In Cambodia, distance is often a barrier to education. Children, who are tasked with many domestic chores, arrive late and tired at school and inevitably fall behind. By providing bicycles to children who must travel long distances to school, we can keep children in school and ultimately break the cycle of poverty they are trapped in.

Between December 2016 and March 2017, 95 students at ISF Chbar Ampov adn Stung Meanchey received their own bicycles for the very first time. The students and their families were delighted and proud to receive them and promised to take care of them and repair them if broken.

Raksa, an 11-years-old boy, was among the 25 students who received a new bicycle. Raksa lives in Chak Angkre Chrom. His village is distant more than 2km from ISF Chbar Ampov School. He was so excited when he received his new bicycle: “This is such a great surprise for me. I have always wanted a bicycle, but my parents could not afford it. I used to walk more than an hour to get to school and I always arrived hungry and exhausted. In addition, after school I always help my parents sell peanuts at some restaurants in Phnom Penh. They are very far away from the school and I had to walk for hours. Now I can use my bike to go to school and to work and I can sell peanuts using my bike.”

Many students and parents attended a related event at ISF where the social workers and teachers provided information on safe cycling and bicycle maintenance. ISF took this opportunity to underline once again the importance of education, the benefits of schooling, and encouraged parents to motivate their children to go to school.

We can’t emphasise enough how much we appreciate every donation we receive, without which we wouldn’t be able to give disadvantaged Cambodian children the support they need.

*Names of students under 18 are changed