Sahmakum Teang Tnaut: a Cambodian Urban NGO
Vision
A society in which urban inhabitants enjoy adequate housing within a sustainably developing city.
Mission
To provide pro-poor technical assistance for housing and infrastructure and to inform dialogue and raise awareness about urban issues
Background
Phnom Penh based Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (‘STT’) was set up in September 2005 and officially registered with the Ministry of Interior in December 2006. ‘Teang Tnaut’ means ‘Sugar Palm Leaf’ in Khmer and is used for house construction, thatch roofs, sugar and packaging. This icon of the Cambodian landscape evokes a simplicity and usefulness which STT tries to reflect in its work with urban communities.
From the outset STT has had a focus on infrastructure upgrading but over the past decade many communities have been impacted by development-related land alienation and evictions. Because of this STT has strengthened its research and advocacy to draw attention to a development policy that in Phnom Penh alone has led to 150,000 residents being displaced since 1990. By supporting genuine community complaints and grievances STT and its partners have been helping communities articulate their concerns to local and international media, donors and other NGOs & INGOs.
Programmes: STT works to achieve its mission through 2 main programmes
Programme 1: Technical
• Mapping, Infrastructure and Titling(MIT) project : to work alongside communities to improve tenure security and physical infrastructure which includes tangible interventions such as clean water supply, sanitation, drainage, adequate road access and tenure documents as well as non-tangible interventions such as increased understanding of tenure issues and confidence to discuss with authorities and relevant partners .
• Alternative Housing & Urban Planning (AHUP): to provide alternative pro-poor options to urban development plans using a participatory approach.
• Technical Research Project: To scope urban poor communities at a national level and produce accurate and reliable data, surveys and mapping that can be used as a reference point for communities, NGOs, donors, researchers and Government bodies.
Programme 2: Advocacy
• Community Project: to increase communities’ ability to articulate their concerns and to strengthen local community networks through meetings, forums, trainings and exchanges.
• Youth Project: to involve and inform both local and international students in housing and urban issues
• Media Project: to gather relevant information from communities, to prepare documents and reports and to disemminate information about housing issues affecting urban poor communities
• Ahimsa Project: to promote active non-violence as a means to raise awareness about housing issues
Donor support
STT’s operational budget for 2011 is approximately 130,000USD and its key donors are
• Open Society Foundations, GIZ, Norwegian People’s Aid & MISEREOR
