KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The death toll is over 2,700 after a destructive 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar.
Rescue operations continue as victims remain trapped beneath the rubble four days after the quake struck.
From 8,000 miles away, Myintzu Aye watches as her friends lose everything they own.
Some of her friends are still missing.
“Some are still completely out of contact, so we don't know,” Myintzu said, as she was unable to hold back her tears.
She came to the United States in 2021 on a Fulbright scholarship to earn her master’s degree in social work.
“I really wish I could be there,” said Myintzu, who is originally from Myanmar and now lives in Kansas City, Kansas.
She wants to help with the search efforts, but can't go home due to political persecution.
“It's so sad. I wish I was there to be with them,” Myintzu said. “It’s very traumatizing, and it makes me feel helpless.”
From Kansas City, she's organizing fundraisers and helping however she can.
“Being outside the country and seeing people suffer makes me feel devastated and sad,” Myintzu said.
She knows every bit of help makes a difference.
Help like the kind Heart to Heart International is sending—more than 50,000 hygiene bags filled with essential items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, nail clippers, and other necessities for people facing the most challenging times of their lives.
When volunteers pack the hygiene bags, they are also packing a bit of hope.
“Just take a moment and imagine not brushing your teeth for two days," said Heather Lee, vice president of development for Heart to Heart International. "Imagine being dirty, unable to shower—think about how that feels. Being able to brush your teeth, you feel like a new person."
The organization expects to ship more than 50,000 bags. The items will be sent to places like Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city.
“If you can imagine at least one-third of Kansas City being destroyed, buildings collapsed, that's the kind of situation we're talking about,” said Dan Neal, senior vice president of operations at Heart to Heart International.
“The disaster is bigger than any one organization," Neal said. "And so, to be effective, we really partner with each other and come together.”
Bonnie Sobol volunteers with the organization every week and says she’s happy to help.
“We're helping in a very meaningful way, providing things they need daily, things that are important to them.”
People from Myanmar are not taking the help for granted.
“They just escaped from the earthquake, and their houses are gone," Myintzu said. "It's very sad, but I am really grateful for every organization willing to help people from my country."
KSHB 41 reporter Fe Silva covers education stories involving K-12. Share your story idea with Fe
