Cambodia 2005

Update July 2005

Update October 2005
This column from Maurice Leohardt who accompanied Fr Jorge Anzorena to Phnom Penh and provincial towns.

This community of over 100 families living along the reailway track now have secure tenure after UPDF loans for a new walkway and housing adjustments enabled them to move back the required distance from the tracks. ACHR Update July 2005

Visal from the UPDF explains to Fr Jorge Anzorena how government officials embraced this project and others after the government policy chnage from relocating to on site upgrading

After a fire in this community and a loan from UPDF for a new walkway and housing improvements, government accepted the right to re-build and improve. Previously this prime site along the river would have meant removal.

Only 60 kilomters from Phnom Penh the smaller towns are now embracing the savings model and comprehensive upgrading with help from UPDF

Before

Many communities in the smaller cities have opted for drainage improvements as their first priority

After

Many community decisions are made at meeting like this in the local temple.

Fr Jorge Anzorena addresses the meeting in Svey Prey

Savings group who voluntarily relocated to land nearby their original homes to allow for road expansion

The urban poor development process in Cambodia has gone through an important transformation. There have been some interesting developments recently and we're very hopeful that we can move beyond the significantly increased scale of development we have achieved over the past year or so.

Below is a brief update from Somsook Boonyabancha written after her most recent monthly trip to Cambodia to represent ACHR on the Board of the Urban Poor Development Fund - UPDF

Upgrading 100 slums in 1 Year

Since the announcement of this policy by Prime Minister Hun Sen at the anniversary of UPDF in 2003, the political space for improving urban poor communities in the city has opened up substantially. Several organizations, UN Habitat, NGOs, etc., have embraced the policy to plan support programs and raise funds for upgrading activities. The UPDF also received grant support from MISEREOR for both upgrading activities and housing loans.
So, although UPDF has approved a quite significant number of upgrading projects, in reality, there have been many upgrading projects supported by other organizations: some of them, in close collaboration with UPDF, some are additions to upgrading elements in the same communities of UPDF, some in communities independent from the UPDF. The upgrading process has been able to trigger off many effects / impacts amid the serious tensions related to urban land problems for slum dwellers in general. Today if we combine all upgrading processes together we are confident the number would total beyond 100 communities.

For UPDF, the total number of upgrading projects approved up until 09/07/05 is 66 communities, covering about 6,000 families, in 5 cities (Phnom Penh and 4 other cities: Poipet, Prey Veng, Siemriep,Oddar Meanchey) This includes 7 districts and about 30 wards in Phnom Penh.
UPDF has undertaken 59 up-grading projects in Phnom Penh and 7 pilot projects in regional cities.

The title of "Comprehensive Upgrading" implies a far more holistic approach to slum upgrading that goes beyond infrastructure, roads, toilets or environmental improvement activities. It also involves loans for housing construction and improvement as well as income generation activities. More importantly, the upgrading has led to the improvement of land tenure status in several squatter communities. Data showing this improvement on land tenure status as a result of upgrading will be available soon.

.

2. Emphasis on local partnership

The implementing process now emphasizes partnership among communities and Sankat (ward) administration - working together and replacing the stronger emphasis on the SUPF ( Federation) process as in the past. The new partnership process operates at the lowest level of local authority and this has brought a new balance into the people's process with the acceptance and strong support from ward officers. The upgrading activities, at this point in their development, has helped improve relationships between poor and local authority: a new balance has emerged. The upgrading procedure requires an overall survey of communities in the ward and discussion, selection of projects, implementation together among communities and the Sangkat unit, while the funds for the community upgrading pass directly to community organization.

Some SUPF (Federation) leaders, on the other hand, are now working more closely with the UN Habitat program, becoming intermediaries and development agents between UN and communities.

3. Regional Cities

The UPDF work has now expanded to 14 cities with additional support from SELAVIP.

In June, 7 pilot projects in 4 cities were approved and are now being implemented.

In early July, representatives from local governments, sangkat and communities in 10 more cities visited upgrading projects in Phnom Penh and also observed meetings to approve projects at Municipality of Phnom Penh.

Several cities had already started community savings and credit activities during the past two years and were now ready to launch community upgrading.

More projects and cities will be implementing community upgrading during the next 6 months.

4. Upgrading
                       of land,
                       of housing,
                       of recognition
                       of organizing

Although community upgrading brings visible change physically, the real objectives go far beyond mere physical change. Since this upgrading is implemented and managed by community people themselves, it has brought many other changes to urban poor communities who have never before participated in any kind of urban planning or city development.

• It links community people to work and manage their development together

• Physical achievement after upgrading brings confidence and pride to urban poor community because they see that they can deliver appropriate, good quality, inexpensive, efficient, communal development which functions immediately.

• It confers to poor people a sense of power to be able to manage their public development. A sense that in fact they can do and can control their lives as a group.

• Self management open room for new leadership

• Proper physical upgrading always leads to the question of land rights, quite a number of communities have developed tenure rights after upgrading

• Upgrading bring recognition to communities

• Upgrading creates space for communities to work with local authority while communities control the development budget and management within the community

• It helps CHANGE relationships with the local authority

• It brought with it friendships, assistance, and solidarity with many other communities in the same ward and city since the process emphasizes linking into networks

• Upgrading becomes a communal and collaborative achievement rather than a single community achievement. Many exchange visit, meetings, networking processes ensure projects become an open cases of communal learning and sharing of success.

Cambodia Updates 2004

5 Years of the Urban Poor Development Fund - 2003 Special Series

The Bloc Tanpa Fire and Relocation

The Bassac Fires and Relocation

Diary of a Re location

PM Hun Sen Meets SUPF

The Urban Poor Development Fund in Cambodia: 1998 -2000 Series

Tribute to Thai - a remarkable Young Professional

Fr Jorge Anzorena in Phnom Penh

Cape Town Communities exchange visit

Update July 2005	Update October 2005 This column from Maurice Leohardt who accompanied Fr Jorge Anzorena to Phnom Penh and provincial towns. This community of over 100 families living along the reailway track now have secure tenure after UPDF loans for a new walkway and housing adjustments enabled them to move back the required distance from the tracks. ACHR Update July 2005 Visal from the UPDF explains to Fr Jorge Anzorena how government officials embraced this project and others after the government policy chnage from relocating to on site upgrading After a fire in this community and a loan from UPDF for a new walkway and housing improvements, government accepted the right to re-build and improve. Previously this prime site along the river would have meant removal. Only 60 kilomters from Phnom Penh the smaller towns are now embracing the savings model and comprehensive upgrading with help from UPDF Before Many communities in the smaller cities have opted for drainage improvements as their first priority After Many community decisions are made at meeting like this in the local temple. Fr Jorge Anzorena addresses the meeting in Svey Prey Savings group who voluntarily relocated to land nearby their original homes to allow for road expansion
The urban poor development process in Cambodia has gone through an important transformation. There have been some interesting developments recently and we're very hopeful that we can move beyond the significantly increased scale of development we have achieved over the past year or so. Below is a brief update from Somsook Boonyabancha written after her most recent monthly trip to Cambodia to represent ACHR on the Board of the Urban Poor Development Fund - UPDF
Upgrading 100 slums in 1 Year
Since the announcement of this policy by Prime Minister Hun Sen at the anniversary of UPDF in 2003, the political space for improving urban poor communities in the city has opened up substantially. Several organizations, UN Habitat, NGOs, etc., have embraced the policy to plan support programs and raise funds for upgrading activities. The UPDF also received grant support from MISEREOR for both upgrading activities and housing loans. So, although UPDF has approved a quite significant number of upgrading projects, in reality, there have been many upgrading projects supported by other organizations: some of them, in close collaboration with UPDF, some are additions to upgrading elements in the same communities of UPDF, some in communities independent from the UPDF. The upgrading process has been able to trigger off many effects / impacts amid the serious tensions related to urban land problems for slum dwellers in general. Today if we combine all upgrading processes together we are confident the number would total beyond 100 communities.
For UPDF, the total number of upgrading projects approved up until 09/07/05 is 66 communities, covering about 6,000 families, in 5 cities (Phnom Penh and 4 other cities: Poipet, Prey Veng, Siemriep,Oddar Meanchey) This includes 7 districts and about 30 wards in Phnom Penh. UPDF has undertaken 59 up-grading projects in Phnom Penh and 7 pilot projects in regional cities.

The title of "Comprehensive Upgrading" implies a far more holistic approach to slum upgrading that goes beyond infrastructure, roads, toilets or environmental improvement activities. It also involves loans for housing construction and improvement as well as income generation activities. More importantly, the upgrading has led to the improvement of land tenure status in several squatter communities. Data showing this improvement on land tenure status as a result of upgrading will be available soon. .
2. Emphasis on local partnership
The implementing process now emphasizes partnership among communities and Sankat (ward) administration - working together and replacing the stronger emphasis on the SUPF ( Federation) process as in the past. The new partnership process operates at the lowest level of local authority and this has brought a new balance into the people's process with the acceptance and strong support from ward officers. The upgrading activities, at this point in their development, has helped improve relationships between poor and local authority: a new balance has emerged. The upgrading procedure requires an overall survey of communities in the ward and discussion, selection of projects, implementation together among communities and the Sangkat unit, while the funds for the community upgrading pass directly to community organization. Some SUPF (Federation) leaders, on the other hand, are now working more closely with the UN Habitat program, becoming intermediaries and development agents between UN and communities.
3. Regional Cities
The UPDF work has now expanded to 14 cities with additional support from SELAVIP. In June, 7 pilot projects in 4 cities were approved and are now being implemented. In early July, representatives from local governments, sangkat and communities in 10 more cities visited upgrading projects in Phnom Penh and also observed meetings to approve projects at Municipality of Phnom Penh. Several cities had already started community savings and credit activities during the past two years and were now ready to launch community upgrading. More projects and cities will be implementing community upgrading during the next 6 months.
4. Upgrading of land, of housing, of recognition of organizing
Although community upgrading brings visible change physically, the real objectives go far beyond mere physical change. Since this upgrading is implemented and managed by community people themselves, it has brought many other changes to urban poor communities who have never before participated in any kind of urban planning or city development.
• It links community people to work and manage their development together • Physical achievement after upgrading brings confidence and pride to urban poor community because they see that they can deliver appropriate, good quality, inexpensive, efficient, communal development which functions immediately. • It confers to poor people a sense of power to be able to manage their public development. A sense that in fact they can do and can control their lives as a group. • Self management open room for new leadership • Proper physical upgrading always leads to the question of land rights, quite a number of communities have developed tenure rights after upgrading • Upgrading bring recognition to communities • Upgrading creates space for communities to work with local authority while communities control the development budget and management within the community • It helps CHANGE relationships with the local authority • It brought with it friendships, assistance, and solidarity with many other communities in the same ward and city since the process emphasizes linking into networks • Upgrading becomes a communal and collaborative achievement rather than a single community achievement. Many exchange visit, meetings, networking processes ensure projects become an open cases of communal learning and sharing of success.

Cambodia Updates 2004 5 Years of the Urban Poor Development Fund - 2003 Special Series The Bloc Tanpa Fire and Relocation The Bassac Fires and Relocation Diary of a Re location PM Hun Sen Meets SUPF The Urban Poor Development Fund in Cambodia: 1998 -2000 Series Tribute to Thai - a remarkable Young Professional Fr Jorge Anzorena in Phnom Penh Cape Town Communities exchange visit