| Type | Non-governmental organization |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1981 |
| Location | London, United Kingdom |
| Key people | Barbara Frost, Chief Executive |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Focus | Water, Sanitation |
| Website | www.WaterAid.org |
WaterAid is an international non-profit organisation set up as a response to the UN International Drinking Water & Sanitation decade (1981-1990). WaterAid is dedicated to helping people escape the poverty and disease caused by living without safe water and sanitation. It is based in London, England and was established by the UK water industry as a charitable trust on 21 July 1981. By 1987 its income exceeded £1 million per annum, and its 2005-2006 accounts recorded an income of £26.9 million.
Contents |
WaterAid currently works in partnership with local organisations in 26 countries in Africa and Asia and pacific region [1] to help poor communities establish sustainable water supplies and latrines, close to home. It also works to influence governments’ water and sanitation policies to serve the interests of vulnerable people and to ensure water and sanitation are prioritised in poverty reduction plans. As a matter of policy, WaterAid supports public ownership and control of water supplies, but does not take a particular view regarding public, community or private participation in service provision.
In 2003, WaterAid was named UK charity of the year at the Charity Times Awards [2]. Also, in November 2006 WaterAid was named 'Britain's most Admired Charity 2006' [3], as voted by its peers in the voluntary sector (in 'Third Sector' magazine). WaterAid came top of the category followed by Save the Children and The Samaritans. Andrew Cook, WaterAid’s Director of Communications and Fundraising said “We are delighted to have won this prestigious accolade. This award is testament to the tireless work of all WaterAid’s staff and volunteers both in the UK and internationally”. Water Aid is also a Stockholm Water Prize laureate.
WaterAid is a founding member of the End Water Poverty campaign calling for water and sanitation for all. Its twice-yearly magazine is called Oasis and includes news and features on planned and completed projects.
WaterAid is associated with the Glastonbury Festival. In 2006 the festival's founder Michael Eavis and his daughter Emily visited WaterAid's work in Mozambique and in 2007 130 WaterAid volunteers helped at the festival[4].
Among WaterAid's many fundraising events is Coast Along for WaterAid[1], a sponsored walk along sections of the South West Coast Path, which took place in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010, when the then UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown took part [5][6].
WaterAid first started work in Zambia in during the 1992-1994 drought.[7] Since then, the organization has expanded its operations to seven districts in the country, five of which are in the Southern Province (Monze, Siavonga, Namwala, Itezhitezhi and Kazungula) while the other two are Kafue in Lusaka Province and Kaoma in Western Province[8]. The organization spends about ZMK8-9 billion (just over £1 million) annually on projects there[9], and have since provided 42,600 people in Zambia with access to clean, safe water[10].
WaterAid is working with the government to help extend access to safe water, sanitation and improved hygiene for rural communities in Monze District. Sichiyanda is one such village in the Monze district where efforts are in progress. Projects in the village began in 2001 and the community worked together to dig a well with dedicated bucket and windlass[11]. Hygiene education is also taking place, where villagers are taught to keep areas clean by building dish racks and rubbish pits and ensuring that there are no stagnant pools of water where mosquitoes can breed[12]. In addition, 28 latrines have already been constructed with more underway[13].
Such programmes have led to significant improvements in the lives of villages in rural Monze. The building of wells have led to time savings for women and children[14]. For women, much of this newly available time has been put to productive economic activities like basket weaving and pottery making for use and sale[15]. For children, it has led to increased attendance in schools[16]. In light of this, WaterAid has since put up a tender request for an additional 32 boreholes (necessary for the construction of wells) to be drilled in Monze[17].
While most of WaterAid’s projects have been subsidized, the Milenge Project stands out for being one that is self-supplied[18]. It has been possible to stimulate real demand in the district, and this means rural water supply upgrading can take place with no subsidy for materials. Wateraid is now working in four wards of Western Milenge on Self Supply[19], and 16 masons (4 per ward) have already been trained, having attended two separate one month courses at Mansa Trades Training Insititute[20]. Besides being trained technically, these masons are also trained to work together and on how to promote their services[21].They speak to households independently, and some 95 well owners have since expressed interest in their services[22]. Moreover, considering the fact that these areas are some of the poorest in Zambia and that the rural population is on average poorer than those in other piloting countries, such a response is truly impressive[23].
WaterAid works closely with its partners in local communities to utilise low cost technologies to deliver sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene solutions to the poor in the economically less developed countries[24] . WaterAid's vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation[25] .
Since its presence in India from 1986, WaterAid India has been growing in its significance in providing assistance to the poor in both rural and urban areas[26] . Today, WaterAid covers over ten states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh), rendering their services to the communities that needed help most[27] .
The main thrust of WaterAid India’s projects is to advocate the use of latrines and to provide hygiene education with training manuals to the poorer and less educated areas[28]. It aims to bring across the detrimental effects of poor hygiene; such as diseases, loss of efficiency and high expenses in the form of costly medicine[29]. WaterAid India hopes to inspire local communities to develop their own cost effective solutions to the existing problems[30].
In addition, WaterAid India, with other partner organisations, came together to tackle the issue of having access to portable water in the coastal states of India[31] . The roots of this crisis are linked to development. Sustainable development has proved challenging for many of India’s coastal states, as they struggle to balance their delicate ecology against heavy economic demands and the desire for growth[32]. WaterAid India and its partners explored the feasibility of technological alternatives to the problem of salinity in the groundwater - for example, rainwater harvesting, desalination and dew harvesting - and looked towards establishing an area-specific strategy for ensuring access to a domestic water supply in coastal regions[33].
WaterAid has achieved many other significant milestones since its inception. The WaterAid project in Kalmandhai, Tiruchirapalli city was declared the country's first 100% sanitised slum in 2002[34] . Khajapattai was recently announced as the seventh[35]. In 2009/10, nearly 240,000 people managed to have access to safe water and sanitation, through WaterAid supported projects[36].
WaterAid India also plays a vital role in advising Indian policy makers to include low-cost latrines into existing sanitation subsidies in 1999, after two years of advocacy[37]. This exemplifies WaterAid India’s persuasive powers and intent of alleviating poverty in India. Since 2003, WaterAid India has shifted its focus to the poorer states in northern India where local communities there require great assistance[38] . In order to better meet the need of these communities, WaterAid India has shifted its head office to New Dehli[39].