5 minute read
Light in the Community
In Xiaozhai village, Yunnan Province, southwest China, The Salvation Army is partnering with the local community to promote healthier and more sustainable living conditions. Heidi Chan, China Development Manager for The Salvation Army Hong Kong and Macau Territory, shares insights into this ongoing three-year project.
Mr Guo is an amiable man in his early fifties. Known to his friends as Adi, he has been running a small family-owned restaurant in Xiaozhai for many years. The restaurant, famous for its delicious fish and mutton, is more than just a local favourite. As the family’s only source of income, it plays a crucial role in supporting Adi’s ageing parents and funding his two daughters’ college education.
However, the business has been substantially impacted by an unstable and poor-quality water supply, as well as local environmental issues such as the open drainage in front of the restaurant.
For those living in Xiaozhai village, an unsafe water supply was just one of the challenges negatively affecting quality of life. Since 2023, The Salvation Army in the Hong Kong and Macau Territory has been delivering a three-year, community-led project aimed at improving wellbeing and creating healthier and safer living conditions.
The phased plan has four key aims, each addressing an important aspect of daily life:
Provide a safe, stable water supply
Improved safety after dark
Improve sanitation and the environment
Upgrade public facilities and shared spaces
The first outcome – delivering an improved drinking water system – was achieved in the first year of the project. Improvements were needed to ensure a safe, stable and sufficient water supply for the 118 households of Xiaozhai village. Villagers contributed labour to build the reservoir and lay pipelines, demonstrating a true sense of engagement and ownership.
To address the second aim, 50 solar-powered streetlamps were installed along the village’s main road to improve safety, mobility and convenience, particularly benefiting the older population, children and young people. Being able to navigate the main routes during early mornings and evenings has been transformative. Feedback gathered through interviews and questionnaires shows widespread satisfaction, with many expressing hope for additional lamps in future. This was another area in which villagers physically engaged with the project by installing the lamps.
The third outcome focused on improving the village’s environment and sanitation. A 200-metre main drainage system was upgraded, eliminating stagnant water and reducing health risks, whilst ten recycling bins were installed to encourage better waste management. To support these physical changes, the community organised six WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) training sessions and distributed 1,000 health-related information flyers to households. With a stable water supply and targeted health education, hygiene practices have significantly improved, and almost all households now use flushing toilets. Additionally, teachers and students from local schools worked together to paint the walls of public spaces to bring joy and reinforce the message of cleanliness and community pride.
As the project enters its final year, the fourth outcome of improving public facilities for social and cultural activities is the next priority. Renovating public facilities will give space for community activities as well as ensuring that social services can be provided for elderly women and men and children.
From the outset, this project has been communityled. Village representatives helped prepare the tender, whilst the local government led procurement and appointed the contractors. This commitment to sustainability has continued, and is an important aspect of the Xiaozhai project strategy. As such, the village committee has taken over the management of key infrastructure, and a designated staff member oversees maintenance of the water system, road lamps and drainage network. These activities are funded through locally collected water usage fees. The appointed staff member ensures that all facilities are maintained in line with regulations agreed upon by the committee and villagers. During 2024, these fees generated RMB 10,000 (£1,045) which is sufficient to cover the estimated annual operating costs. Community buy-in from the outset, as well as ongoing local ownership through the village committee, ensures long-term sustainability.
With the implementation of the project, the water supply has been significantly improved, the supply is ample and stable, and villagers no longer have to worry about the water issue. The drainage improvement has promoted the sanitation within the village, and Adi was pleased to share that the unpleasant smell that once emanated from the drains in front of his restaurant has gone, thanks to the renovated drainage system.
Adi, along with other villagers, has experienced the positive impact of these improvements. Today he can run his business in a safer, healthier community and has greater opportunity to grow his income to support his family.
Adi’s story is just one example of The Salvation Army’s rural community development work in China. Many people are already benefiting from these initiatives, and we are looking forward to serving more people in the future.
By Heidi Chan
