By Sara Nerone | Co-Founder
Dear Friends,
Happy 2022, we are all looking forward to this new year. Thank you for your commitment and compassion for others around the world, we are especially thanking all of you for your continued support for our Bikes for Girls program in Vietnam. In 2021, collectively you helped to provide bicycles to 320 girls who live and travel to school on rural roads in Vietnam. Please be proud that you have helped to make a difference in a girl’s life. You are truly making a difference.
Last year, the pandemic hit Vietnam very hard, and like the U.S. schools, schools closed off and on and classes were taught remotely throughout the year. Many girls lost access to education very quickly when this happened because of the lack of ability to learn remotely. Because we give our bikes at the local schools, our bikes for girls program was on pause off and on, but our wonderful staff continued to be determined to distribute 320 bicycles all over the province of Khanh Hoa in 2021. The little girl in the photo is just one of Rock-Paper-Scissor’s bike recipients in 2021.
The oldest of two children, Kim is a 10-year-old fourth grader. She was overjoyed to receive her bike. She said it was the most beautiful thing she received in her whole life. Pre-pandemic raising a family was hard enough for Kim’s parents. Her parents searched for odd jobs; cleaning, cooking, or farm work for whomever would hire them. Since Covid-19’s global spread Kim’s mother has had to stay home to take care of the two children as the schools have closed multiple times. Her father is still working, but much less than before. Her parents told us it’s been a struggle sending Kim to school, but they are adamant that it is worth it, doing as much as possible just so she will have a better life than theirs. With all the struggles this small family has been dealing with, even more so exasperated by the pandemic, the gift of a simple bicycle has created a profound impact on this young girl's life that will be felt for years to come, as she rides to school.
We also want to share with you that we are piloting a new program to provide E-Bikes to high-school aged girls who also live far from their schools. We are piloting this program starting with just four girls, to learn more about how we might implement this new aspect of our bike program in the future. High school girls often attend school for many more hours each day than students in the lower grades and return to their schools to attend tutoring and special events after dark. We believe that E-bikes will provide greater safety and access for these girls. It is common for girls coming from middle class or wealthy families to ride e-bikes to school, or poor families to take out high-interest private loans that they cannot afford, creating further financial hardship for these families.
Again, thank you for supporting the 320 girls who received bikes in 2021, and the many girls like Kim. Happy 2022!
Sara and the Rock-Paper-Scissors Team
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