Kampong Speu Province (Dec 22, 2015) – A group of generous Cambodian benefactors today donated 21 second-hand bicycles to 21 poorest rural students from four villages of Prey Thom, Puos Vek, Sangkae Chrum and Sameakki of Raksmei Sameakki commune in Aoral didstrict of Kampong Speu province.
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Of the total, 4 students are from Prey Thom, 4 students from Sangkae Chrum, 1 student from Sameakki and 12 students from Puos Vek. Seventeen of them are girls.
In contribution to improve education sector, Mr. Chhay Sophal, Journalist and Book Author who recently released a new book, entitled “Friend Enemy: Cambodian-Vietnamese Maps and territory (1623-2015)”, initiated a “Bike for Education Fund” last year aiming to provide opportunity for disadvantaged rural children to have access to formal education.
Speaking at the distribution ceremony organized by LWD in collaboration with the village chief, Mr. Sophal advised the students to study hard and encouraged their parents to support their studies as much as possible. “Education can bring you a better life in the future. Please, study hard for your bright future and for developing your community,” he said.
The 21 poorest students were selected through a joint committee comprised of a school principal, a village leader, a community volunteer, and LWD field staff, targeting only schoolchildren from the poorest families whose houses are located far away from school and have no bicycles. Seven of them study at the lower secondary level, while the rest at primary level.
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Miech Kunther, 14, from Puos Vek village, was very content with the donation. She has walked 6 km from her home to school for 2 years after her old bike was completely broken. She has to leave home early every morning at 6 o’clock and walk along a dusty and muddy soil road across cassava and sugarcane farms to Prey Thom Primary School in the neighbouring village.
She has five brothers and sisters. She is the second child in the family of 8. Her parents sell their labour cutting sugarcanes for a sugarcane company near her village. They both earn an income of 30,000 Riels ($7.50) per day. But the income is not regular. It depends on the company’s needs for labour. The income cannot support her family’s daily needs.
Currently, Kunthea studies at grade 4, her younger sister (3rd child) studies at grade 3 and her younger brother (4th child) at grade 1 at the same school.
Kunthea said she was very tired to commute a long distance on foot very day. “Sometimes, I feel demotivated and want to drop out of school,” she said. “Now, I have a new bike. I stop thinking about quitting school. I am committed to studying harder and I want to become a doctor in the future in order to help my community.”
As these three kids study at the same shift in the same school, the only bike cannot carry all of them. So, her younger sister has to ask her neighbouring classmate to give her a ride to school.
List of Generous Persons:
- H.E Khieu Kanharith
- Mr. Chhay Sophal
- Mr. and Ms. Hieng Srun
- Ms. Kesor Kesor
- Mr. Nak Chheav
- Mr. Visal Kang
- Mr. Bou Saroeun
- Mr. Touch Menglay
- Kunthary de Gaiffier
- Mr. Ker Munthit
- Mr. B Kelvin Oudom
- Mr. Ros Sovannara
- Mr. Sarak Duong