100 Bikes for 100 Girls

Dear Friends, 

I hope that you all have had a good summer. It’s definitely the end of summer with schools starting up around the world. This summer has been exceptionally special for me! As a co-founder of Rock-Paper-Scissors Children’s fund, along with my sister and mom, I’ve been able to travel back to Vietnam many times during the summers over the years when I was in middle and high school, but sadly, I have not been able to return for over six years being in college and graduate school. But this summer I was finally able to return and was able to work alongside our staff and teachers. All the years that I have been in school, I have continued to work on fundraising, and various tasks for our non-profit, but of course the best part is returning to reunite with our wonderful staff and students in our programs.

For me, this summer has been so fun being able to take part in one of our bike givings and seeing our Bikes for Girls Program operating so smoothly. As you know, each girl gets a new bike, helmet and bike pump, along with training on safety and how to care for their bikes. We have given over 3500 girls bicycles over the years and have learned a lot doing so.  This month, I’m excited to introduce you to Nhu, an 8-year-old girl who lives with her mom, dad, and two sisters in a small village in rural Vietnam. Nhu's family is part of the Raglay ethnic group, who live in rugged mountainous communities within Vietnam, with about 150,000 members across the country.

Unfortunately, Nhu and her family live in a rented home, as they can't afford a place of their own. Nhu's mother, who is 30 years old, works as an assistant at a small store in the village, where she sells breakfast and lunch in the early mornings. After her work shift, she devotes herself to caring for Nhu and the rest of the family, handling all the household responsibilities with dedication. Despite her hard work, she earns only about 100,000 VND per day, which is roughly $4. Nhu's father is also 30 years old and works in the agricultural industry, where he tends to other people's fields and helps to cultivate different crops. Even though both of Nhu's parents work tirelessly, they still struggle to afford basic necessities like food and education for their children. Their biggest dream is to one day be able to buy a home for their family.

Getting a new bike was so special for Nhu, she is so proud to ride it to school. With your support, many girls like Nhu have been able to get to school easily and safely. Thank you for your donations!

Phoebe 

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