The Solution = Water For People

In recent years, water has become somewhat of a cause du jour around the world. It seems everywhere one turns, someone is collecting money to help with the water crisis. While we at Challenge21 applaud these efforts and the desire to make a difference, we feel strongly that initiatives that are not paired with a solid development model often cause more harm than good.
We have chosen to work with Water For People because of their model, and the definable change it has brought to communities in ten countries worldwide.

Challenge21 co-founders, Jake Norton and Wende Valentine, have experienced the effects of the water and sanitation crisis in dozens of developing countries over 20 years of travel and work. Additionally, they have witnessed the deleterious effects of well-meaning efforts coupled with un-sustainable models that lead to: empty schools, broken pumps, abandoned latrines, and lost hope.

In her eight years at Water For People, Wende has been a part of the multi-faceted, positive outcomes of Water For People's approach: economic development, community partnerships, and, of course, safe water and improved sanitation designed to last forever.

Water For People is the clear choice for Challenge21's efforts, and defines our mission to support real change.

About Water For People

Water For People is a leading international development organization dedicated to creating reliable safe drinking water resources, improved sanitation facilities, and hygiene education programs in the developing world. The organization currently operates in 11 countries in Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America.

Water For People’s unique business-oriented approach works to establish partnerships between local and national government institutions, nongovernment organizations, private enterprise, and entrepreneurs to enable local communities, districts, and municipalities to plan, build, finance, maintain, and operate their own safe water and sanitation services.

Water For People puts long-lasting solutions and 100% coverage of a region with safe water access for everyone at the forefront of its strategy. It fosters innovative solutions to water and sanitation problems that are adaptable worldwide, and through monitoring and evaluation of its program impact for at least 10 years post-implementation, Water For People ensures that its work is sustainable by local partners.

About Water For People's Model

Water For People's model works because it’s focused on the long-term rather than the ribbon cutting ceremony when a brand-new water or sanitation system is implemented.

It is a holistic view that encompasses and accounts for how the solutions will work long into the future by doing the following:

• Select a community and create motivation to succeed.
• Support the community as it works toward self-sufficiency.
• Bring in other organizations from the community and help them grow.
• Bring in local government partners, and convince them that it’s in their best interest to play a positive and supportive role.
• Engage the local private sector to be a part of the solution.
• Strengthen all the players and create a synergistic environment with a vision of, and an active focus on, long-lasting water and sanitation systems.

Water For People’s model isn’t hard to understand, but it is hard work. It takes being a coach, being locally based, monitoring work, checking in, convincing the key stakeholders to stay focused on the local outcomes and often seeding the solution with start-up capital.

It also takes knowing when to step out of the picture. True sustainable solutions are ones that are run by the local communities. When the long-term successes are visible and the community can manage their systems on their own, Water For People hands over the reins.

Thus, the solution to this crisis is really quite simple: It’s about helping people help themselves so that solutions last and don’t break down. Water For People is committed to helping communities take the critical first steps out of poverty with the development of sustainable water resources and sanitation solutions.

For more information, visit www.waterforpeople.org.

 

Water For People
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