(Yangon, 25 April 2018) – MPT held a tube well handover ceremony in Lat Pan Pin Hamlet, Nyaung Pin Kan village in Nyaung-U Township, Mandalay on 24 April, as part of its Myanmar In Our Heart initiative. MPT’s “Clean and Sustainable Water Program” provides solutions to important problems faced by many Myanmar communities which is getting reliable and sustainable water supplies, by drilling tube wells and creating reservoir ponds.

This program will assist Nyaung-U Township residents, enabling improved access to water supplies and associated improvements to public health. This is part of MPT’s commitment to corporate social responsibility in collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGO) and with the support from Department of Rural Development.

The “Clean and Sustainable Water Program” was first funded by MPT using 250 million MMK in 2017, beginning with 15 tube wells and ponds. This year, MPT will use 200 million Myanmar Kyats to local communities, with funds to go towards alleviating issues in water-stressed regions and provide clean water for a healthy life. MPT is working with relevant authorities, as well as their NGO partners, including the Network Activities Group (NAG) and Bridge Asia Japan (BAJ) to ensure that donations are going to the best possible causes.

MPT wants to make a big difference to the communities where these projects take place, and the operator is committed to long-term and sustainable solutions. These wells go deep underground to access groundwater supplies comparatively unaffected by seasonal changes. As part of the program, MPT and its NGO partners work with local communities to encourage the long-term success of the deep tube well built in each village. A local committee is formed to develop a sustainable organisational framework for maintaining and running the well, with the longer-term goal of full ownership being passed to each local community. This encourages local government development, giving control to an essential piece of communal infrastructure.

“As we all know, water is life, but too many people in Myanmar still have poor access to this most important resource. With our operations spanning the country, we have initiated this “Clean and
Sustainable Water Program”. Our heart beats with the people of Myanmar, and we care deeply about the well-being of all citizens. We strive to sustainably support communities affected by water
scarcity by working together with responsible people, communities and NGOs to contribute to a positive impact that will move Myanmar forward,” said Mr. Yoshiaki Benino, Chief Operating Officer at MPT-KSGM Joint Operations.

This year, MPT has identified several locations where these projects will be delivered including Mandalay, Sagaing, Magway, Bago (west), Yangon, Mon State and Kayin State. MPT works closely with NGOs and has based its selection according to the respective areas’ urgent needs together with the Department of Rural Development. Key to the success of the program is the creation of local water committees. The operator and its partners work together with the local people who are expected to benefit most from the new infrastructure to develop strategies to maintain the performance of the tube well and associated parts. This longevity and design thinking is what distinguishes MPT’s “Clean and Sustainable Water Program” from other water availability programs, ensuring viable water sources in the long-term.

U Aung Kyaw Linn, Administrator of Lat Pan Pin Hamlet, Nyaung Pin Kan Village in Nyaung-U Township said, “The continued and sustainable water supply is very important to our village of around 300 people. We want to say thank you very much to MPT for drilling the deep tube well in our village. Our village doesn’t need gold. We just need a sustainable water supply. Previously, we had to collect 50 gallons water from the nearest river, taking two to three hours by foot each day. Sometimes, we couldn’t even drink that river water, so we had to buy drinking water, which was too expensive for some. But now, the tube well is a very convenient for us, supplying access to clean water for bathing, washing and drinking. From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to sincerely thank MPT customers and staff for providing this tube well. Now many residences can save time and money, and many villagers will move closer to the tube well.”

MPT, as Myanmar’s first and leading telecommunication operator, runs a wide range of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities including health, education, small business development,
and natural disaster relief projects. Especially during the dry season, MPT has identified that access to water is an ongoing problem in many parts of the country. Sources of water may be
available, but adequate storage facilities and a lack of well-tapping skills means wells can be too expensive or difficult to build. MPT wants to assist in this area by building long lasting and trusted water supplies for many dry seasons to come.