We would like to express our sincere thanks to Dan Austin, the Co-founder and Executive Director, and the entire team of 88bikes. The 88bikes is a great partner of AFESIP Cambodia since 2012 and this is a 4thyear long that AFESIP Cambodia has been partnering with 88bikes.Every year, 88bikes endows a bike to each of the young women and girls we work with within the 3 shelters and those reintegrated into community at large across Cambodia. Each bike donation is a mean of supporting transportation for the girl to go to school and or business operation of the reintegrated young women and girls.
Besides bike endowments, 88bikes has been supporting the 2ndsession of 5-day seamless workshop in Siem Reap shelter of AFESIP Cambodia from February 4-8, 2015. The 1st seamless workshop was conducted in Tom Dy shelter in March 2013 for 38 young women, who were in-sheltered and reintegrated young women. This is the 2ndSeamless Possibilities Dressmaking Workshop which has been supported by88bikes for 29 in-sheltered and reintegrated young women of AFESIP Cambodia anda few young women from our partner Banteay Srei organization.
The activities of the workshop are to design, sew and model beautiful gowns for themselves. These young women show their excitement and eagerness to be involved in the workshop. Many of them have expressed their interest incommon that they would benefit from that workshop to some extent in term of their existing sewing training and businesses. “I am committed to doing my best to make a piece of dress at the end of the workshop; I will use what I learn to improve my sewing business,” one reintegrated young woman said. Regarding the sponsor and organizer, 88bikes Executive Director Dan Austin emphasized “We’re so excited to curate this program again in Cambodia. The impact on these heroic young women is huge and we hope they have a great time making dresses for themselves.” Katharine Andrews, workshop instructor, said “I am very impressed with the skills, natural ability and creativity that these young women are showing in pursuit of their art.”
