Everyone ready to go… Ankgor Bike Ride 2009

Posted by:

Not long to go till Thomas, Bota and I with 18 other educators and young adults from Sangkheum Center for Children will be on our bikes cycling through the temples of Angkor in Cambodia. We have been heavily fundraising on behalf of the kids to raise money for their own future and so far we have raised $1,393.00 online!! Which is just fantastic!!

Addressing challenges faced by rural communities

HOPE have entered 19 Sangkheum staff and young adults to participate in the cycle ride. Costing just below $500 to enter, the money goes towards some more projects in Siem Reap supported by Village Focus.

When Village Focus began their community hygiene and clean water program, the community worked hand in hand to create a program to build and use 70 latrines and 5 wells. Access to safe water results in families spending less time and money caring for family members who fall sick. It is now expected that the children from Kansaeng Leu Village studying at secondary school in the coming years will rise significantly.

Even though Village Focus has provided 1,164 latrines, 46 wells, and 2 ponds in Siem Reap province, it is clear that many more families are in a dire need of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.

Village Focus operates Slum Schools, Community Leadership Programs, and Health and Clean Water Projects that touch lives and are making a difference. Please support them and us further in supporting many projects in and around Siem Reap by sponsoring the young adults. You can click here for the dedicated JustGiving page.

Here are our last minute prep notes…

  • The road is in good shape, but do be on the lookout for potholes and buckling road (smooth but abrupt changes in the asphalt). The course should be fine for those on road bikes, but there is a stretch of about 5 meters that is rocky… and rough (a volunteer will be standing in front of this to tell you to slow down and be careful; road bikers may even opt to walk it).
  • Be careful when you ride and with everything you do while in Cambodia, since our medical facilities are still very basic.
  • There will be 3 water and snack (bananas and bread) stations along the route; 1 at approximately each 10K interval. The 30K route is 1 lap, 55K is 2 laps, and 80K is 3 laps (laps are 25K each, plus a 5K stretch to reach the start of the 1st lap).

We wish everyone good luck with the last-minute preparations and look forward to seeing as many as possible outside of Angkor Wat at sunrise!

HOPE is a UK-based charity with the mission to give the children of Cambodia a childhood and the young adults of Cambodia a better future, through play, education and development, in order to harness opportunity and positive change. This post was also published on HOPE’s website

Latest posts by Jo Hansen (see all)

You might also like these articles

  • The Angkor Bike Challenge 2009The Angkor Bike Challenge 2009 Bleep bleep bleep the alarm goes at 4am on Saturday the 5th December 2009!! Noting the darkness, I grumble at the bleeping that has awakened me. Slowly I remembered why I had set the […]
  • How do you train for a 3 day ride from London to Paris?How do you train for a 3 day ride from London to Paris? Our good friend and Jo's fellow trustee at HOPE, Tanya, likes to travel, get on her bike take on new challenges. She's done various fundraisers and here she shares some of her personal […]
  • Dragon Boat Racing 2016 at Bewl WaterDragon Boat Racing 2016 at Bewl Water For the third consecutive year, Mekong Experiences and HOPE will join the annual Dragon Boat Racing at Bewl Water. Previous years have provided some amazing displays of paddle power, fun […]
0