Building a safer, healthier community in China

Heidi Chan shares how community buy-in has led to long-term sustainability.

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 – a village in Yunnan, China – 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 and local environmental issues, like 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: First, provide a safe, stable water supply. Second, improve safety after dark. Third, improve sanitation and the environment. Fourth, 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 ensured a safe, stable and sufficient water supply for the 118 households of Xiaozhai village. Villagers demonstrated a true sense of engagement and ownership by contributing labour to build the reservoir and lay pipelines.

To address the second aim – improving safety after dark – 50 solar-powered streetlamps were installed along the village’s main road. This improved safety, mobility and convenience, particularly benefiting the older population, children and young people. Being able to navigate the main routes during early mornings and in the evening has been transformative. Feedback gathered through interviews and questionnaires shows widespread satisfaction, with many expressing hopes for additional lamps in the future. Installing the lamps was another way the villagers physically engaged with the project.

The third outcome – focused on improving the village’s environment and sanitation – saw a 200m main drainage system upgraded to eliminate stagnant water and reduce health risks, and 10 recycling bins installed to encourage better waste management. To support these physical changes, the community organised six Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Wash) 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. 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 – improving public facilities for social and cultural activities – is the next priority. Renovating public facilities will give space for community activities and ensure that social services can be provided for elderly women and men and children.

From the outset, this project has been community-led. Village representatives have helped prepare the tender while 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. A designated staff member oversees maintenance of the water system, road lamps and drainage network and ensures that all facilities are maintained in line with regulations agreed upon by the committee and villagers.

These activities are funded through locally collected water usage fees. During 2024, these fees generated ¥10,000 – approximately £1,045 – which is sufficient to cover the estimated annual operating costs. Community buy-in from the outset and ongoing local ownership through the village committee have ensured 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, thanks to the renovated drainage system, Adi was pleased to share that the unpleasant smell that once emanated from the drains in front of his restaurant has gone.

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 and 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.

• Based on an article originally published in the autumn 2025 Develop magazine, published by the International Development UK team.