TİKA Supports the Transportation of Students in Cambodia

In cooperation with the Cambodian Islamic Women Development Association (CIWODA), the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) distributed 300 bicycles to solve the transportation problem of the children who are in the educational stage.

The project, the first stage of which was completed in 2022, continued in 2023 and bicycles were distributed to the impoverished students in Kampong Chnang and Takeo provinces.

In Cambodia, there are certain issues that will have social consequences, such as low school attendance rate of the daughters of low-income families, children starting to school later than they should to help support their families financially, and child marriages. One of the reasons that cause these issues is known to be the “problem of transportation”. In Cambodia, which is in the “Least Developed Countries” category, young girls who do not have access to public transport, especially in rural areas are not sent to school by their families and forced to work as cheap labor at an early age instead.

Thanks to the project that was carried out by TİKA, access to education, a basic human right, is now possible for many students.

“I don’t have to walk to school anymore.”

Cambodian orphan Jin Tola, who is among the children who were given a bicycle, said that she is 15 years old and currently in 7^th grade. Jin, who lives in Kampong Chhnang, noted that her school is an hour away from her house and that she wakes up way too early every day to walk to school. Expressing how happy she is to be given a bicycle, Jin said: “I don’t have to walk to school anymore and it saves my time.”

7^th-grade student Seng Phearom, who lives in Phnom Kraing and studies at Krong Kompong Chhnang High School, also noted that she usually walks to school. Seng stated that sometimes her friends give her a ride on their bicycles and said: “I am so happy that I am given a bicycle. It enables me to come to school on time and arrive home earlier. So that I can help my family to sell quail eggs.”

Pih Davan, who lost her mother and father at a young age, stated that she is 16 years old and currently in 8^th grade. Stressing that she needs to wake up way early to go to school every day, Pih said: “I thank the people who donated us bicycles. It helps us to arrive at school on time and return to home earlier, and therefore saves our time. So that we can help our families with housework.”