Shipping Containers Help Combat Child Poverty & Neglect in Myanmar

Brisbane, QLD, Australia - 23 October, 2014

Brisbane based community charity organisation MyKids aims to send three or more shipping containers full of health, school and office supplies to help support youth in need in Myanmar every year. They are able to do this with the continued help and support of Brisbane based shipping container company - Gateway Container Sales and Hire.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is located to the west of Thailand. It has over 32 percent of its population living under the poverty line, with high levels of infant mortality and mothers dying during childbirth. Organisations such as MyKids help through providing much needed medical supplies as well as educating locals to understand the basics of nutrition, sanitation and home remedies.  

"It was great to see one of our containers painted so creatively and being used for such a worthy cause. As a family owned business, Gateway is happy to lend a hand to local organisations helping other communities," said Roy Finnegan, Gateway Container Sales & Hire.

Goods such as children’s clothing, school books, crutches and wheelchairs are in short supply and are desperately needed by the charity along with monetary donations. These are used in a variety of programmes such as:

• The Andrews Youth Development Centre: This centre houses over 100 children between the ages of 3 and 17 at any one time.  These children come from some of the most impoverished communities in the area and many have little or no families. MyKids child sponsorship project is based here and is run in collaboration with Global Development Group under AusAid.

• The Health and Medical Project: Runs seminars that educates and equips locals with the information they need to keep their families healthy and safe. Through a partnership with One Health Organisation over half a million dollars of nutritional supplements have been distributed to those in need.                           

• Kids in Homes: In collaboration with the Global Development Group, this project aims to keep children in their family homes. Families are educated about health, farming and parenting through local schools.

About the MyKids Australia Inc.:

MyKids is an incorporated society run by volunteers who have visited poverty stricken Myanmar and who are committed to improving the skills and health of children. MyKids is non denominational and works with churches across the Brisbane region to fundraise for the everyday needs of these children. Donations of products or cash are always appreciated and will be sent to Myanmar via shipping container. For more information phone (0421) 786 849 or  visit their website: http://www.myanmarkids.org/.

About Gateway Container Sales & Hire: