Informal communities are those which have arisen, usually without
formal planning, along road sides, river banks and along edges of public
and private property. Marginalised communities are those which are recognised
by authorities but are lacking in many of the basic facilities of clean
water supply, sanitation and safe access. Most resettlement sites fall
into this latter category.
STT's three main programmes include;
These informal communities play an integral role in the functioning of Cambodia's towns providing a backbone of skilled and semi skilled labour such as waste pickers, moto taxis, cooks, cleaners and construction workers. With the freedom to build and upgrade their own communities most of these areas are able to provide for themselves.
Unfortunately the reality is that, as in most of South East Asia, these settlements and communities face an almost continual barrage of apathy, abuse, eviction and sometimes violence. They are accused of being 'an eyesore on the city' and frequently threatened with eviction which is often realised with use of Police and security forces. Teang Tnaut is one of various organisations trying to create a space for negotiation with Government and developers in order to provide these communities with a chance to secure at least a basic form of compensation in terms of either land and/or cash.
'Teang Tnaut' means 'Sugar Palm frond' in Khmer. The Sugar Palm tree itself is typical of the Cambodian padi landscape and is used for many things including house construction, thatch roofs, palm wine, sugar and packaging. The frond is a combination of simple charm and utility - some of the most appealing Cambodian characteristics.
These also reflect the aims of Teang Tnaut - to provide 'low key' interventions and
a useful resource for urban settlements to improve their own infrastructure and
surroundings. The name deliberately aims to evoke a small scale and simple approach
to 'catalysing' projects within these communities. It also aims to advocate for
settlements through research and debate, trying to cooperate wherever possible
with Government policies but also bringing rights issues and abuses to the attention
of local and international media.
The Coordinator of Teang Tnaut, Meas Kim Seng, is Khmer with many years experience working with informal settlements. The association's main office is in Phnom Penh and there is a field office in Kampot.
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