Riding for New Hope

Hi Everyone,

On November 20, this year, I plan to ride my single-speed bike the approximate 800 km route (not including detours, day trips & getting lost) from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to raise money for ‘New Hope Cambodia’, a grass roots, hands-on Non Government Organisation (NGO) based in one of Siem Reap’s poorest villages.

This will be my third visit to Cambodia in as many years but my first attempt at a ride like this, and I’m a little nervous. The roads are crazy.  I have previously volunteered at New Hope Cambodia and know first-hand how valuable the work they do is to these impoverished people.

Common issues affecting people in the village where New Hope Cambodia is based include acute malnutrition, diseases like HIV, hepatitis, typhoid, tuberculosis and dengue fever, human rights, sex workers and child trafficking, low education and literacy and severe unemployment, amongst many other problems. I heard some horror stories when I was there last year, but these issues rarely make any headlines.

In spite of their hardships, these people are remarkably resilient and are doing their best to survive and provide for their families after enduring an unimaginable past, but they can’t do it alone. That’s where New Hope Cambodia has stepped in to provide support and opportunities to break the cycle of poverty.

Through the New Hope Cambodia School and Medical/Community Centre, numerous services are provided including education and training programs, plus formal Khmer schooling and support for independent businesses.

They also provide free health care, crisis counselling and support for victims of domestic violence, shelter accommodation for orphans and abused women and children, milk formula for babies, food parcels through sponsorship, infrastructure development, water pump installation and repairs to housing, supply of mosquito nets, mats, et cetera. All services provided are free.

Every cent you donate will go directly where it is needed most to help the families and individuals in this community. The process to make a difference is on-going and is dependent on donations and volunteer support, but the result are clearly evident in the smiles and enthusiasm of the children and the appreciation of the parents, who now have hope their children will have a life better than their own. The staff at New Hope Cambodia are inspirational and continue to do amazing work in difficult circumstances.

I greatly appreciate any donation you can make. It means so much to me. All donations are tax deductible (see info below).  I will let you know how the money raised will be used.

Thank you,

Chris Buttling