A day spent between mountains, supplies, water worlds, and a first step toward helping others

The seventh day of the Fundriding tour begins early in the morning in Ou Saom. After a peaceful night in the heart of the Cardamom Mountains and a simple breakfast, it's time to get on the scooters. The group has around 150 kilometers ahead of them – a stage that is scenically impressive and, in terms of content, bridges the gap between getting to know the tourist attractions and the first aid projects.

From the mountains to the plains – the descent begins

The route first leads down from the green hills into the wide plains of Pursat Province. The air becomes warmer and the landscape more open. Rice fields, palm groves, small villages, and scattered woodworking shops characterize the landscape. It is a journey that is both calming and grounding.

Stopover in Veal Veng – a place undergoing change

About halfway there, the group reaches Veal Veng. For a long time, this place was considered the "end of civilization" —remote, difficult to reach, and hardly developed.

Today, Veal Veng is a normal transit point along the new, modern road between Sihanoukville and Pursat. Nevertheless, you can still feel how far away you are from the urban center here.

In Veal Veng, the Fundrider team visits a health care center that was supported by the Kleine Hilfsaktion charity. In recent years, the organization has modernized almost 200 such centers nationwide, focusing on:

• water supply

• sanitary infrastructure

• hygiene

• waste management

This work greatly improves healthcare in rural areas and benefits thousands of people —reliably, long-term, and independently of large cities.

The visit shows once again what sustainable, structural support can look like.

Onward to Pursat – and straight to the water

After the visit, there is no time for a long break. The group quickly continues its journey and reaches Pursat in the early afternoon – but only for a short stopover. From here, it continues directly to the floating villages near Kandieng, which are located on the Tonle Sap.

Floating Villages – Aid instead of pure tourism

To ensure that the visit does not feel like a purely tourist excursion, our guide Phalla has identified a few families in advance who could really use our support. This makes the visit a first small step toward what will shape the coming week: concrete, human assistance.

The group first encounters an elderly woman living alone, whose only means of transportation is her small boat. Without a motor, however, it is difficult for her to get around on a daily basis—to work, to visit neighbors, to go to the market. The Fundriders finance a new outboard motor, which gives her back her mobility and independence.

The group then meets a young man who lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident two years ago. Since then, he has been living in difficult circumstances—without income or prospects. Together with local partners, Kleine Hilfsaktion is now looking for him to find an apprenticeship as a boat engine mechanic —a chance to earn his own income, a future, and perhaps even new self-confidence.

These small, improvised aid projects are not spectacular, but deeply human.
They show that help often starts small—and has a big impact from there.

Boat trip into the sunset – a moment to pause and reflect

After the visits, the Fundriders board two small boats.
The sun is low, the water glistens, and the houses of the villages are reflected in it.
Children wave, fishermen haul in their nets, and engines chug across the water's surface.

The group drives slowly through the twilight. A moment that is peaceful, beautiful, and contemplative all at once.

Then it's back towards Pursat – the end of a day that, like no other before, shows what Fundriding is all about:
Riding, seeing, understanding, helping.