Every once in a while, if you are watching the news or reading the newspaper, listening to the radio or just surfing the net, you might feel uninspired or even overwhelmed by the negativity and problems in the world. I know I do!
There is good out there, but it isn’t in the news! That is why I decided to start 2015 with a highlight on some GOOOOOOD that is there to be found!
The benefits: Healthier children & women who don’t have to spend hours trekking for water and communities that begin to put their energies elsewhere!
Example: Water.org gives the example of Kazozi from a village in Uganda on their web site. Although Uganda isn’t so terrible (75% have water access), the system is dysfunctional and unreliable. Kasozi’s pipes are almost never flowing with water, especially in the dry season. Can you imagine turning on the tap and NOTHING!
Water.org has in place a solution to meet his family’s daily water needs. Kasozi took a Water Credit loan in order to install a rain catchment so he could store water, and he even has enough to share or sell to others to help pay back the loan.
This is innovative and solution driven inspiration!
“Every minute, of every day, one child dies of a water-related disease”
“Women and children spend 200 million hours a day collecting water”
“1 in 9 people lack access to safe water”
“More people have a mobile phone than a toilet”
Founded in 1990 by Gary White, Water.org continues to help hundreds of communities with one goal: To facilitate access to safe water and sanitation by supporting and implementing self-sustaining organizational and financial structures.
For questions about their work, and countries where they have active programs, please contact: Information Request Form.
Appropriate; Technology, Design, Construction and Maintenance Selection process “By engaging the community, Water.org ensures that the technology selected for the project is appropriate to the local community and their particular situation. The community selects, with technical input from Water.org’s local partner organization, the type of project, what local materials to use, where it will be located, and how much it will cost.”
Measuring and Monitoring Success Water.org has an unbeatable track record of project success. Read third-party evaluations of Water.org’s programs.
Bangladesh University of Technology and Engineering study (2008): Impact evaluation of urban and rural water and sanitation projects, Bangladesh. (Read the Executive Summary.) Conclusion: The water and sanitation facilities implemented by Water.org’s local partners are functioning effectively, users have significantly greater access to safe water and latrines, and users are highly satisfied with their new services.
Emory University study (2006): Water.org Community Water Systems Evaluation, Lempira, Honduras. (Read the Executive Summary and news release.) Conclusion: Of the Honduras Water.org project sites surveyed in July 2006, 100 percent were still operational, even though some had been in existence up to ten years, and all for at least four years. Satisfaction with the system was also extremely high, with 98% of respondents more than satisfied.
Stanford University study (2007-2009): Improving access to water supply and sanitation in urban India. (Read the Water Science & Technology article) Conclusion: The market demand survey of over 800 households found that a substantial proportion of households would invest in water and sewer connections even at market (i.e. non-subsidized) rates of financing.
The WaterCredit Initiative and Backing up their commitment to sustainability “The WaterCredit Initiative represents the creation of a new space at the intersection of water and sanitation and microfinance. By catalyzing small loans to individuals and communities in developing countries who do not have access to traditional credit markets, WaterCredit empowers people to immediately address their own water needs. As loans are repaid, they can be redeployed to additional people in need of safe water. Learn more about WaterCredit.”
WaterCredit Resources
- WaterCredit Summary Sheet (November 2014)
- Water, Sanitation and Microfinance Toolkits -- developed by Water.org and MicroSave
- Information for Financial Institutions: WaterCredit Program Overview, Sample WaterCredit Loan Products, WaterCredit Partner Profile - Grameen Koota, and WaterCredit Partner Profile - Hand in Hand
- Additional Resources -- Market Assessments, Case Studies, White Papers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water.org
Water.org is an American nonprofit developmental aid organization resulting from the merger between H2O Africa, co-founded by Matt Damon, and WaterPartners, co-founded by Gary White.[1] Its goal is to provide aid to regions of developing countries that do not have access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
- partnerships with local partner organizations in the countries it serves
- involving the community at each stage of the project
- selecting technology appropriate to the local community and their particular situation
- integrating all projects with health and hygiene education.