KAMPONG CHAM Province, Cambodia - November 11, 2017

Helmets for Families, sponsored by Manulife Cambodia, celebrated its sixth anniversary by expanding its road safety education to Veal Vong Primary School in Kampong Cham Province. This year, over 1,000 high-quality helmets were donated to the community, as well as an education program on road safety awareness to students. Veal Vong Primary School was selected because of its location in a high-risk and traffic dense area in a province where 80% of children travel as motorcycle passengers and bicycle riders. In 2016 alone, 86 people were killed in road crashes in Kampong Cham Province, accounting for 5% of the nationwide total. Five students and four teachers from Veal Vong Primary School were also injured in road crashes in 2016. Helmets for Families will provide quality helmets and road safety training for those in the community that are most vulnerable.

More than 1,000 students, parents, teachers, government officials, media, and community members attended the event. Notable representatives included H.E. Kouch Chamroeurn, Governor of Kampong Cham Province; H.E. Min Meanvy, Secretary of State of Public Works and Transport; Mr. Robert Elliott, CEO and General Manager of Manulife Cambodia; and Mr. Pagna Kim, Cambodia Country Director of AIP Foundation.

The Helmets for Families program has provided nearly 5,000 helmets and 18 road safety training seminars to more than 600 people since the partnership with Manulife Cambodia launched in 2012.