SIDE BY SIDE

ABOUT THE EVENT

Breaking the cycle of poverty starts now - with members from our global collective, teaming up 'Side by Side' with our youths.

Creating lasting change does not happen over night and is no small feat.

Through this meaningful shared experience, we aim to provide a platform for our supporters to get involved and provide REACH's committed at-risk youths with the empowering opportunity to support their own community, as they continue on their journey towards a better life.

When deciding how to get involved with the event, there are several ways to raise funds and support the challenge. You can run/walk/cycle or swim your way through the 200km over 2 weeks from your home country, you can sponsor a youth for their bike ride and cheer them on from a far, or you can do both, by sponsoring a youth and completing the challenge too!

SPONSOR

$260AUD to sponsor a youth & change their lives

CHOOSE YOUR DATES

200kms in 2 weeks
1st - 14th January 2024

200kms in 2 days
13th - 14th January 2024

FUNDRAISING GOAL

$500AUD per person + $500AUD per team mate

We are currently seeking sponsors for our youth to participate in our next Side By Side ride. If you are interested in learning about other ways to get involved please email communications@reachsiemreap.org and we will be in touch!

WHY SPONSOR?

Sponsoring an at-risk Cambodian youth paves the way for precedented, long-lasting change through what can only be considered as a life-changing adventure.

In a society marked by large social disparities, and financial instability, families often find themselves with little to no means of income. As a means of trying to ease this pressure, children will drop out of school to expunge the costs of education and join their guardians in trying to support the household. Many, dropping out of middle school and high school with no qualifications, find themselves in exploitative child labour or end up becoming the caretaker of the home.

REACH Siem Reap has dedicated itself to undertaking a mission of poverty alleviation to help curb these scenarios and offer our families a new path of change.

Through our REACH Riders Club program, our youths are able to pedal through their day-to-day challenges. With this extra-curricular activity, our students get the chance to engage in regular physical activity as well as enjoy time spent with their peers, exploring the outside world, while learning invaluable life-lessons about leadership and teamwork.

One of our goals is to give these children back their childhood experience, providing them with a platform for personal development, building on their well-deserved sense of self-worth and creating an environment for them to have fun, whilst driving change.

This is where the Side by Side Ride comes in.

Our annual Side by Side event sees disadvantaged youths aged 12+ from our REACH Riders Club undertake the challenge of cycling 200kms in 2 days in support of our NGO.

As an international sponsor, you can choose to cheer your youth on from the side-lines or can opt to complete the 200km challenge over 2 weeks, "Side by Side" with your youth from your home country! Each year, we have the privilege of see our youths ride through the REACH Finish Line in an emotionally lifting end to a life-changing 2 day adventure.

The Finish Line marks an accomplishment not only for themselves, but for their families and for their community. Each youth gains an understanding of the impact they have in their own lives, and within society. They graduate from REACH Riders to REACH ambassadors - championing changing within their community that will last years.

When you sponsor a REACH Youth - you take part in this journey and this mission of creating long-lasting impact within our community. As a youth sponsor, not only will you be empowering a resilient at-risk teenager, through your heartfelt fundraising efforts, you will also be helping them to drive change and transform into responsible citizens.

Click here to read a case study of our youths inspirational challenge back in 2021.

MEDIA GALLERY

Over the last 3 years more than 90 students from the REACH community have grown immensely through their involvement in our Side by Side rides in Cambodia.

There's no better way to understand the event, than by seeing the journey for yourself. Check out our past event media below.

Phnom Penh Post 2021

Phnom Penh Post 2022