January 2000

31st January 2000

Community Forestry: Chenhe Village

The village head of Chenhe, Chen Dongxiang, approached DORS on the 19-10-99 with Community Forestry project proposal. The proposal was to place an agroforestry system on approximately 6 hectares of unproductive, abandoned agricultural land that is no longer economically viable. The system will be made up of sweet chestnut, walnut and Chinese prickly ash (huajiao - which produces Sichuan's famous pepper) with an agricultural cash crop. The cash crop is to be grown for the first five years thereafter the trees will start producing non-wood forest products (nuts and pepper) themselves.

The profits made from this project will be used for the development of the village - which has a population of 771 - areas to be funded cover a wide spectrum of need, such as health projects, education, infrastructure improvement (path maintenance etc.) and support for the poorest members of the community.

Following extensive participatory socio-economic and physical forestry surveys over the last four months, contracts have now been signed between DORS and the village of Chenhe, and planting has begun, starting with 7000 sweet chestnut saplings and 2000 walnut saplings. The 168,000 huajiao saplings and agricultural crop will be planted later in the season.

DORS has previously assisted Chenhe Village with drinking and irrigation water supply projects, also managed by Chen Dongxiang

Banyang Village Hamlet 1- Electricity Supply

After receiving a request from Banyang Hamlet 1, DORS have assisted the 14 households to connect to the electricity grid. The project was managed by a village woman, Liu Jin Lan (also the DORS micro-credit group leader for the hamlet).

Initially, a micro-hydropower project was considered, but the villagers were concerned about the possible impact on their irrigation water for growing rice. Therefore, they decided to get an estimate for connection to the grid. As the cost was higher than for hydropower, each household contributed 700 RMB towards the project. DORS provided 15,000 RMB (1,153 GBP). A contract was signed with the electricity supply department, and the villagers provided labour free of charge. A transformer and power cables were installed and the villagers are now enjoying the convenience of electric lighting for the first time. DORS contribution was 82 GBP per household.

Moduo Village - Drinking Water Supply

All 800 villagers in Moduo hamlets 2-7 now have clean water piped to their homes. Deng Zhaomin has helped both DORS and his fellow villages by managing the implementation of the project. He is leader of Moduo hamlet 1 where DORS previously implemented a similar project. Now several thousand metres of new piping brings water from a number of sources to the villager's homes.