By Ryan Pilon

Sending supplies to the people in Thailand

Jan 21, 2011 | 9:26 AM

Steve Flaman is working with Prince Albert-based Global Neighbours to fill a cargo shipping container to send supplies to refugees in Thailand.

Flaman saw the situation of refugees from Myanmar, also called Burma, when he and his wife travelled to Mae Sot, Thailand as a volunteer with Global Neighbours, in November.

“They have no legal status at all, so they don’t have any dental or health care or any housing or anything. So they’re just living under tarps, and homemade little huts, and they have absolutely no means of an economy,” Flaman said.

“We’ve been to a lot of villages where people literally have all the items that they own in a plastic bag.”

Many ethnic groups are fleeing Myanmar because of the military junta in power and more than 20 years of violence.

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For those wishing to help, distribution centres have been set up around the city, such as at Flaman Sales, Canadian Tire, Midtown Transmission, Truck Outfitters, and Econo Lumber.

Flaman said that the items donated will be personally delivered by Global Neighbours.

“Global Neighbours is on the ground, delivering supplies to people, building schools, and educating people. There’s no wasted money, they’ve got their own warehouse where the shipping containers arrive to. They’re really, really effective in working on the ground with the people,” said Flaman.

Items that need to be donated are blankets, towels, tarps, hand tools, and clothing.

rpilon@panow.com