In 2001, the All China Women's Federation (ACWF) and the China Women's Development Fund (CWDF) sponsored the "Love of Earth, Water Collection for Mothers" project, aiming to provide solutions to water shortage problems for women and children in western China. In the three years of its operation, the lives of many people have been greatly enhanced with clean and adequate water facilities.

Li Chunfen is an ordinary country woman living in Shaping village, Shaanxi Province. A year ago, the water that she drank and used for her domestic activities was pumped from a well that provided water for three villages and about 2,000 people. Everyday she had to walk several miles and carry water back at three or four in the morning. They planted broomcorn millet on their farmland as it resists the problems brought by drought. Her 10-year-old son, walking along the cliff to gather water for the family, slipped and died.

Li's village was listed last year as a recipient of the water project. Containers for gathering and collecting water were built all over the village. Everyone has since benefited. Li Chunfen said, "Now if we want a drink, all we need do is turn on a tap. We can even take showers everyday, like people in the cities." She wants to build another large container to improve their lives further.

The water project was started in 2001 and has invested 98 million yuan (US$11 million) in a special fund. Supplemented by local government, about 80,000 water containers and 1,000 small-scale supply projects have been operating in western China. Some 780,000 people have benefited.

Statistics show that 99 percent of the families who received help moved their washing activities from the river or pond to inside their home. People can now shower daily instead of rarely and the income of 76 percent of the families has indirectly benefited. Investigation of Chongqing has also showed that the incidence of gynecological disease has decreased from 90 to 35 percent in the city.

(China.org.cn by Wu Nanlan March 5, 2003)