Environmental improvement grants
UPDF’s environment-improvement grants were another pitch to boost the federation process. First each khan unit carried out a survey of environmental problems in settlements in their district, then helped the communities work up simple project plans for constructing toilets, pumps, wells, sewers, walkways, water supply, up to a ceiling of $700 per project. When all seven districts presented their projects in the meeting, it added up to tens of thousands of dollars! So as with the income generation loans, the UPDF imposed a ceiling of $10,000 for the whole city. This forced the districts to go back, adjust their plans, economize, negotiate with other districts and work together as a whole city federation to prioritize the projects into three categories: “most urgent”, “less urgent” and “can do later.” This was big learning for everybody.
Work began with the “most urgent” projects first, the money was released. The people did all the work themselves, contributing their own labor, materials and cash. Within six weeks, the first 22 projects were completed. These communities had demonstrated that people can improve their own communities better, cheaper, faster and more appropriately than the formal system when they are given the opportunity to manage the process themselves. The hands-on experience from this first round of environmental improvement projects gave people the confidence to seek other sources of funding to support their next round of projects. So with a stack of the “less urgent” project proposals, they marched over to the UNCHS project, which was specifically set up to support community-driven infrastructure improvement, and after several meetings persuaded them to grant $40,000 for the next set of projects
Grants for Environmental improvements to drainage problems like this one at Kok Klian 1 can drastically reduce family medical bills.
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Total grants disbursed
Riels 46 million
US$ 11,975
Total beneficiaries phase 1 1,560 households in 20 communities
Average project cost :
Riels 2.3 million
US$ 600
Types of projects
toilets, water pumps, sewers, wells, storm drains, walkways, water supply systems.
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5. Environmental
Improvement Grants
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6. A City Development
Strategy - CDS
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7. Upgrading Communities
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