[Cooperative] 🚖 From Cambodia’s Rickshaw Business to Tuk-Tuk Trucks: Good Link Association Builds a New Model for Self-Reliance through Donations

📌 How did the rickshaw business begin?

Dangkor District in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is home to many young people who have moved into the city, yet stable employment opportunities remain limited. To provide quality and reliable jobs for low-income urban residents and young people, the rickshaw transport cooperative project was launched in 2019.

From 2022 to 2024, the initiative was expanded through the KOICA Civil Society Partnership Program, with a total of 233 young people and local residents joining as cooperative members.

• Members received low-interest financing at an annual rate of 5% to purchase rickshaws and motorcycles.

• They strengthened their professional skills through training in safe driving, vehicle maintenance, finance, and gender awareness.

• They also received support in obtaining driver’s licenses and insurance, enabling them to register reliably with transport platforms such as Grab, Pass, and TADA.

As a result, by the end of 2024, active cooperative members were generating an average monthly revenue of USD 485, while the cooperative’s total annual revenue exceeded USD 23,000. Most importantly, customers responded positively, saying that “Good Link drivers are friendly and provide excellent service,” helping the cooperative establish itself as a provider of high-quality transportation services.

🚛 One Tuk-Tuk Truck, the Beginning of Another Change

To build on these achievements, the first Good Link tuk-tuk truck was introduced in the summer of 2024 with a donation from the Daegu Taxi Cooperative.

The truck was immediately leased out and has generated approximately USD 1,400 in revenue to date, providing a new source of support for the association’s operations.

👉 What makes this initiative particularly meaningful is that the vehicle is more than just an asset. It has created a virtuous cycle in which donations become assets, assets generate income, and income supports greater self-reliance.

🚀 A Second Truck, Taking Self-Reliance Further

This August, an additional donation from the Daegu Taxi Cooperative will fund the purchase of a second tuk-tuk truck.

This vehicle will be leased at a higher monthly rate of USD 130, with approximately USD 700 in annual net income expected. A prospective renter has already been secured, providing a strong foundation for stable operations.

Looking ahead, Good Link is also exploring opportunities to expand beyond simple vehicle leasing into new revenue-generating models, including delivery services.

🌱 The rental business goes beyond generating income. It is also producing meaningful outcomes by strengthening the Good Link Association’s brand and demonstrating its potential for expansion.

• Strengthening the Association’s Brand

  →  It builds a positive image that shows how donations can be transformed into productive assets that enable the association to sustain its own operations.

• Creating a Stable Revenue Model

  → It demonstrates that the cooperative can generate income through a wider range of business activities beyond rickshaw transportation.

• Building Business Management Experience

  → Experience in vehicle management, rental agreements, and revenue distribution is laying the groundwork for future service diversification into areas such as delivery and logistics.

  
  

Ultimately, a single tuk-tuk truck represents an experiment in moving beyond dependence on donations and building the association’s own long-term sustainability, as well as a stepping stone toward greater challenges ahead.

🌍 Sustainable Opportunities Created Through Giving

Donation → Asset → Income → Association Operations & Community Reinvestment

Through these small but meaningful steps, the Good Link Association continues to strengthen both young people’s economic self-reliance and the association’s long-term sustainability.

“So that one person’s donation can become a sustainable opportunity for someone else, the Good Link Association keeps moving forward every day.”

📢 In our next newsletter, we will share stories from the field about the second tuk-tuk truck and introduce other revenue-generating businesses operated by the Good Link Transport Association.

Stay with us as Good Link continues its journey toward greater self-reliance.