The nine-rai community (about nine soccer fields) had a single meter-wide walkway which zig-zagged among the cramped and sombre houses that are mostly made of cardboard and plywood. Underneath the houses, beds of garbage floated on blackish, smelly water.

But these sorry scenes are becoming a thing of the past thanks to the Ban Mankhong housing project under the Community Organizations Development Institute.

Before Bang Bua joined the project about four years ago, the community housed 820 people from 205 families who were once branded as illegally occupying land belonging to the Treasury Department. Part of the community encroached upon a canal.

The Ban Mankhong project has changed all that.

Through rounds of negotiations brokered by the Codi the landlord agreed to allow the community to lease the land on a long-term basis. The contract is renewable.

The Codi has also granted loans to the community to rebuild their houses. The owners of the homes that encroached on the waterways were relocated and share land with their neighbors.

The community has a plan to develop the canal bank into a waterfront road and flood embankment. Nearly half of the construction has been completed and by the middle of next year the work will be completed.

However, Ban Mankhong is more than physical improvements to infrastructure.

To be eligible for the project, communities have to fulfill some conditions.

''Ban Mankhong is an attempt to bring change to slums,'' said Somsook Boonyabancha, director of the Codi.

''We try to transform poor and marginalized slum dwellers into house owners who have the ability to create something good. The Ban Mankhong project is based on a belief that poor people can be achievers if they are given the chance.''

However, the project is neither a donor nor housing bank.

The Codi's philosophy is helping slum dwellers help themselves and it only helps strong communities.

In general, the Codi's main task is to negotiate with landlords to grant long-term leases. If the landlord refuses, the agency helps the people find new places - either sharing land with nearby slums or acquiring new land.

''The bottom line is the community residents must do everything by themselves,'' said Ms Somsook.

''They have to set up a community savings fund and run it for years. They have to show that they are a strong community.''

The Codi provides help such as basic concepts of land use and architects to show them how to make a blueprint.

''But in the end, they must help themselves. At Klong Bang Bua the people draw up their own community plan and build their own houses,'' said Ms Somsook.

In Bang Bua community, a house on about 12.5 square wah of land costs about 200,000 baht. The owner must pay back 1,169 baht a month for a single detached house, and 1,112 baht for a double-attached house for 15 years.

dilapidated old and in very bad condition shacks small buildings, usually made of wood or metal, that have not been built well supervise to be in charge of something and to make sure that everything is done correctly destitute without money, food and the other things necessary for life zigzag a line or pattern that looks like a series of letter W, as it bends to the left and then to the right again cramped not having enough space; not having room for people to move freely sombre sad and serious; dark in color; dull cardboard stiff material like very thick paper, often used for making boxes plywood board made by sticking thin layers of wood on top of each other branded described someone as being bad or unpleasant, especially unfairly

encroached slowly began to cover more and more of an area, often an area where you have no legal right to be rounds stages negotiations formal discussions between people who are trying to reach an agreement landlord a person or company from who you rent a room, a house, an office, etc. lease a legal agreement that allows you to use a building, a piece of equipment or some land for a period of time, usually in return for rent renewable able to be extended for a further period of time relocated moved to a new place embankment a wall of stone or earth made to keep water back eligible able to do something because of having the right qualifications

transform to change the form of something; to completely change the appearance or character of something, especially so that it is better marginalized caused someone to feel as if they are unimportant and unable to influence decisions or events dwellers people or animals who live in a particular place donor a person or organization that makes a gift of money, clothes, food, etc. bottom line the essential point; the most important thing you have to consider fund an amount of money that has been saved or has been made available for a particular purpose architect a person whose job is designing buildings, etc. blueprint a drawing or print of a plan for a building or a machine, with white lines on a blue background detached (of a house) not joined to another house on either side