A container city on the island of Maui is being built from foldable container units
Commissioned by the Hawaiian Family Life Center aid organization, Hungary’s Continest Technologies Plc. will deliver innovative foldable containers designed for temporary housing for nearly 250 families to the fire-ravaged Hawaiian Island of Maui by the end of October. The first shipment of the project, realized through extraordinary cooperation, left Hungary by air, on board a Boeing Globemaster III C-17 strategic heavy transport aircraft, from the MH 47th Air Base in Pápa.
On World Humanitarian Day, August 19, the Continest container housing units departed enroute to Hawaii’s second largest island, Maui, where devastating fire recently destroyed entire cities. At a press conference held just before take-off from Pápa, Tamás Vargha, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and Deputy Defence Minister, highlighted that with the help of the Hungarian Defence Forces, he secured space from the available flight quota for the delivery of the first 20 foldable living containers. The mission was conducted by the multinational Strategic Airlift Capability with the participation of 12 member states, including Hungary (SAC), and was carried out by a C-17 aircraft of the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) unit and its flight crew of ten. The plane arrived to the island of Maui Sunday afternoon, local time (HST).
“The day after the fire broke out on the island of Maui, Continest management contacted the Bethel Global Response disaster relief organization, which we have been working with over the past months to prepare projects in Ukraine. With their help, we connected with the Maui-based Family Life Center, which was looking for quick-build, safe accommodations for Maui residents left without shelter. In cooperation with Continest’s American partner company, Continest USA, we prepared the plans for the camp in two days and also contributed to the coordination of additional donations and services.”– said Dániel Tegzes, Strategic Director of Continest Technologies Plc. in Székesfehérvár.
In cooperation with the leaders of the Hawaiian Islands and international non-profit organizations, within the framework of the entire project, a small town of temporary housing with private bathrooms and kitchens will be completed for a total of 250 families by the end of October. Up to 1,000 people will be housed in the modular housing units on the 10 hectares of land donated near Kahului. Families with young children and families caring for their sick relatives will be primarily accommodated by the Hawaii Family Life Center aid organization that ordered the Continest containers and coordinated the project.
Founded in 2019, Continest Technologies, a manufacturer and developer of foldable containers based in Hungary, has recently participated in several humanitarian projects with its quick-installation modular containers. With the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Continest built a mobile health care center in cooperation with the WHO in Uganda. In Ukraine, they provided a container-based school on behalf of the Hungarian Interchurch Aid organization as well as modern temporary accommodation for refugee children on behalf of The Governor George Pataki Center headquartered in the US.
The first shipment arrived on the island of Maui early Monday morning, Hungarian time, where employees of Continest USA and the Family Life Center were on site to greet the crew of the SAC C-17 military cargo plane. Once the units were off-loaded, the team immediately began to set-up the first housing containers. Continest CEO, Vidor Kis-Márton, also travelled to Maui to personally help with the construction of the project. “I congratulate my American colleagues and especially thank the supporters and volunteers for being ready to provide quick and efficient help in this extraordinary situation. Our company has several close and personal ties to the Hawaiian Islands. Al Smith, Strategic Director of Continest USA, previously worked as a civil servant of the State of Hawaii, so he has considerable experience and local knowledge. I consider the opportunity to contribute to temporary housing opportunities for the needy with our world-class, innovative and environmentally friendly solutions to be particularly important.”
