A warm helping hand for Myanmar

Last July, the Ansan Multicultural Family Service Center received a special and earnest request.  In-seok (alias) from Myanmar requested help to find a way to purchase and deliver KF94 masks to his hometown. 

Since Myanmar is going through political chaos, it is challenging to deal with COVID-19. Only 30% of the hospitals operate normally. It is not easy to purchase medicine at the pharmacy. Because of the situation, In-seok asked for help in sending masks to his country.  

The request for help from someone struggling in a foreign country moved the heart of many volunteers. Within a week, volunteers donated the masks that they had on hand and raised money to purchase more masks. Also, vitamin supplements were collected from all over Korea to send to Myanmar.

On July 30, we were notified that all items were delivered to Myanmar by ship. Inseok’s sister, a nurse, helped distribute the masks and vitamin supplements to the people in need in Yangon, Inseok’s hometown, private centers for disease control, and the Senhu hospital for COVID-19 patients.

The heartwarming help continued. Gun-sik Kim (alias), whose mother is from Myanmar, requested help to send masks and vitamin supplements to his mother’s relatives and neighbors. Gun-sik, who is in the 10th grade, wanted to pay part of the cost of delivery. Many supporters helped as well.

On September 30, 12,800 masks from the JTS headquarters, 4,695 masks from the Ansan Multicultural Family Service Center, 20,480 bottles of hand sanitizer, and 10,150 boxes of vitamin supplements were sent to Myanmar by ship.

We believe that this support, started by a warm-hearted Burmese man, will continue. We hope that the wishes of many supporters for Myanmar’s peace were delivered with the masks and vitamin supplements.