As a tragic fire swept through Solo/Chiu village, under Lahe Township, Naga Self-Administered Zone (NSAZ), Myanmar on February 2 and scorched over 75 homes affecting hundred plus families, Mokokchung Town Baptist Church (MTBA) responded with emergency and essential aid by undertaking crowdfunding to help the people who lost homes and livelihoods.

 

MTBA members are seen here loading relief materials for Solo village at the church premises on February 8 before leaving for Myanmar

 

On Wednesday (February 8) a team of 10 members including pastors, deacons, doctors and others headed from Mokokchung to provide much needed aid to those affected by the fire disaster. The team was led by Yanglo Pongen, Associate Pastor MTBA and Monglier, Associate Pastor MTBA.

 

Speaking to Mokokchung Times, Yanglo Pongen said that a total of 13 individuals undertook the expedition, of which 10 were from Mokokchung and 3 doctors from the Ao community who are stationed in Noklak district also volunteered to accompany the MTBA team.

 

Yanglo Pongen said that on hearing the news of the tragedy, the church had asked its congregation to contribute in any way they could for the relief effort in the devotional service on Sunday (February 4). In the two days that followed, the community mobilized, which led to a spontaneous outpour of response. He said that the community contributed in cash as well as essential commodities.

 

“The clothes that were donated by the community filled an entire dumper truck,” Pongen said. He went on to say that apart from the clothes, essential commodities like toiletries, blankets, undergarments, slippers and food items were some of the many essentials the team had provided to the victims.

 

The team also provided essential tools including hammers, saws, nails, wires and other tools to the villagers for rebuilding their homes.

 

“The villagers were extremely happy with the aid,” the pastor said. They were particularly happy with the other essentials since many other organizations too had been providing them with clothes, he said.

 

Talking about the affected villagers, Pongen said that most of them are staying in their granary huts. The elevated field huts are generally built in the outskirts of the village and hence, they were not affected by the fire. “Some of the affected are sleeping beneath the huts while others are taking refuge in the houses that were not affected,” he said.

 

“The total number of houses that were razed down by the fire is 75, but the families affected by it are much more,” Pongen said. “Living together as a joint family is very common in the area.

 

There are as many as 3 families in one house and hence the families affected by the tragedy are more than hundred families,” the pastor said.

 

The multiple doctors from Mokokchung as well as Noklak in the team also tended to the many ailing villagers, the pastor said.

 

The MTBA team after providing much-needed respite to the affected villagers returned back to reach Mokokchung in the early hours of Saturday.
The Mokokchung Town Baptist Church has also been previously providing aid to the village.

 

Solo village have been very closely linked to the MTBA, Pastor Yanglo said. He said that MTBA has a missionary in the village who is still there to this day. The Church is also providing aid to an orphanage in the village, Yanglo Pongen revealed.

 

 

Mokokchung Times

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