3rd Update June 19th 2008

Yangon June 19th 2008

Dear Friends,

I have just returned from a four day trip to the delta area. I met with six rice farming villages, population of 4800 thousand people. I was very fortunate to be granted a permit which was facilitated by a business friend of David Chee’s. It is now seven weeks post cyclone. The greatest concern of the rice farmers is getting their winter rice seeds planted. Time is running thin. It must be planted by the end of July, if not, there will be compounding months of hardship with food dependency. These hard working people have never been in debt and are not asking for any more free food. They want to do what they have done for 100’s of years, plant their winter rice.

The cyclone’s rain and water surge destroyed their seeds and surplus rice ( which they use as money) . They need seeds and diesel to plow and plant their paddies quickly. Most of our funds have now been used to fund immediate recovery efforts.
I am looking to the local business community to fund a micro credit plan to help these six villages get their rice seeds planted before the end of July. Any one who is interested in reviewing the complete proposal and my trip report, please email Dave and he will get it to you.

Good Sleep is progressing. We have an office -production site and two dynamite young women managers, one for production the other for office/marketing and sales.
We are making our first prototype bed nets and will be market testing them over the next few weeks. Sam, our son , arrived yesterday and is already making a science out of designing an effective bed net. Our tag line;

Good Sleep
We are a small community non-profit business
that makes the coolest and safest bed nets
Wishing You Sweet Dreams

I forgot to tell Dave to send my camera downloader cord, so sorry no pictures.

Special thanks to Holly and her 5th grade class, Linda and her church support,

And everyone for your support............All my best Helen