Water helps village be clean and green

A village in China’s Shaanxi Province is benefiting from a Plan project which has brought a reliable water supply and improved the local environment.

Chaijiapan is one of the most poverty-stricken villages located in Plan’s Jia County programme area. The village lies on the Loess plateau. Here, the plateau is very high, the ravines very deep and the weather very dry with little rain.

The villagers living on the plateau have carried water up to their homes on their shoulders or by donkey for generations.

In recent years the local environment had become severely damaged, with pollution and loss of vegetation, and the groundwater level had gradually lowered. The living conditions grew worse. Some villagers could no longer cope and moved away.

In 2004, Plan began to work with the villagers of Chaijiapan. With Plan’s help, they made a three-year plan to improve the lives of the village’s inhabitants.

In 2007, Plan helped the villagers build sanitation latrines and methane-generating pits and also helped co-ordinate the efficient management of natural resources.

To tackle the water issue, Plan developed a project to bring a supply of safe drinking water so that the villagers were free from the problems they had suffered for many years.

Now the villagers can not only drink running water, but have also developed poultry farming and courtyard gardens to increase their incomes. They can eat fresh vegetables and the whole village’s environment has changed for the better.

Villager Chang Huanru said, “Frankly speaking, water is very important for our children and women. In my family, carrying water was the duty of my children and me.

“In the morning, once we got up, we had to go to a ravine two kilometres from my house to carry water. It made me very tired. The worst thing was that it took me so much time.

“Now, after Plan’s project here, running water is connected into my home, it is very convenient. We can drink safe water. What’s more, there is much more time for me to help my children study.”

He Yuzhen said, “When Plan discussed solving the problem of drinking water, I thought that it was totally impossible. We could not solve this problem for generations, how could you achieve it? At the beginning, we all doubted.

“Now when we see running water in our family, we are all very excited. We are full of hope for our lives now.”

One child, Dandan, said, “Having water is so wonderful. Some neighbours have begun to raise chickens. I heard that they will build a chicken-raising cooperative.

“I gave up thoughts of leaving school and now study at school happily. The environment of our village is improved. Living here is very comfortable. I want to thank Plan and the people who helped us.”