The 2024 Ride to Provide will go down in the history books for the kids at Baan Home Hug as we took some big strides in bridging the gap between the home and the community.
For far too long, the discrimination of the kids living at Home Hug has limited their access to proper healthcare and education. This year, Mae Thiew decided it was time to do something different and use the collective power of our group to bring about meaningful change.
This meant that Day 7 and 8 on our Northern Ride ended up looking a little different to what we have ridden before as Mae Thiew took charge and created a program that would unite the riders with the community of Yasothon. The program kicked off with lunch at a local school, fostering closer bonds with the school's principal, parents, and children. Mae Thiew's ultimate goal is to ensure that all our children can access local schools and receive an education so building these ties is a step in the right direction.
On Day 8, our morning commenced with a gathering with the head monk. Alongside the Yasothon Cycling Team, we lined up to pay our respects and offer a plaque to the governor, police, and the local community, symbolising safety and guidance for our children. The monk blessed the group, recognising the backing of our Australian and Kiwi riders, and then sent us on our way to proceed with our ride around Yasothon, demonstrating our love and support for the children of Home Hug.
The result.
Mae Thiew’s heart is full of hope.
Hope that she can now choose to take the children to local hospitals, rather than taking a 2-hour drive to Ubon each time one of the children falls sick.
Hope that her children can choose to walk the path to education, and no longer be discriminated against and refused access to schools.
As a group, we felt that hope on a deep level. We felt it through her hug, her smile, her tears, and her energy as she pedalled each km of this 800km ride and in particular the last two days.
The road that once stretched endless now feels like a stepping stone - a bridge paved with a mother’s fierce love. It is here that compassion builds bridges, not borders, and love paints a future where possibility knows no bounds.
In Yasothon, we hope to bring the walls down for our children so they receive acceptance and love from the community. Because every smile and every helping hand whispers the same message that “these children are ours, their dreams are our own.”
The gap doesn’t vanish, it transforms.
We are all so grateful to be part of this move to bring about greater acceptance and ultimately more choice for our children.
The work that we do here in Thailand, the commitment that our riders, donors and supporters make to support our children… it all matters.
Khop Khun Ka
