BANTEAY MEANCHEY PROVINCE, Cambodia— November 25, 2021

Manulife Cambodia has joined hands with the AIP Foundation to donate close to 900 helmets to students and teachers at O Ambel Primary School in Banteay Meanchey Province as part of this year’s Helmets for Families (HFF) program.

Since the reopening of all schools nationwide from November 1, this donation takes place at the right time as children will be protected when traveling to and from school with quality helmets and road safety training through this program implementation.

Despite the introduction of a universal helmet law in Cambodia in 2015, none of the students surveyed at O Ambel Primary School wore helmets, according to AIP foundation. Approximately 70% of students commute by motorcycle or bicycle at O Ambel Primary School. In addition, the majority of students at O Ambel are from low-income local families, making buying a helmet for their children mostly unaffordable for parents.

H.E Ly Sary, Deputy Governor of Banteay Meanchey remarked, “O Ambel is located in a high-risk area along National Road 5. The density of traffic, particularly during the commute to and from school, leave our students, teachers and parents extremely vulnerable to road crashes. This is evidenced by the fact that 15 students and five parents have been involved in serious road crashes near this school during the last few years.”

Mr. Justin Helferich, CEO and General Manager of Manulife Cambodia, said, “We are privileged to be part of a program that protects Cambodians and leads to safer communities. The evidence is clear using helmets saves lives and prevent serious injuries. A quality helmet reduces the risk of serious head injuries by 69% and death by 42%. Since 2012, schools participating in the Helmets for Families program have seen a significant increase in helmets usages. Last year, Onlong Vil primary school in Battambong Province increased their helmet use from 1% to 93% after implementation of the program and we hope to see a similar increase in O Ombel primary school. As schools around the country re-opened, we are honored to continue being a part of this program which is in line with our vison of building a better future for Cambodian families.”

The Helmets for Families program, which has operated in Cambodia since 2012, has provided almost 8,000 quality helmets to students, teachers and parents most in need. The program has delivered road safety education and skills to 6,128 students, 301 teachers and 10,847 parents across Cambodia. More than 170 children have been saved from serious head injury through the program.