Take a look in your garage. Most likely there is a bike, or possibly one for each member of your family. My guess is you bought these bikes to create an avenue for family fun times, build your fitness, or get outdoors. Right? But that’s not the case for many families throughout the world. Read on to find out what would happen if you could donate a bicycle to just one family in Cambodia. In countries like Cambodia, a bicycle (Khmer language word: khong) serves a very different purpose. It creates change. It creates opportunity. Being on the ground with Chumkriel Language School, Cambodia, I’ve seen how riding a bicycle opens up another world. I’ve seen children and families cycling dah’l aing style (meandering) along the edge of busy highways or down a dusty (or often rain-soaked) road home from school. Often I’ve looked on as babies are loaded into bicycle baskets so Mum can cycle to the market many kilometres away. Kids as young as 3 or 4 years old wobble along tiny rice field tracks on adult-sized bicycles. Many families do not have the luxury of owning a bike. They are just too poor.
FOR LESS THAN A$100, you can donate a bicycle.
1x BIKE CAN CHANGE A LIFE.
By having access to just 1 bicycle, these 8 simple opportunities can arise and create change for a child, a family, or an entire community:
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A bike opens doors to employment opportunities. International Bicycle Fund
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A bike provides access to health care.
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A bike can taxi heavy goods (like chickens or vegetables) to and from the market.
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A bike keeps transport costs at a minimum for struggling families.
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A bike keeps exhaust fumes non-existent in small cramped community housing areas.
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A bike gives a family mobility.
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A bike enables access to education for a child.
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A bike increases safety for a child.
The comfort of knowing that your child can get easily and safely to school or the market is extremely valuable. Take a minute to watch this video as Child Fund enables one young Cambodian girl to explain how a bike has made a difference in her life.
You can find simple ideas on how to get your family involved in fundraising for a bike from OXFAM. Or read about Lennon. His idea is a gem! And he’s only 6 years old!!! Alternatively, you can package your bike donation as a gift for a friend or family member. This year, my hubby and I decided to donate a bicycle in Cambodia for our 3-year-old son's birthday present. We added a ‘gift of giving’ by donating a bicycle and helmet for a child at CLS too. It’s never too early to start involving your kids. Go on, fill a money box and buy a bicycle and a helmet for a child (you’ll only need about $95).
I’d recommend donating a bike through Chumkriel Language School (CLS). They are small. They are locally run. They are 100% the real deal (plus every donation you make is tax-deductible in Australia).
Donate a Bicycle in Cambodia
See the difference a bike can make to a child, a family, and an entire community. Donate now. What is your best memory of riding a bicycle? Or maybe you’ve already donated a bike before. I’d love to hear your stories. Leave a comment below!
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