Background and Objectives:
The success of previous projects supporting urban poor in Phnom Penh led to the launch of a new project in 2004 entitled Partnership for Urban Poverty Reduction Phase-II, with the primary aim of according adequate human dignity to the urban poor.
This was achieved by enabling communities to form community organizations that ensure community consultations on local problems, and by financing the execution of site improvements identified in the community. The communities initiate negotiations with the municipality on various issues, thereby building a working link between the communities and the Phnom Penh municipality.
The project aims to strengthen the self-confidence, competence and dignity of the urban poor by reducing their poverty, vulnerability and social exclusion through:
Empowering communities to improve their access to affordable basic services and better living environments.
Optimising the outcomes of the community-based infrastructure and basic services provision in slum and squatter settlements in Phnom Penh from lessons learned in the first phase.
Promoting the direct involvement of poor communities in the design and implementation of improvement activities.
Assisting the municipality in achieving the target of “improving 100 slum-squatter settlements per annum,” a commitment made by the Cambodia Prime Minister in May 2003.
Activities:
The main activities include:
Implementing Community Action Plans in the areas of water and sanitation, drainage, solid waste disposal, access roads and walkways, health, and income generation as proposed by communities.
Improving/upgrading living environments for both voluntary relocation sites and in situ.
Training of municipal staff on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), urban indicators, project preparation and management, fund-raising, and inter-institutional partnership arrangements.
Promoting direct involvement of the poor communities in the design and implementation of improvement activities.
Linking with UPDE and Poverty alleviation through good governance (SEILA) programmes;
Backstopping missions fromUN-HABITAT Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (ROAP) to provide direct technical assistance to the municipality.
Results:
Over 160 new community organizations formed and more than 350 community-based infrastructures and basic urban services such as footbridges, concrete lanes, drainage and toilets have been built by communities themselves.
More than 31,000 families benefited from such improvements.
A greater sense of ownership of the project created for participating communities.
A more positive perception created within the poor of themselves and the local authorities by becoming a part of municipal decision-making.
Human dignity improved through better living conditions.
