Smiles and Hope
On May 21, 2026, students living on remote islands in Borei O’Svay Sen Chey district traveled aboard the community boats operated by the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) to attend school at Borei O’Svay Sen Chey district. As they crossed the Mekong River, their faces showed joy and excitement, filled with bright, hopeful smiles that reflected their eagerness to pursue education.
This free-of-charge community boat service organized by DC-Cam has become a true “bridge to dreams” and an essential daily means of transportation for students living in isolated island communities. Each day, the community boat carries students across the river, helping them access education and build brighter futures. Before sunrise and in the evening, Pich Vai carefully prepares and cleans the boat, ensuring it is ready to safely transport students to and from school. During the journey, while Pich Vai navigates the boat with great care, students chat, laugh, and share stories, their hopeful expressions reflecting optimism for the better future. Beyond providing safe and timely transportation to school, the community boat service also plays an important role in reducing school dropout rates and easing the financial burden on parents.
Moreover, the community boat provides access to Khmer Rouge survivors and residents of remote islands in Borei O’Svay Sen Chey district to travel across the Mekong to get their medical care at the “Preah Norodom Sihanouk Reacha and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk” O’Svay Health Center.
Through this initiative, the community boat represents more than transportation but it provides an opportunity, a hope, and a pathway toward education and well-being for isolated communities along the Mekong River.
May 21, 2026
Photo by Sreng Lyda
Documentation Center of Cambodia Archives
https://photos.app.goo.gl/21DQMCQyvQR1fswm9