Charity: water Grants $128,000 to Water For People

August 8, 2009
By Eileen Lambert

 

(Denver-Colo) – September 8, 2009 – Water For People, a non-profit international development organization dedicated to helping people gain access to clean drinking water, adequate sanitation, and health and hygiene education was granted $128,000 this year by charity: water to support its programs in the rural district of Chikwawa, Malawi. This funding will help 12 communities, one health clinic and one school to gain access to sustainable water, sanitation, and health and hygiene education that will help save lives and improve the quality of life for thousands of individuals.

charity: water, a non-profit organization that gives 100% of the money it raises to fund direct project costs for sustainable clean water solutions in areas of greatest need, has supported Water For People’s work in Malawi since 2007. Scott Harrison, charity: water founder and president said, “what excites charity: water about this project is Water For People’s innovative “sanitation as business” model. Water for People has been creative in bringing a demand-driven approach to the water and sanitation sector. Their innovation and market-driven approaches are what this sector needs.”

Much of Water For People’s work in Malawi focuses specifically on rural communities where over half the population lives without access to safe water and proper sanitation. Without these basic services, thousands of families face chronic water-related illness that drains their human potential and results in illiteracy, diminished child-rearing ability, and stifles economic development.

The overall goal of Water For People–Malawi is to improve health outcomes by increasing access to water and sanitation facilities, creating incentives for positive hygiene behavior change (use of facilities and improved hygiene practices), and developing financial models for sustainable long-term sanitation development. In order to accomplish these goals in Chikwawa, Water For People–Malawi staff works closely with the Chikwawa District Assembly and Freshwater Project, a local nongovernmental organization (NGO) whose mission is to provide clean water and sanitation services to disadvantaged rural communities of Malawi

About Water For People
Founded in 1991, Water For People is a nonprofit international development organization that supports safe drinking water and sanitation projects in developing countries. Water For People partners with communities, local governments, and other nongovernmental organizations to help people improve their quality of life by supporting the development of locally sustainable drinking water resources, improved sanitation facilities, and hygiene education programs. Water For People supports communities with professional development advice, financial support and volunteer technical services. Typical technologies employed include protected spring-fed community water systems, gravity-fed systems, wells with hand pumps, latrine construction, operator training and hygiene education. Water For People is currently working in Latin America, Africa and Asia. In 2008, Water For People supported the provision of safe and sustainable drinking water resources benefiting 91,722 people in the developing world, sanitation facilities benefiting 92,983, and hygiene education benefiting 153,843 people. More information is available at www.waterforpeople.org.