In Yangon, one does not have to walk very far to find a group of underprivileged children that live in poverty. The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar is making it harder for many people to afford staple foods such as rice and cooking oil. While the Mission2Myanmar is doing everything we can to feed and clothe our recipients; some of our recipients are using their limited resources to help other people who are struggling.
As most of you are already aware, Muang is currently our largest recipient, and he runs the Chin Refugee Centre (CRC) in Yangon. Near the CRC is a makeshift hut that is home to 9 siblings, and it is also home to a group of other children from various families. Muang and his wife clothed these children on two occasions.
Below is a series of low resolution photos, taken by Muang's previous mobile phone camera, to document the first time that Muang and his wife donated preloved clothes to the underprivileged children. These clothes were previously used by the children in Muang's care.
Below is a series of higher resolution photos, taken by Muang's new mobile phone, to document the second time that Muang and his wife purchased new clothes for the underprivileged children. These new clothes were bought with the money that Muang received from M2M.
Even though M2M could not possibly feed and clothe every single child in Myanmar, at least Muang and his wife found a way to care for the underprivileged children in their community by sharing. M2M commends Muang, and his wife, for their beautiful act of selflessness.
Kennedy was the chief caretaker at the Yangon campus for over 5 years. Last year, he left the Yangon campus and moved to Nay Pyi Taw, which is the capital of Myanmar, to pursue children's ministries.
On the surface Nay Pyi Taw does have some advantages over Yangon because it is a relatively new country town with very good infrastructure. However, there are still too many people in Nay Pyi Taw who live in poverty.
If truth be told, Kennedy does not live in the central business district. He is currently renting a property on the outskirts of Nay Pyi Taw, which has been affected by flooding.
In the next village, Kennedy has been busy with assisting needy people who have been affected by the flood. To be more precise, Kennedy has been using a small amount of money, which he received from M2M, to feed an Indian widow.
To see where the widow lives, please click here to watch a short video clip.
The widow has no relatives in Myanmar, and she is really struggling to survive in a country that has no social security system. However, the widow is not the only one who is going through hard times.
In the same village, Kennedy found a single mother with a baby. Apparently, her husband died three months ago. Kennedy generously gave this mother a bag of rice with a container of cooking oil.
M2M condones Kennedy's acts of selflessness because Kennedy shared his limited resources with those who are less fortunate than himself.
If you would like to support Kennedy's work, please visit our What's On page for more information.
Some people will tell you that visiting another country is always a pleasure but living in another country is a completely different experience. That is so true.
The experience of living in a developing country is rarely documented by the press with accuracy. Would you like to know how most people live in Myanmar? Over the next 10 minutes as you continue reading this blog post, you're going to see the side of Myanmar that you don't see on TV.
Before you look at the photos below, the author would like to ask you a question.
Just out of interest, do you have a local council that collects the rubbish on your street every week?
Most people in Myanmar don't have the luxury of a council waste collection and so, the rubbish accumulates for miles, almost as far as the eye can see.
The author would like to ask you some questions about your dwelling.
Do you have a roof over your head that provides shelter against the elements?
Does your dwelling come with window-locks and locked doors for security?
Did you know that many people in Myanmar live in tents?
Please review the pictures below.
But not everybody has a roof over their heads. In the two photos below you will see three children who live on the street. They have no home and no education.
Very poor families live like this
Many people have been affected by flooding
Did you know that people use that water for drinking and cooking?
Interestingly enough, some people catch fish from dirty puddles of stagnant rain water, right next to where they live.
Money, housing, food and clean water are challenges that so many people face every day in Myanmar but that's not all. Have a look at the conditions of the road below.
Along the streets you don't have to go very far to find a homeless child rummaging through the trash. In the two photos below you will see a child looking for items of value that he can sell for food.
Having a private shower in a bathroom which has a locked door and translucent glass windows is another luxury item that so many people living in first world countries take for granted. Below is a series of photos of boys having an outdoor shower together.
Now that you know what it's really like to live in Myanmar, it's time to do something about it.
The Mission2Myanmar will do everything it can to relieve the suffering of so many needy people living in Myanmar by providing...
...but we can't do this without your help. If you would like to donate, please click here.
