Exploring the Burmese Delta

3 Feb

I recently returned from an intense trip to the delta in Burma. I was filming for an NGO - Helping the Burmese Delta - and we were based in a remote village about a day's travel (car + boat) from the capital Yangon. It's an unusual place - completely cut off in every way- where the only real way to get around is by boat. The people live mostly day to day fishing, working in paddy fields or doing whatever they can to earn 1-2 USD per day. They live in a swamp land which becomes permanently flooded during the rainy season. The main problem is that access to primary and secondary schools is very limited - it also costs money for the parents to send their children to school. Young people tend to have limited opportunities and soon find themselves doing exactly what their parents do. After Cyclone Nargis, the rivers have changed. Fishing has become more difficult and it's even harder to make a living.