Kyaikthale village is home to the Mingalar Bio Garden, nearly 6-acres plot of fertile land that was turned into an essential hotspot for vegetable production shortly after the Cyclone Nargis disaster in 2008. The main beneficiary of the nutrient rich food grown here is a nearby monastic school, home to over 800 students. The aftermath of the cyclone led to severe food shortage and the residents of the monastic school were forced to live off basic staples such as rice and cooking oil, which of course led to the students being severely malnourished. In a bid to provide essential nutrients to the resident‟s diet, the Mingalar Bio Garden was established (thanks to funding by a generous entrepreneur) and to this day, it continues to play a vital and cost effective role to the school‟s food provisions.

Due to the Kyaikthale‟s remote and out of the way location, the residents have no choice but to adopt a self-sufficient, hard-working way of life. This explains why they have become increasingly reliant on home industry such as the production of bamboo baskets, the rearing of livestock and crop cultivation. Furthermore, the villagers also take great pride in being a part this small, yet close-knit village community and regularly seek to support and conserve their traditional practices and customs. Their generosity is also impossible to fault – even though the majority of residents live a very simple lifestyle, they never fail to make a tasty meal offering to the monks as they carry out their daily alms practice.