We can offer up systematic reviews. But it seems like a good old fashioned story may be more effective.
When the storm hit, some of the younger, more tech-savvy residents had snapped photos of the giant hailstones and the damage they had caused. The photos, of hole-filled roofs and wind-bent buildings, were uploaded to their personal Facebook accounts, and widely shared both in Myanmar and abroad.
The first donors to arrive in the village were responding to nothing more than the pictures they had seen on Facebook. They brought sacks of rice and cash, and they kept coming for days.
In all, U Thein Aung, a local farmer, reckoned that about 100 groups came with donations, including movie star Ko Wai Lu Kyaw. The farmer said the speed of the aid delivery had shocked him, and made him a believer in the mobile revolution.
“In the storm we could get the information out from here,” said Thein Aung. “I feel good about using the internet.”
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