Myanmar Relief Opportunity

Members of the STAR-TIDES network:

There should be an opportunity in early January 2009 to send relief supplies into Myanmar accompanied by a reliable individual, with good contacts in country who can help ensure they will get to those in need.

Two categories of aid have been identified thus far: Shelter and small tractors to replace lost water buffalo. More ideas are welcome.
Shelter. There is a lot of bamboo in Myanmar that can be used for shelter construction. What they need are (1) cutting devices (saws, axes, etc.), (2) fasteners to tie the poles together, and (3) the bamboo itself (despite the wide availability of bamboo in country, the poles need to be made available to those needing shelter--in some cases it can be cut locally, but in some cases it will have to be bought). Collectively, this is referred to as the "Bamboo Hut Project." The fasteners could range from nails and ties to more sophisticated approaches like pre-formed plates with arrays of 5 receptors into which the bamboo poles can be slid to form strong, rigid pentagonal frames that can be covered with cloth, leaves, whatever. Other ideas can be found at: http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/node/2883
Tractors. Small tractors can be found in South China and Thailand that could help replace the many water buffalo killed in Nargis and its aftermath. The engine is mounted up high to allow it to work in rice paddies. I have heard these run about $1000, which seems on the expensive side, even though they are effective.
Other solutions could include: water purification, integrated solar and combustion cooking, lighting, cooling, sanitation, and rice seedlings that can grow in brackish water. WRT rice I understand that rice strains exist that can grow in brackish water, but the Bangladesh version, at least, is too manpower intensive to grow successfully in field conditions. If you know of others that could be planted widely, please let us know.

Unless we hear otherwise, information and communications technology (ICT) equipment will not be included due to governmental issues.

If any of you have more ideas, they'd be welcome. Insofar as possible, indigenous, or at least in-theater solutions are preferable, but all options are on the table. Anything that needs to be shipped by sea will need to leave the US West Coast by about the first week in December.