The John H. Ware, Jr., International Water
and Sanitation Fellowship

About the Ware Fellowship Program

The John H. Ware, Jr. International Water and Sanitation Fellowship Program is sponsored by Water For People to improve access to safe drinking water in developing countries through the technical training, mentoring, and capacity building of international water professionals. Founded in 2004, the program was named after John H. Ware, Jr., a champion leader in the water industry. It is funded by donations from the Cobb Foundation and the Ware Foundation.

The program helps Water For People reach thousands of people through by mentoring and training emerging water professionals in developing countries. Each year, Fellows are identified by Water For People’s worldwide network of in-country staff and partners, and are offered a chance to participate in a training fellowship in Denver, Colorado. The Fellows work closely alongside counterparts from the North American water industry and health education fields.

Ware Fellows at the 2007 ACE Conference in Toronto. Left to right; Greby Caillavy - Bolivia, Osman Alexis Reyes – Honduras, Karla Fonseca – Honduras, April Hummel - Water For People Project Coordinator, Claudia Cossio – Bolivia, Domingo Pérez Bernal – Guatemala, Oscar Moscoso – Bolivia.

2007 Program

After devoting three years of time and resources to the Ware Fellowship Program, Water For People decided to take 2007 as a year to assess the impact that the program has had on water and sanitation issues in its program countries. The focus of the 2007 program was significantly different than the previous programs. New applicants were not solicited. Instead, the previous three classes of Fellows were invited to return to Denver to assist Water For People in evaluating the program’s impact, while also spending time developing their professional and technical skills.

The 2007 Ware Fellowship Program was comprised of two three-week sessions, with a three-day overlap of the two sessions. Fellows from India, Malawi, and Sri Lanka participated in Session 1 and Fellows from Bolivia, Guatemala, and Honduras participated in Session 2. The division of the two groups of returning Fellows based on geography was an intentional decision made by Water For People staff with the hope that Fellows would be able to share common experiences and develop relationships with Fellows from their home country and neighboring countries.

During each three-week session, Fellows spent time networking and building the leadership and technical skills technical skills that they developed in their previous fellowship experience. At the end of each session, the Fellows spent one day working to transform these skills into a tangible take-home plan for improving water and sanitation. The Fellows also participated in a workshop on the last day of each session aimed at refining and redesigning the Ware Fellowship Program. The three-day overlap of Session 1 and Session 2 allowed all returning Fellows to interact with one another and share common experiences and challenges.

Ware Fellow Alumni

Class of 2004
Ms. Claudia Cossio – Bolivia
Mr. Juan Cedillo – Guatemala
Mr. Sudipta Barman – India
Mr. Charles Banda – Malawi

Class of 2005
Mr. Oscar Moscoso – Bolivia
Ms. Veronica Wendy Gomez – Bolivia
Ms. Karla Fonseca – Honduras
Mr. Ranjan Biswas – India
Mr. James Peaches – Malawi

Class of 2006
Mr. Greby Caillavy – Bolivia
Mr. Domingo Pérez Bernal – Guatemala
Mr. Osman Alexis Reyes – Honduras
Mr. Jyotirmoy Chakraborty – India
Mr. Henrick Kunkeyani – Malawi
Mr. Lasantha Perera – Sri Lanka