Cambodia Bike Project had the opportunity this weekend to distribute 42 bikes to kids in rural Cambodia who will use them to travel to school and whose parents will use them to access local markets on a more regular basis in order to sell their produce and maintain a sustainable income. The 42 bikes were distributed in four locations just outside of Phnom Penh. In each of the four communities, a small, informal ceremony was held in which members of my partner organization Kone Kmeng, myself and Cambodians from the community had an opportunity to express their hopes and goals for the use of these bikes. It was a day that we were honored to be a part of and one that we will not soon forget.
As of this weekend, 42 kids will be more likely to go to school and church on a regular basis because of the improvement in their transportation and we are proud and blessed to be a small part of that change. This side project has become something I love and cherish and I am so fortunate that Asian Hope has been willing to let me run with this program.
We started this program about ten months ago and, within our first year, Cambodia Bike Project will distribute
120 bikes to kids and young adults working to better themselves through education and vocational training.
Kone Kmeng did the majority of the logistics for the distribution day including the application, payment (families pay about $1.50 per bikes, a significant sum for some of them) and presentation process. We tagged along, unloaded bikes, lowered seats and spoke in broken Khmer as best we could throughout the day. It was an incredible opportunity to see how an item so simple can play a part in the transformation of individuals and hopefully in communities as a whole.
For more information on Cambodia Bike Project and to see how you can participate, visit www.facebook.com/cambodiabikeproject
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