This very successful programme aims to provide every household in a village with a bicycle in return for a member of that household doing 5 days (unpaid) labour on either repairing, or building a new road, within their village. 

A bicycle is an invaluable item of family equipment. It provides family members with much needed access to jobs, school, health care and economic opportunities.  Another valuable benefit of having a bike is the time saved walking from place to place, allowing people to spend their time more effectively.

Many of the people in the villages we work with use their bicycles to ride in to Siem Reap each day to work as labourers on construction sites. It takes them more than an hour to get to work.  Without a bicycle, they simply wouldn’t be able to get to Siem Reap.

By ensuring the villagers earn their bike in return for their labour we are ensuring they maintain their dignity and a sense of being able to help themselves.  In addition, they gain a feeling of ownership, not just of the bicycle, but also of the project in general.

The success and value of this approach was highlighted in the village of Doun Keo.  After completing 5 days work, which entitled them to a bike, the people were so pleased with the results of their efforts (a whole section of the village is no longer cut off in the wet season) that they decided to work on another road.  In total, they all completed 13 days of work and built four roads.  Our only input was the provision of concrete pipes, bricks, cement, etc, to enable them to build small bridges and causeways.  We were more than happy to provide them with these materials. 

 

This is Chut Jeit, she is 24 years old. Chut lives in Peam village with her husband and 3 children.  This is the first bicycle she has ever owned.  Chut and her husband work as labourers on construction sites in Siem Reap.  That is, they would work when they could find a ride on the back of someone else’s bicycle.  It takes an hour and a half to ride from Peam to Siem Reap.  Now that they have their own bicycle they won’t have to rely on others to get to work and will be able to work more regularly.

 

 

 

This family also lives in the village of Peam and have received a bicycle from Helping Hands.  The household consists of mum and dad, four children, 2 mother-in-laws and one father-in-law.  This family are so poor that they don’t have any land for growing rice.  They earn their money buy collecting palm leaf branches, which they sell to other villagers as fuel for cooking.  Having a bicycle means they can collect and sell larger quantities.

Both of the ladies in this photo required medical care, the mother had a problem with her eyes and her mother had a problem with her leg.  We organised medical help for both of them.