FAQ

21. Does the EU Myan Ku Fund still exist?

The European Union provided 10 million EUR in support to workers who lost their jobs during COVID.  This ‘Myan Ku’ Fund ran from April 2020 to December 2022 and was administered by UNOPS utilizing staff capacities and networks within the SMART project.  

Myan Ku supported approximately 90,000 garment, textile and footwear sector workers with direct cash assistance through mobile money disbursements, as well as 400,000 EUR in food vouchers and direct food aid funded by private sector retailers.  

About a third of Myan Ku’s cash and voucher assistance went to around 3,000 young mothers from the sector, many of whom received cash assistance for half a year or more during their pregnancy and/or after delivery. Doctors and nutritionists from Myan Ku provided nutritional counseling support to the women, and several other smaller programmes were also administered on vocational training and alternative skilling for unemployed factory workers. 

Some of the capacities developed under Myan Ku are now continued within MADE under the Centres for Women’s Advancement. One of the nutritionists runs a nutrition help-desk and provides in-factory technical assessments focused on enhancing worker nutrition and medical provision (clinic capacity assessments, canteen review, support to develop breastfeeding rooms for young mothers and related activities). Civil society partners also continue to administer psycho-social counseling and sexual and reproductive health counseling to interested current and former garment workers. 

22. How will MADE support improvements in environmental management?

MADE promotes full conformance with the Globally Harmonized System for chemical management, conformance with the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals protocol, education about HiGG FEM requirements, a phase-out of coal boiler fuel in favor of solar thermal, biomass waste products (such as rice husks and wood scrap) and, in general, resource efficient, waste-minimizing factory production systems. 

Alliance Member Companies commit to achieve full compliance among suppliers with the globally harmonized system (GHS) for chemical inventory management and labelling by 31 December 2023. (GHS compliance is a legal requirement in Myanmar under the 2013 Chemical and Related Substances Act. Factories with substantial chemical storerooms are generally required to be compliant with storage, labelling and safe use requirements). 

Furthermore, the climate crisis requires strong action to phase down carbon emissions.  Alliance members commit to work towards a complete phase out of coal boiler fuel in Myanmar by 31 December 2025, including in the suppliers used by Member Companies.  

The MADE project employs several technical staff (electrical engineers, textile engineers, chemical management specialists) focused on safe and efficient chemical management, energy efficiency, promotion of renewable energy solutions (solar PV, biomass, solar thermal, etc.), water efficiency and solid waste management. 

An added benefit of technical work on energy efficiency and chemical management is expert capacity within the project for technical safety evaluations of boiler and steam systems, electrical systems, ventilation systems, chemical storeroom management practices and compressed air systems, among other areas. The project’s engineers often discover and work to remediate major safety issues in factories receiving energy audits and chemical management assessments. Many such safety issues are not observed by typical social compliance auditors, as they require more specialized equipment used by project engineers, including data loggers, thermal imaging cameras, Volatile Organic Compound spectrometers (VOC meters) and more. 

23. Does MADE cooperate with or provide funds to the military regime?

The European Union’s cooperation work in Myanmar is solely conducted by means of Special Measures for the direct benefit of the Myanmar population and civil society, without collaboration and engagement with State authorities/governmental structures.  

The EU does not foresee the MADE project will involve any policy discussion with, and/or direct financial contributions to,  State authorities/governmental structures. 

24. How can retailers work with MADE?

Retailers wishing to join the MADE Alliance, which gives access to priority placement for their supplier factories within the project’s various programmes and workshops, are required to sign an MoU.  This outlines joint commitments of the parties. Retailers are also expected to financially contribute to the project in a manner consistent with their production volumes in Myanmar, to supplement the EU’s contribution to the programme. 

Enrollment is open to all retailers willing to make the commitments outlined within the project’s MoU. Retailers signing earlier will receive support for their suppliers on a first-come, first-serve basis. Those signing later in the year are very likely to be waitlisted until additional technical experts can be adequately developed and/or contracted. 

Factories supplying non-member retailers can participate in some modules of the project, but priority placement is given to factories supplying members of MADE. 

 

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