About the Partner
Background
Sahmakum Teang Tnaut ( STT) is a non-profit Cambodian NGO registered with the Ministry of Interior. It works with and for marginalised urban communities affected by land tenure insecurity, evictions and/or poor access to basic infrastructure needs. Through working directly with communities and groups willing to organise and help themselves, STT supports improvements to physical surroundings and community infrastructure, and empowers communities by helping build stakeholder confidence in voicing concerns about housing issues. Furthermore, STT conducts ongoing research and documentation of urban trends and cycles in Cambodia.
STT was founded by Meas Kim Seng and Hallam Goad in September 2005. Both founders were originally part of the Urban Resource Centre (URC) which was set up in 1997 by an associate of the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR). Sahmakum Teang Tnaut emerged from the former URC after its closure in 2005.
Since then the office has grown from 3 staff and 1 international advisor to 6 staff, 2 international advisors and more than a dozen local and international volunteers.
Vision
A society in which urban dwellers 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
STT works to achieve its through two main programs.
Program 1: Technical
Mapping, Infrastructure and Tilting (MIT) project: to work alongside with communities to improve tenure security and physical infrastructure this includes tangible interventions such as clean water supply, drainage sanitation and adequate road access.
Alternate Housing and Urban planning (AHUP): to provide alternate pro-poor options to urban development plans using a participatory approach
Technical Research Project: To scope poor urban communities at a national level and produce accurate reliable data, surveys and mapping.
Program 2: Advocacy
Community project to increase community ability to articulate their concerns and strengthen local community network through meetings, forums and training
Youth Project: To involve and inform international and local students in housing and urban issues
Ahimsa Project: to promote active non-violence
(Community interview picture)
For more information please visit this website http://teangtnaut.org/
Achievements and Focus
Mapping, Infrastructure and Tilting (MIT) Project
Each year the MIT (Mapping, Infrastructure and Titling) program is offered to 12 selected urban poor communities within Phnom Penh. The aim of this is to provide participatory housing mapping of each dwelling in the community, basic community infrastructure upgrading and also education regarding legal tenure of land.
What are the goals of the project?
- The detailed maps with survey data table will strengthen their documentation for tenure security.
- This project will build the capacity of community on creating and updating their map by themselves. Community members will update their community map for community planning, upgrading projects and the updated cadastral information.
- The final report of this project will include maps, survey data table and spatial analysis, from which NGOs, international organizations and authorities are able to acquire community maps with statistic data, and they are able to use digitized map data and survey data for their activities.
(Trapang Krasang Relocation Site)
EWB Field Volunteers
GIS Mapping and Data Management Advisor- Chris Landvogt
(Chris Landvogt( first from the right side) with STT mapping team)
My role within STT is to help the MIT team in coordinating mapping work, and to provide training and assistance to local staff in regard to land measurement techniques, GIS (Geographic Information Systems), GPS and other emerging technologies. The role also involves empowering the local staff in finding new ways to assist urban poor communities in Cambodia by utilising their existing and developing skills.