By Raksmey Var | Country Representative
This year we planned to provide 273 bicycle scholarships to economically vulnerable girls, targeting areas where distances between their places of residence and the nearest school are far and thus affect school attendance.
In mid-January, Lotus Pedals gave 15 bicycle packages including the bike, pump, lock, and repair kit, to 7th grade GATE scholars from Angkor Thom High School in Siem Reap Province. The remaining bicycle packages were to be distributed in March, however, due to the COVID-19 crisis, schools have been closed since the middle of March and are expected to resume only in November, with the start of a new academic year. In light of these obstacles, distribution has been delayed but it is our hope that we will be able to distribute all of the remaining bike scholarships by the end of this year. Lotus Pedals recipients live 2-5 kilometers from school, so access to safe and reliable transportation makes a huge difference in their ability to attend school consistently and easily.
We followed up with many Lotus Pedal recipients to see how they are doing during this difficult time. Sreyreath is an orphan and lived with her aunt until she left her village to study Economics in Siem Reap city. Sreyreath expressed her gratitude for her bicycle, even as her University is closed and offers no online learning. She has returned to her hometown, again living with her aunt and helping to take care of her nephew. Her family has struggled financially during the pandemic, and Sreyreath is worried about falling behind as her school remains closed.
“These days, I don’t use the bicycle to go to school but I ride it to the market and sometimes for exercise. It is the best transportation for my life, it stays with me all the time. It is also my best friend and it will bridge me to a bright future. This bicycle is very meaningful to me because it helps me to get to school and wherever I want to go, near or far” expressed Sreyreath.
A tool as simple as a bicycle can transform these girls’ lives; providing safe, independent and reliable transportation. Thank you for your support in providing access to education to these wonderful young women. With a bicycle, they have a ride to school and thus a ride to their future!
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