Hi All,
I recently visited Phnom Penh and Kampot between 7th and 15th Sept, 2024 as a tourist. I've been to Cambodia twice earlier in last 7 years as I love the place and find the people so humble.

This request may be out of the ordinary, but I felt this forum would be the most legit to help find any support via any NGO you guys may know of, for a random kid and her mother, whom I spotted in Phnom Penh.

Explained in a little detail with possible location:
On 13th Sept evening, we were travelling back from a cafe, 11:11 cafe in TTP to Chaiya Palace Hotel in Phnom Pench via Grab Tuktuk (receipt and route attached for reference). On the way, we had to stop at a traffic signal.
A little girl approached us begging and we (me and my wife) quickly pulled out a 1000 riel note and handed to the kid. The kid politely bowed and thanked us. As our tuktuk started moving, we saw the girl headed towards her mother, who was sitting under a tree at the footpath, wearing a mask. It had also rained that day and made me wonder how they would spend their night there.


I do not know what hit me, but I was quite moved. I have seen poor people in India (where I come from) and I understand theres' a lot of poor people in Cambodia. But something in me kept growing that I wanted to help them. I wish I could go back on 14th to help them but I regret it now. I returned back on 15th Sept to India. And I am not sure when I would get to travel back to Cambodia next time.

Location:
I tried to trace my route and figured that there was a gas station at the signal and from there zeroed in on the location to be "Mao Tse Toung Blvd" which has a traffic signal. They were opp. road to the gas station. (Attached reference).


Ask:
If any one of you is connected or know any NGOs which can take the effort to find them and help them in any manner, I would thank them from the bottom of my heart.

I have never asked or done this thing and feeling a bit weird asking. But if this could help them find some hope, it would mean the world to me.

khmerhamster wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 2:47 pm It sounds callulous, but she is one of thousands.
An NGO is not going to go looking for one individual based on this sketchy vague info. Unless maybe you make a big donation and cover costs of her support...

It is also possible that the family do not want support. It may be short term lucrative for her to be begging at lights. But if they do want help, there are orgs like Friends International who can provide help - but the family news to want it.

A cynic may say it's convenient for you not to try to help while you were here, but try to impose your weight of guilt on someone else. But of course there are no cynics here...

Apologies if it came that way. Yes, there are millions if not thousands, atleast in my own country and I run a company which has a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility fund) which supports such initiatives here. Mentioning this since you asked. Need proof, you can check here - vervemobi . com/social-causes/

I saw many others in Cambodia and tipped them too. However, this struck me and felt if something more could be done! Your response seems demotivating, to the least.

I wanted to mention in my original draft if I could offer about USD 500-1000 if someone was able to spot or find them, and I would love to. But mentioning that would immediately sound scammy (like one of those pesky scam emails from Africa)! And hence, felt if there's already someone who know's an NGO, that would be the best possible way forward.

As I said, I regret I wasn't able to go back and help. If I get a chance to travel to Cambodia in the coming months, this is the first thing I would be doing. It may come as I may "impose my weight of guilt on someone" - all I am asking is if someone knows an NGO and the NGO would know what to do. Shooting down someone's genuine request with your own cynicysm is the last thing I expected in the "help" section of the forum. If you can't help, just dont speak!

Not going to engage further if this is the kind of response 'expats' have in this forum. Thought there were more learnet and helpful people here!