MAG Charity Bike Ride – Vietnam to Cambodia 2011

Next year in January I will be cycling the 440km from Saigon in Vietnam to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

The ride takes a total of 5 days and will be raising money for MAG, the Mines Advisory Group. MAG is a charity that spends it’s time clearing unexploded mines, bombs and other explosives from current and former war zones. They have projects in many countries around the world and I’ve seen their work first hand in Laos when I was there a few years back. Whilst their work directly saves the lives of people who may accidentally trigger these dormant explosives, it also helps to hand back land to local communities so that it is safe enough for them to use again. They also educate the local populations about the dangers of these devices and provide employment for many people in these countries. You can read more about them here.

I have photos from my visit to Phonsavan, they help to give an impression of the scale of the problem. The explosives surrounded by sand bags in the scrap yard are yet to be made safe and could still kill.

More details about the bike challange are available here.

If you wish to sponsor me you can do so at my Just Giving page. If you’re a UK tax payer don’t forget to tick the gift aid box and the government will increase your donation by over 25%.