the pressure of time, we chartered a boat, with the best available deal being a passenger ferry with room for a couple hundred passengers – our own cruise ship of sorts. The trip each way took more than 5 hours, requiring a 5 am start, but well worth it. For the first hour we saw stars and meteor showers and David Leuthold was reminded that he hadn’t seen stars since leaving their Montana ranch in October. For Dennis Taylor, sunrise and sunset on the Pathein River were the highlight of the trip. Jack and Sue Simpson spent much time on the top deck, enjoying the breeze and the shipboard experience.