February 2, 1999
Wecare All together now COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Slum leaders believe unity and co-operation can help the urban poor improve their standard of living. And they are right Chompoo Trakullertsathien Sunday is no day for sleeping in at Bangkok's Klong Toey slum. It's the day when many residents get up at the crack of dawn to clean up the streets. No, it's not a new wave of civic pride sweeping through this jaded city. It's an innovative recycling project in which litter, such as glass and plastic bottles and old newspapers, is exchanged for fresh eggs . The weekly "garbage-for-eggs" exchange starts at 7 a.m. at the community recycling centre and it's always packed. When the hustle and bustle ends around 9 a.m., there's a mountain of garbage waiting to be sold to recycling factories . The project kills two birds with one stone: the slum dwellers get more food, a treat in time of economic crisis, and their community gets cleaned up . The brainchild of 43-year-old Wanrop Hirikul, head of Klong Toey Environmental Preservation Group, the project aims to motivate slum dwellers to keep the streets clean and to reduce the great quantity of garbage through recycling . Mr Wanrop's work won him the Sadudee Chon Award from the Duang Prateep Foundation last year as part of the foundation's 20th anniversary celebration to honour the Klong Toey residents who have devoted themselves to improving their neighbourhood . Commenting on the award, the foundation's secretary-general Prateep Ungsongtham Hata, said, "We need to encourage and support those who have sacrificed their time and energy to serve their communities. Without these active leaders, it's extremely difficult to get slum dwellers organised to work as a team to improve their quality of life . "They are the pillars of their communities. Their work strengthens community unity which is central to successful development efforts. At the end of the day, Bangkok residents and the nation as a whole benefits from these small people's commitment." Apart from Mr Wanrob, the award also went to other four slum leaders - Manut Ornnom from Ruam Jai Pattana Suan Luang community; Sangwan Boonsong from Bon Kai community, Roi Seehapong from Rim Thang Rod Fai community, and Pikul Thanyacharoen from Fuen FU Nakorn Rom Klao. All are highly respected in their communities for their dedication . Though Bangkokians are known for their lack of civic-mindedness, each preferring to "live and let live", poverty has forced urban slum dwellers to stick together for their own survival, said Mrs Prateep . "The poor hardly receive any help from the government. So we need to help ourselves. Unity is the heart of strong communities. And communities needs committed and sincere leaders to ensure continuous development," she added . It is said that necessity is the mother of invention. Likewise, hardship and scarcity in slums has led to many ingenious efforts to improve the standard of living there . In the Klong Toey community, for example, Mr Wanrob almost gave up hope when his efforts to persuade residents to reduce the stinking heaps of refuse fell on deaf ears . Then in 1996, he started the "garbage-for-eggs" project. It proved to be a stunning success . "Outsiders often think that slum dwellers make the city dirty," explained Mr Wanrop. "But the fact is we have received little help from the authorities. We want to correct that misunderstand by proving that we can keep our communities clean ourselves," said the 57-year-old slum leader . By offering incentives to cleaning up the community, the amount of garbage in Klong Toey has been sharply reduced, he reported . Apart from increasing environmental awareness, Klong Toey dwellers have also learned to separate dry and wet garbage for recycling, a practice most better-off Bangkokians have yet to learn . "Waste separation helps lighten the work of garbage collectors. It also fosters discipline among residents," said Mr Wanrob . The money earned from selling trash to recycling factories goes to buy eggs which are then used to continue the community's clean-up efforts. So it's a self-perpetuating system . But with a limited budget and more slum dwellers joining the egg exchange project, Mr Wanrob is at his wits end as to how to supply enough eggs to meet the increasing demand. At present, many go home empty-handed when the eggs run out. They have to keep the garbage in their houses until the following Sunday . Apart from fighting the garbage problem, Mr Manop's other pet project is community land-use planning. A former construction worker, he has designed new sewerage and fire prevention systems and other public utilities for his neighbourhood . His work was largely responsible for Klong Toey being honoured by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration as an outstanding slum community . "Since we have very limited space, we have to manage it well and use it efficiently to solve congestion problem. When the environment is better, the members of the community will be happier," he explained . "To solve problems effectively, the whole community must realise that it belongs to everyone. People must take part and chip in to solve common problems. This helps strengthen relationships among residents." His next plan is to build a religious hall where slum dwellers can come together to meditate. He explains: "We cannot have a peaceful community without moral strength." For 50-year-old Sangwan Boonsong, chairman of the Bon Kai community, the main concern for slum dwellers is the more immediate problem of eviction . To prevent this happening, Mr Sangwan, has worked with other slum leaders to push for legislation which will ensure housing security for the urban poor. Instead of letting the government draw up the rules, Mr Sangwan believes that slum dwellers must have a say and he is one of the activists spearheading the efforts for the people's version of the draft Slum Act . Working for a long-term solution, he is also one of the founders of the Urban Community Development Office, a non-governmental organisation which helps slum communities get organised . "The urban poor can win our cause if we work together," said the Si Sa Ket native. "We must take charge to solve our community problems. We must link up and expand our networks." Women have also been active in the leadership of the urban poor's housing rights movement. Among them is 65-year-old Roi Seehapong . In 1964, Auntie Roi, an Ubol Ratchathani farmer, came to Bangkok with her jobless husband and they lived a hand-to-mouth existence at the Rim Tang Rod Fai community . Believing that group co-operation could ease their hardship, Mrs Roi started savings groups and cooperatives in her community. She also worked with women's groups in other communities to gain access to free education programmes for poor children. Through her integrity and dedication, the elderly migrant worker is now advisor to a national network of slum organisations . According to Mrs Roi, leaders - be they at community or national level - must be moral, honest and patient. Equally important, they must listen to the people's problems and earnestly help them find solutions . "Instead of waiting for help from the government, we need to help ourselves first," added Mrs Roi . Another highly respected female leader in the slum movement is 63-year-old Pikul Thanyacharoen, chairwoman of the Fuen Fu Nakorn Rom Klao community . Her savings groups and co-operatives were so successful that other slum communities in the nearby Lad Krabang area followed her example. Representatives from groups in Norway, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia have also come to learn from her work . Mrs Pikul said that the success of any savings projects requires teamwork - and an honest leader. "The leader needs to be a good model for the members. Corruption is breaking down our community. Good leaders must think of public benefits before their own," said the Ayutthaya native . To strengthen their camaraderie, Wanrob, Manut, Sangwan, Roi and Pikul meet every month to exchange information and discuss ways to solve problems in their communities . "We need unity, within the communities and among leaders. We also need cooperation and assistance from other communities that share the same plight. Any successful development project in one area will be launched in the other communities. We also keep contact through various activities such as joining in anti-drugs campaign," said Mr Wanrob . Although the five slum leaders have been honoured for their lifetime dedication, all say that the awards really belong to their communities . "Success comes from unity, cooperation and mutual caring. We cannot achieve anything if we all live our own way," said Mr Manut . "We need to join forces to help ourselves. We won't remain second-class citizens. We are equal human beings entitled to equal rights and decent livelihoods." Info for donations: Name of organisation: Duang Prateep Foundation Address: Lock 6, Art Narong Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok, 10110 Contact person: Kanokporn Chotivisit, public relations officer Tel: 249-3553, 249-4880, 249-8842, 671-4045-8 Bank account name for donations: Duang Prateep Foundation's Sadudeechon Project, savings account number 017-2-06336-5, Thai Farmers' Bank, Klong Toey branch To assist the garbage-for-eggs project, you can also donate goods such as eggs, rice, soap, shampoo, milk or any other basic necessities . Or you can send your cheque payable to Post Publishing Public Company Limited (For Sadudeechon). Send it to Mrs Kusuma Mintakhin, Editorial Manager, 136 Na Ranong Road, off Sunthorn Kosa, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110. Her telephone number is 240-3700 ext 3224-5 . Please also include your name and address with your cheque so we can send you a receipt .		Current Issues in Thailand Bangkok Post Year-end Economic Review Classifieds Jobs Property Entertainment Investment Education Travel Sales Learn English Weekly Database Horizons Motoring NiteOwl Real Time Student Weekly Special We Care Street Art Back Issues Last Month Archive Company Servcies Subscriptions Advertising Annual Report
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