Face-to-face with AIDS, poverty and conflict in Burma

from the Somerset County Gazette

A CROWCOMBE man is helping distribute aid in one of Asia's poorest countries, coming face to face with AIDS, poverty and conflict.

Richard Butterworth is working with the Government's Department for International Development, which manages Britain's aid to poor countries and works to end extreme poverty.

He moved to Burma with his wife and their son in August last year - just weeks before thousands of Buddhist monks started protests against the military government.

He said: "At first it was quite exciting, as though this was the moment where things were going to change for the better.

"But after that it got quite scary and very disappointing that nothing was going to change.

"Then there was the aftermath where there was a major crackdown by the military - there was a curfew and a lot of local people were under investigation by the secret police."

He added: "But it's not going to change here overnight, it's going to be a long and arduous task."

Burma has been under military rule since 1962 and receives very little aid with public investment in education and healthcare among the lowest in the world.

DFID does not provide any support to the military regime in Burma with all its cash going through organisations including Save the Children Fund or UN agencies like UNDP and UNICEF.

Richard's work involves everything from projects to help reduce childhood mortality and tackling the country's HIV and AIDS problem to supplying Burmese school children with basic equipment.