In Sandu Shui Ethnic Autonomous County in Guizhou Province, the local conditions are too poor to support steady development of the economy. As a consequence, the idea of environmental protection and sustainable development can’t be supported. This project is in the Banyin Village, where the local town government is located. The population density is comparatively high and both of the agriculture and business converge there. In order to make the local infrastructure supportive to implementing the sustainable development idea, China Christian Council (CCC) applied the funds from the “United Thank Offering” Grant of the Episcopal Church to help the village build the sewage ditch and the disposal tanks to properly handle the discharge and treatment of their domestic and production water.
A long time ago, people always said that girls who could marry into a family in Banyin Village were lucky and blessed because at that time, the local place had a large area of fertile farmland that ensured stable yields despite extreme drought or excessive rain. Because of the good natural condition of the geography, weather, and soil, and with careful nurturing by generations of local inhabitants, there were luxuriant tall trees and sweet wellsprings there. Just using bamboo pipe, the spring water could be diverted to families’ water jars. In comparison with fetching water from places far away, the life in Banyin Village was more comfortable and contented.
However, no one knew when the small changes had begun and gradually became a big problem. There was sewage flowing in the fish ponds and crop fields, the mosquitos and flies were raging everywhere, and frogs had to get away from the corrosive land. With the urbanization that is happening in China, more and more young laborers leave their homeland and go to work in the cities. The inhabitants didn’t regard the environment deterioration as a big problem. They would rather install screen windows to keep their own space free from the insects and the poor natural conditions.
However, when people began noticing that the local environmental problem was becoming much more obvious, the voice for restoring the environment became loud and urgent. The project of constructing sewage ditches and disposal tanks in the local village is not only an infrastructure improvement to local inhabitants, but it also has been a turning point in villagers’ environmental protection awareness. They were reeducated and would like to make changes themselves to cherish the present result they have. Therefore, they are grateful to CCC and to the funds’ donor – the Episcopal Church; and in the meantime, a maintenance team will be organized to ensure the infrastructure’s normal operation and the appropriate disposal of the garbage and sewage. Relevant environmental protection training will also be organized to address the importance of awareness and practice in daily production and life.