Amity encourages the use of local resources and initiatives to promote projects that meet basic needs and assist self development. In many remote villages, water shortages have resulted in poverty for many generations. Amity cooperates in building water pumping stations and digging wells. In other areas, fuel resources are scarce and natural fertilizers have been ravaged in the search for fuel. Amity helps build biogas systems to improve living standards, address the effects of ecological destruction, and relieve women of time consuming labor. Amity supports programs for women to strengthen their position in the village and strives to provide children with access to schooling. Its development approach in local communities looks towards a balance between nature and human society.

Water Project, Meihuadong, Xinhau County, Hunan Province

Example Projects

Drinking water project in Libo County, Guizhou Province

A shortage of water in the area has led to low agricultural yields and has greatly hindered the development of the villages.

Participatory community management and grassroots NGO capacity building

One initiative on the part of the government is to mobilize social forces in order to meet social challenges. The government is now trying to delegate detailed administrative responsibilities to more social groups and grassroots voluntary community organizations in order to enable people themselves to make independent decisions on community affairs

The EED small-scale project fund

Since 1991, Amity has cooperated with EED (Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst, Germany) in carrying out Small-scale Project Fund (SPF) projects in China. Although these are all small-scale projects, they have made a large impact in terms of improving the living standard of poverty-stricken people in China.