Impact partner profile

Water For People

A world where every person has access to reliable and safe water and sanitation services

Est. since

1991

Location of HQ

100 East Tennessee Avenue Denver, CO 80209, United States of America

Partnership date with Thankyou

March 2020

Area of focus

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)

Regions

Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Bolivia, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, India

Website

waterforpeople.org 

Whether it’s a drink from the tap, a toilet that works, or a place to wash our hands, having water is a basic necessity that many of us take for granted. In many parts of the world, women and children spend more than four hours walking for water each day, and more than 840,000 people die each year from diseases contracted from unsafe water. Water For People was founded on the belief that everyone should have access to clean water and sanitation services, forever.

The team at Water For People is working toward this ambitious goal by partnering with local community members, businesses, and governments, to help bring sustainable water and sanitation systems to communities around the world. It aims for communities to have the necessary training and tools to maintain these new systems for generations. The model used to achieve this outcome is called Everyone Forever.

Water For People exists to promote the development of high-quality drinking water and sanitation services, accessible to all. The Everyone Forever model has changed the game. Working across nine countries around the world, Water For People has reached 3.66 million people since 2011 with reliable water services. These services are sustained through strong relationships with communities, businesses, and governments, each playing their part in the vision to see a world where every person has access to reliable and safe water and sanitation services.

To date, the team at Water For People has also impacted 1.083 million people through sanitation initiatives. Within its 2019 program year, the organisation was able to support 186,485 people with water access, 532,095 people with sanitation services, and 269,361 people with hygiene education.

Core impact goals

Water

Water For People is aiming for 4 million people to have intermediate or high levels of water service by the end of 2021.

Sanitation

By the end of 2021, Water For People aims to reach 2 million people through sanitation initiatives. It also has a goal to see 90% of households have a basic level of service, as well as the majority of faecal sludge in the district to be treated and disposed of safely. 

District reach

Water For People hopes to increase its reach so the Everyone Forever model is replicated across 40 districts in 2021. The organisation is also aiming to reach 40 of its ‘Everyone’ milestones – meaning every community, family, school, and clinic within its geographic scope will have access to safe and reliable water services.

Impact

By the end of 2021, working alongside national governments to strengthen systems to provide WASH services, Water For People aims to impact 70 million people.

Type of grant funding given

$300,000 *AUD

*12 month unrestricted funded grant (October 2020 - September 2021)

FY2021 impact milestones

Water For People aims to reach the following impact milestones over the course of Thankyou’s grant period (12 months). Here’s how they went:

Reach every school and health clinic with reliable water and sanitation services, in six districts.
In our 2021 program year, three districts achieved the Everyone milestone in schools and clinics – the district of Arani, Bolivia and the districts of Santa Cruz del Quiché and San Bartolomé Jocotenango in Guatemala! This milestone ensures that every school and healthcare facility in the district has access to improved water, sanitation, and hygiene services. Due to COVID-19 monitoring delays and significant damage in Honduras due to hurricanes Eta and Iota, other projected milestones were not achieved.
Reach the ‘Forever’ milestone in Cuchumuela, Bolivia - meaning the operation, financing, and monitoring of water services are sustainable without support from Water For People.
After the initial target-setting process, Water For People increased the anticipated number of Forever milestones from one to four. Unfortunately, as Water For People limited international travel in 2021 due to COVID-19, this prevented a full validation of any Forever milestones in Bolivia by a non-Bolivian Country Director which is part of our process. As international borders continue to open and countries welcome foreign visitors in 2022 and beyond, Water For People will validate the results with the aim of confirming achievement of Forever milestones this program year.
Reach 4 million people with reliable access to water services across the nine countries in which Water For People works, with 340,000 people left to go.
As of September 2021, Water for People exceeded our goal of 4 million people, impacting 4.67 million people with access to reliable water services using our inclusive, district-wide approach to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
Reach 2 million people with reliable access to sanitation services across the nine countries in which Water For People works, with 917,000 people left to go.
As of September 2021, 1.77 million have been reached with improved sanitation services through Water For People’s market-based sanitation approaches. Although Water For People did not achieve the full sanitation target of 2 million, Water For People is continuing to increase its sanitation efforts in their 2022-2024 strategy period, focusing on city and town-wide sanitation market development and advocating for pro-poor sanitation policies.
Begin work to achieve Everyone Forever in one new program district.
Water For People concluded the 2021 program year working in 39 Everyone Forever districts. Work in a 40th district has been announced for the 2022 program year.
Achieved
Milestone complete.
On track
Milestone on-track for completion within specified timeframe, outside of Thankyou’s grant period.
Partially achieved
Milestone <90% completed within grant period.
Mostly achieved
>90%+ milestone completion.
Delayed
Milestone delayed, not completed within grant period.