88Bikes Cambodia 2007

The Palm Tree Orphanage, Phnom Penh

88bikes Cambodia, in partnership with Friends of Cambodian Children

Thanks to some amazing generosity, well over 88 kids at the Palm Tree Orphanage were given bikes, locks, helmets, and shoes from 88Bikes in January 2007. These bikes have made a huge difference to the kids, bringing joy to their lives, a sense of freedom and possibilities, and, of course, a useful form of transportation in Cambodia, where bikes are quite popular as a way of getting around.

Thanks! Dan, Jared, and Nick

THE GOAL

88 bikes for kids at the Palm Tree Center, an orphanage, learning center, clinic and university in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

THE KIDS

88 children ranging in age from 5-17, many of them orphaned by disease, drugs, or violence, or rescued from living on the streets of Phnom Penh.

UPKEEP & SAFETY

Every bike donation was matched with a helmet, generously sponsored by the Prince Family in Connecticut, to keep the kids safe; shoes have been donated by Keen Footwear for all the kids; and bike locks for every bike were sponsored by Grace Community Church in Connecticut to keep the bikes secure. Several of the children apprentice at Phnom Penh bike shops and are becoming on-site mechanics, teaching the other kids how to fix their bikes. In August, 2009, 88bikes Director of Social Enterprise Pauline Nee returned to Cambodia, repaired bikes, bought supplies and arranged for bike repair apprenticeships for three orphans. In January, 2010, Founders Dan Austin and Jared Austin returned to Cambodia and led 35 of these kids on a 55 kilometer bike ride to the sea!

The Original "88"