Hi-5 to entertain Myanmar’s children with World Vision

Thursday, February 26, 2015

World Vision ambassador and children’s entertainment group Hi-5 will next week travel to Myanmar to visit World Vision Australia projects and bring some much welcomed singing and dancing to young Myanmar children.

This is the second trip for Hi-5 cast members Stevie and Dayen who travelled to the Philippines with World Vision in 2012, but the first opportunity for cast members Ainsley, Mary and Tanika to learn about the developing world first hand.

Stevie said the cast was currently touring Southeast Asia, performing shows for young fans in Indonesia and the Philippines and would travel to Myanmar on the back of this tour.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting the local children and spending some time with them in their villages learning about their lives.” he said. “It’s not something we get the opportunity to do very often particularly when we’re touring.” 

“This will be such a great experience especially for Ainsley, Mary and Tanika who are seeing World Vision’s work for the first time - it’s an incredible privilege to work in partnership to better the lives of children around the world. We are truly honoured to be ambassadors for such a great cause.” 

Hi-5’s visit to Myanmar will feature on its upcoming DVD, showing the cast meeting the children, singing and dancing with them, and learning about their customs and culture. The feature aims to introduce their fans in Southeast Asia and Australia to a different way of living and to show them how they can help people living in poverty by supporting World Vision’s work.

World Vision Australia’s ambassador manager Dale Amtsberg said with Hi-5’s support, World Vision hoped to educate children and their families in Australia about poverty in an age appropriate way. 

“It can be difficult to explain to children what poverty is and parents often ask us how they can introduce these issues to their children so that it encourages gratitude and generosity in their own lives,” Mr Amtsberg said.

“Through dance, songs, and play Hi-5 is helping World Vision to educate young children about the world and how people live.”

Hi-5 will spend some time in Mandalay, the country’s second largest city, to visit World Vision projects that support street kids with education, medical services and shelter and also economic development projects. They will also visit Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon to meet with a mother’s group that receives maternal and child health education and see projects that provide training and reskilling to give families an income.

World Vision’s program manager for Myanmar, Stephen Collins said Myanmar had only recently opened its doors to the outside world for trade and tourism, and television programs were still predominantly domestically made with little foreign content. 

“Hi-5’s entertainment, which is highly interactive and involves audience participation, will be extremely new for these children who are more accustomed to traditional sit down performances,” Mr Collins said.   

“Myanmar is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia and access to quality healthcare, sanitation and education is limited for many people. More than a third of the population lives in rural areas and the economy is heavily dependent on the agricultural sector. For many families life is a struggle and parents find it tough to support their children, so that some children are forced to enter the workforce.”

In 2008, Cyclone Nargis caused widespread destruction leaving 138,000 people dead or missing and affecting the homes and livelihoods of 2.4 million people. World Vision continues its work providing recovery and rehabilitation to communities affected by Cyclone Nargis.

Hi-5 photo available here

ENDS

Media contacts:
Tamara Blackmore, World Vision, 03-9287-2775 | 0403 894 558 tamara.blackmore@worldvision.com.au
Clare Muston, Double Edge PR 02 9957 1352 | 0430 714 307 clare@doubleedge.com.au 

Media Releases, Poverty, Asia and the Pacific, Cyclone Nargis, Hi-5, Music, Myanmar

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