Entrepreneurial and Leadership Skills Prove to be the Tipping Point in Rapid Relief Efforts

Pact Mobilizes Employees to Reach Those in Need Faster and More Effectively

Washington DC  November 11, 2008  Pact, Inc. a capacity building international non-governmental organization (NGO) employed its leadership and entrepreneurial skills into immediate emergency and relief efforts following the devastating Cyclone Nargis, which hit Myanmar in May of this year.  One of a few international organizations with an extensive presence in Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Delta region following Cyclone Nargis, Pact was the first on the scene and was a consistent and reliable partner for donors offering emergency assistance.

Pact already employed approximately 1,000 Burmese nationals as micro-finance loan officers who mobilized to become temporary emergency and relief workers.  With materials and funds provided by United Nation agencies, private foundations and individuals, Pact personnel rapidly organized mobile medical units, food relief, and aid to recover shelter and potable water sources. In cooperation with the World Food Program, Pact provided daily rations of food - totaling over 4000 metric tons to date - to over 140,000 people over a 5 month period.   Professional loan officers used their organizational skills to deliver shelter and other household items to over 3,600 families, cash grants to 27,000 households to help buy food, shelter and agricultural products, and community grants to 319 villages to help clean up their potable water sources.
We were very impressed with the Pact operation.  It was the breadth of their reach, and their ability to mobilize and deliver that made them the on-the-ground organization to go to, said Tom Sitt of USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. 

About the microfinance program
As a non-governmental organization Pact focuses on creating capacity building, self-sustaining, empowerment programs in developing countries.  One example is the microfinance program in Myanmar that began in 1997.  Prior to the cyclone the program included 50,000 active borrowers and over 75,000 members in the Delta region alone.  In addition to the relief efforts the program returned over $1.1 million of accumulated savings to over 50,000 depositors. 

Though Pact is not a relief organization we were proud to contribute as much as we did and continue to do.  Our employees came through at a very critical time to help out in every way possible said Sarah Newhall, President and CEO of Pact. 

To read more about Pact's programs in Myanmar, click here.