A group of 10 foreigners are riding Honda 67 bikes from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, following the former Ho Chi Minh Trail, to raise funds for improvements in healthcare for childbearing women and premature babies in the central region.

The trip, named the Great Honda 67 Ride Vietnam , was initiated by David Seton, who is the Executive Chairman of Besra Group, which is running to mining company in central Quang Nam province, and his brothers.

Seton’s family has been in Vietnam for 25 years in the mining industry and he thought of giving something back to the country.

Accordingly, Seton and his brothers bought the old Honda 67 bikes from Ho Chi Minh City , Hanoi , and Da Nang and then rebuilt them to fit the ride.

Three of Seton’s brothers and his daughter rode bikes on the trip while other riders are employees in the Besra Group, including those who are not working in Vietnam .

James Hamilton, 60, who is in charge of investor relations in Besra Canada , came to Vietnam for the trip. He said he was in the country several times for riding across the country to view nature and talk to people, as well as to do something for charity.

Started in Hanoi on April 10, the group paid visits to several sites at localities along the current Ho Chi Minh Highway , part of the former Ho Chi Minh Trail.

On the seventh day of their trip, they lit incense at a national cemetery in Quang Tri province, showing respect to Vietnamese national heroes who died during the anti-American War.

They also had time to witness local disabled people competing in a sports event.

The riders’ future destinations are Hue and two districts in Quang Nam province, where the Besra Group has mining sites. The riders hope to get to HCM City on May 1 after passing by other localities on their route.

By the seventh day of the Great Honda 67 Ride Vietnam , donations reached 200,000 USD. Donations can be made on www.honda67ride.com .

All donations will be transferred to the East meets West Foundation, which runs a neonatal healthcare programme across the country for maternity and newborn healthcare clinics in the centre.

The foundation’s Regional Development and Communications manager, Van Ly, said the donations would be used for training medical workers in obstetric care, amongst other things.-VNA