New partnership in Myanmar a model for development

Pact, USAID and Chevron/Unocal recently signed a landmark Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement that acknowledges the shared commitment of the signing partners to support integrated health and livelihoods programming in Myanmar. The agreement launches the second phase of the $3 million, three-year Chevron/Unocal-funded Sustainable Health Improvement and Empowerment (SHINE) project, which includes activities that overlap and are co-funded by the USAID-funded Shae Thot project. This unique partnership leverages a multi-project infrastructure to achieve greater impact.

"As more and more U.S. companies enter Burma, we are encouraging them–and seeing them–emulate similar models of partnership, reflect a focus on responsible investment and support for inclusive, sustainable growth for the people of this country,” said Virginia Murray, Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon.

The signing event also commemorated a decade of partnership between Chevron and Pact. With Chevron’s support, Pact has developed its integrated approach to supporting community resilience, now a cornerstone of all Pact’s programs in Myanmar.

“As a long-term private sector investor in Myanmar, we see ourselves as part of the solution for Myanmar’s future development, and it is our hope that projects such as this help people to make their own economic choices,” said Mr. Mariano Vela, President of Chevron/Unocal. “We hope this partnership serves as a model for future development commitments in Myanmar.”

The partnership will benefit an estimated 150,000 individuals in 235 communities in Central Myanmar through activities in maternal, newborn and child health; tuberculosis; water and sanitation; and financial empowerment.