The Habitat Name Pedals across Cambodia

May 26, 2004

PHNOM PENH, 26 May 2004: Habitat for Humanity’s new program in Cambodia enjoyed an unusual publicity push in the recent inaugural “Great Cyclo Rally of Cambodia”.

The Habitat name and message – albeit in French, the second language of the kingdom – was featured on a four-day team fund-raising cyclo ride.

The “Great Cyclo Rally of Cambodia” was organized to support the Cyclo Center, a group that helps the drivers and families of Cambodia’s ubiquitous pedaled-powered taxis. Ten teams, each featuring more than 20 riders, rode in one-hour shifts from Siam Reap, the site of the world-famous ruins of Angkor Wat, to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

At the request of Country Developer Enrica Aquino, volunteer British architect and cyclist-participant Hallam Goad persuaded the teams taking part to decorate their cyclos and T-shirts during the last leg into Phnom Penh with stickers reading Habitat pour l’Humanité – Habitat construit des maisons et des vies (“Habitat for Humanity – Habitat builds houses and lives”).

“It was a great way of getting our name out, both among local people living along the route and those who read about the event and saw photos in the media of the cyclos with the Habitat name,” she said.

The “Great Cyclo Rally of Cambodia” was organized to raise funds for the Cyclo center. In addition, the event formed part of the World Health Organization’s smoke-free program.

The event is scheduled to be held again in late 2005.

Habitat for Humanity Cambodia was registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on January 2003. It is already active in Cambodia with the launch of “Save And Build” programs and partnerships with other non-government organizations.