I spent most of last year living in Kenya. A lot of that time I was working directly with our partner organisations, working through program strategies and contributing to project proposals. It was a very fruitful time, and led to new relationships as well as the strengthening of existing ones. As well as the office based work, I also spent a lot of time on the road, visiting projects, talking to communities and trying to get a genuine sense of the impact our work is having.

This is Elizabeth, a member of the community at Kakiring.

Whenever I think about impact, I think about Kakiring. The people of Kakiring village, a few kilometers south west of Lodwar, are inspiring. I first travelled the long and bumpy road from Kitale to Lodwar in 2010, on a feasibility study for one of our partners, Bridge Water Project. I had been living in Kakamega, Western Kenya, and helping to restructure the project when the opportunity came up to travel north. I jumped at it. An old gentleman called Geoffrey was looking for partnerships to help him support the people of Kakiring, and I agreed to travel with him to meet the people and take a look.

The days I spent there 2 years ago have never left me, and so when I was in Kenya last month I made it a priority to pay Kakiring a visit, and confirm that the borehole and hand pump scheme we worked on last year was serving the community and that the people were able to look after it correctly.

The handpump in use at Kakiring

It was fantastic to see. The pump was serving the people of Kakiring as well as the neighbouring villages. The 3 hour walk to the river was no more, and people looked visibly healthier. Children’s faces were shiny where once they were dull, and there were places to discreetly have a bucket shower behind every hut. I was welcomed like a true friend. We ate githerie (maize and beans) under the stars, and danced to the beat of the drum until the moon rose high into the night sky. There was a sense that things were getting better in Kakiring, and an energy that comes from achieving something tangible.

Jackson Ewoi and myself catch up after a long time!

The overflow from the borehole had been encouraged into a channel which led into a fenced plot ready for cultivation. These semi nomadic pastoralists were thinking of planting. A first tentative step away from the reliance on food aid that is the norm in this part of the country.

Everyone talks about impact all the time, and struggles to quantify it. Numbers served, diseases reduced or eliminated. Children in school. Dishracks, washing lines, and latrines in homes. Income generating activities. All of these are indicators of positive impacts that water, sanitation and hygiene projects can achieve. And I think about all of this too, but sometimes when I think about impact, I just think about Kakiring, and the genuine relief written all over the faces of those whose lives have been transformed through access to a functioning handpump.

What the future holds is not clear for such marginalised peoples, but it is great to see Kakiring pull together, look after their supply successfully, and start to make plans for the future that are based on the goal of self sufficiency.

I’ll be back there soon I hope, and look forward to working with the people as they take the next step forward.

World Water Day is a chance for us to cheer about our community (you!) and most importantly the communities we serve in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and most recently Burkina Faso.

Water is something we all share. It’s a community resource. Making sure we all have access to the 1% of the earth’s water we can actually drink will always require that we work together.

So, this World Water Day, we want to take a moment to celebrate how community makes that happen.

Thank you. Your Voice Matters.

Over the past few years, thousands of you rallied your own local community to help provide clean, safe water to villages in Africa.

From car washes (like this one at Cashmere High in New Zealand), to bake sales, water walks, talent shows, and even teeter-tottering, you helped build a first step – access to clean, safe water.

And right now, tens of thousands of people are building on that foundation. Developing communities are using their new resource everyday – not just to survive, but to thrive and work toward an even better tomorrow – just like you do.

Without your voice, in your community, this wouldn’t be possible.  So to better celebrate World Water Day, why not take a moment to invite someone new to the story?

Head over to Facebook or Twitter and post an update about what we’re doing together.  Encourage your friends to “Like” or “Follow Us“.

Together we can make an even bigger impact.  (For fun, for every 100 new likes we get we’ll give away a water bottle to a random follower.)

People Change Everything.

We know that the greatest accomplishments and the most exciting new ideas made possible by our work won’t simply pour out from the tap of a new well. They’ll come from the hands and minds of the people who use it.

People change everything. Clean, safe water helps make that possible.

That’s why today is most importantly a chance to celebrate the amazing communities we are privileged to partner with in countries like Kenya.

One of the most recent success stories is unfolding in Mtito Andei, a small town on the road between Nairobi and Mombasa in Kenya

Here, TWP’s partner, The Africa Sand Dam Foundation, is working with the Kakai Self Help Group. The people of Kakai have organized themselves into a team comprised of 22 men and 18 women.  This leadership team plays an integral role in mobilizing the rest of the community as they work to construct a sand dam and shallow well.

Sand dams are an amazing type of water project.  And it’s why we’re really excited about our new partnership with ASDF.

A sand dam traps seasonal rain behind a small dam.  Over time it fills with sediment (sand) which traps water.  That water can be collected for drinking, but it also raises the surrounding water table making agriculture much more sustainable.

These projects help provide what is called “food security” – an assurance that what you plant you’ll be reasonably certain you can harvest.   Access to water and food security can go hand and hand, and the U.N. just happens to be focused on it this World Water Day.

Sand dam full of water, just after it was completed

What we love most about these projects though, is that it’s the communities who build them.  From gathering stone, to mixing concrete, building forms and putting it all together – there’s work for everyone.  Your support helps pay for supplies, engineers, well pumps and training.  But it’s the community that makes it happen.  In the end, the size of the dam and the incredible amount of water it stores is only eclipsed by the pride of ownership the community will have.

We hope you’ll watch as we work to fund another ten of these large scale sand dam projects this year.

Maybe you’ll even want to join in too.  Happy World Water Day!

There’s no question that the latest report from the folks tracking progress of this MDG contains a lot of good news.  Millions of people throughout the world have received “improved” (not necessarily clean or safe) access to water over the last decade.

Many good people have been working hard during that time to focus the world’s attention on what we know to be a foundational building block in improving people’s lives – access to clean, safe water.  We’re keenly aware that without goals like these and the attention they generate, the progress we see today would likely have been far less.

So, first let’s celebrate that.  A rising tide indeed floats a lot of boats.

At the same time though, let’s not get carried away in claiming “success” in meeting any goal just yet. There is far too much work left to do.

As the report spells out so clearly, in graph after graph and map after map, the rural poor living in many sub-Saharan African countries are still missing out on even the most modest progress toward basic access to water.  That’s not to say that some very good things have not been accomplished there too.  They have.  But the new data released this week makes clear what we have long suspected.

The relative ease of providing access to water in urban centers, affluent neighborhoods, or in rapidly developing economies belies a universal truth of low-hanging fruit.  The easy work will always get done first.

That’s not an indictment of what has been done or the decisions made to begin in these places.  Instead, it should serve as a good reminder that the work gets harder from here.   Progress will not continue at this pace unless we re-double (or better) our commitments.

A voice to the voiceless

From the beginning, we at The Water Project have recognized that organizations like ours have a unique opportunity to focus on the poorest of the poor.  This report simply reminds us that many of these voiceless communities, so often last in line for everything, are still little better off than they were.  The need is as great as ever.

According to the report, “The number of  people in rural areas using unimproved water sources is five times greater than in urban areas,” and “in sub-Saharan Africa…only 35 per cent of people in the poorest quintile [use an improved drinking water source]“.

It’s just one reason The Water Project has chosen to work out away for the center of town.  It’s why we seek out partners dedicated to these folks.  We believe our small, nimble and indigenous partners – often longstanding members of the communities they serve – are best qualified to lay the groundwork for the kinds of interventions needed to break the cycle of poverty.  Investments like a new water project fundamentally change the landscape in these communities and unlock human potential.   Water is the means, a beginning and not the end.  We’ll continue working toward these beginnings in poor rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa until these voices join their fellow citizens, rising from poverty under their own power.

As we do, we need to be honest.  Working at this scale, out among the poor, is hard.

We know it’s hard because it happens face to face, in the messy relationships of community.  We must account for a myriad of cultural challenges, non-existent infrastructure, broken promises, wrong motivations, and unexpected setbacks.  In fact, we expect to spend a good amount of time being disappointed.  It’s that tough.  But it’s the truth when you’re committed to people, not hardware.

Still, all the while, we eagerly anticipate success amidst these trials.  They are indeed that much sweeter for everyone involved.  When our partners have installed a new water pump with a community and not just for it, a much greater good becomes possible.  Voices get a little louder.

Resetting the bar

Access to clean and safe water is a lofty goal.  Indeed the standard we’re setting for our projects goes far beyond what is being celebrated today.  It’s something you’ll see us talking a lot about this year.

With your help, we’ll have the time, the resources and the passion to lend a hand even when these goals seems impossible.  We are more convinced than ever that the investments we make in people’s lives, by providing something as simple as a water well, will pay huge dividends to the people of the communities we serve, and ultimately to the world we share.

Today, with a bit more dirt under our fingernails, we’re ready to take what we’ve learned and double-down on the challenge.  We’re prepared to raise the flag of hard-slogging, back-breaking, disappointment-ridden work for the people who need it most.  After all, we never said this would be easy.

So, here’s to a new goal.  Let’s prepare to celebrate the day we close our doors for good…when no one needs our help anymore to find something to drink.

And until then… let’s get back to work.

Been thinking about doing something for the first time, or even a second or third time, to help bring clean water to those in need?  Boy, do we have a great date for you!  Grab a pen, your iPhone, your family calendar, or your church bulletin; and mark down Thursday, March 22nd.  This day is set aside each year as World Water Day (WWD), where people all over the world talk about water, and its vital importance.

WWD is no small thing!  The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.  Each year since 1993 people have been getting out there and making a splash in their world for clean water.

This year’s focus is Water and Food Security.  Did you know that 70% of the water used in the world is used for agriculture?  Growing food takes tons of water, literally!  In fact, it takes about 3963 gallons of water to produce just 2 pounds of beef!  So without adequate water, people can’t grow adequate food.  Having access to clean, reliable water sources is important not just for drinking, bathing, and other hygiene practices, but for growing food.

Join us this year, and do something to commemorate WWD this March 22nd.  Host a fundraising event like a walk for water, take the Water Challenge, run in a road-race and get sponsors, and give the gift of clean water to those who do not have it.  Follow us on Facebook and Twitter and re-post the news and project updates we post.  Check out our Get Involved page for more ideas about how you can make this year’s World Water day a wave of success!

And invite a friend!  May as well ‘make it a date’!

Tess with children in Rwanda; see the woman carrying water in the background?

In the late autumn of 2011 we started meeting via Webex each month with students from colleges and universities all over the country.  Our goal?  To connect them to other like-minded peers and leaders who are interested in being a part of the solution to the economic water crisis that keeps millions without access to clean, reliable water sources.

In December we began recording the calls; I tell you, this is so fun!   So why bother doing the recording?  So we can share news from the field, and begin to catalog conversations that others (like you) can listen to and learn from, at your leisure!

Jack, the voice from the field

For our December call we had an interview with Jack Owen, our Program Manager, where we heard about a pilot project we are beginning in Kenya with a Field Partner, Pamoja Trust.   Working in informal urban settlements around Mombasa, the pilot project will establish two water kiosks, provide hygiene and sanitation training, and is expected to serve between 2500-3000 people.  Listen to our chat with Jack by clicking this link, and hear more details about this project, and stories of changed lives.

What’s next in our line up of recorded topics?  Keep your eyes open for topics such as ‘Time is Money Water!’ (to be recorded during our Jan. 25th call),  ’Technology Spotlight’, and others.  Have ideas for discussion topics?  Write to us!  We’d like to hear from you.

“Catch you on the radio”, as they say!

Kat Graham and Peter Chasse at "The Ripple Effect" in Los Angeles.

This past Saturday, December 10th, Kat Graham and Ian Somerhalder hosted “The Ripple Effect” in Los Angeles to benefit The Water Project. It was a beautiful evening, complete with a red carpet welcome, live and silent auctions, and presentations by the hosts and our founder, Peter Chasse.

Over 200 people turned out to show their support, including a number of Kat and Ian’s friends from the CW Network. Ms. Graham, who previously sponsored a water well through donations to her fundraising page on myWaterProject, worked with Jane Owen PR to organize every detail of the evening. She arranged sponsors, solicited gifts for the auction, and made sure everyone had an amazing time.

According to GiveBackHollywood.com, “Celebrities that attended to support the cause include Emmy Rossum, Nina Dobrev, Michael Trevino, Jenna Ushkowitz, Arielle Kebbel, Krysten Ritter, Camille Winbush, Christa B. Allen, Deborah S. Craig, Matt Lanter, Tiffany Hines, Judi Shekoni, Perez Hilton, Tamra Barney, Eddie Judge, Bianca Lawson, James Kyson Lee, and Marisa Quinn. Matthew Koma, best known for his hit “Novocaine Lips” on the Abduction soundtrack, entertained the celebrity audience.”

Throughout the evening, guests tweeted support of The Water Project and helped introduce our work to thousands of new people. We’re still tallying all the donations that have been made as a result, but we can say that many new wells and water projects will be built in 2012 thanks to Kat Graham’s Ripple Effect event. We couldn’t be more thankful!

We’ve posted a few shots from the event…more to come.

See who dropped by…

But what makes Libby so cool is that she has used her love for baking as a way to raise money to bring clean water to a community in Africa.  Muffin Mondays she calls them.

Every Monday since early October Libby has delivered freshly baked muffins to the Teacher’s Room at her school in Harrison.  Flavors vary each week and have included Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Granola, Blueberry, and Cinnamon Apple Crumble.  Wrapped in clear plastic wrap so the tantalizing goodness can be seen, each muffin is labeled with this equally clear message … these muffins don’t only taste good, they DO good.

They taste good, and do good!

Each muffin is only $1, but that $1 is a gateway to clean water.  Libby’s loyal teachers and fans have been doing their part by ordering their muffins each week, and Libby and her family are gaining momentum toward their goal to fund a well.

What about the rest of Libby’s family?  Well, Dad holds the invaluable (and lucky) role of being an official taste tester; and sister Maggie is helping out in the kitchen measuring out yummy ingredients.  The inspiration of all this family fun?  Libby’s Grandmother, who has seen first-hand the need for clean water during mission trips to Africa.  Her stories shared with Mother Meg and Granddaughter Libby stirred up the passion for clean water that led the Graham family to bake treats that will turn into taps (or more likely pumps) of clean water.

So my only question?  If Monday’s are for muffins, what about Tuesday and the rest of the week?!

To track Libby’s progress, see the family fundraising page here: http://thewaterproject.org/community/profile/meg-graham

Yet, so often, we get caught up in images like these. Don’t get me wrong, there is every reason to. The first drops of clean, safe water for a school bring dramatic and immediate changes.  In an instant, children – often young girls – are freed from the daily burden of carrying water from a far away stream or infested pond. Water is used for washing and cleaning, restoring dignity and pride. Crops are irrigated and parched plants begin to show new signs of life as the fear of hunger subsides. Stomach aches fade and soccer games take on a new found energy. Childhood resumes.

But it’s the unseen that is truly remarkable. When you step back for a moment, another image emerges.

When I gaze into these faces, I see the future. I see young men and women engaged in learning. I see healthy, rested minds hard at work. I see this young girl, Purity, with time to dream about what she’ll be when she grows up. I see a market stand opening, packed with vegetables and crafts – products of fertile fields and productive hands. I see a leader, Steve, inspired by what someone did for him, yearning to help his own neighbor escape poverty.

I’ll admit though, I still get caught up in the moment. Water flowing, children splashing, and everyone cheering the opening of a new well will do that. In our narrowly focused world, we’re so used to goals and accomplishments. We love to celebrate what is “finished.” But if we stop there, we’ll miss the fullness of what is happening.

So let’s not forget that today is day one. The hard work of the next steps begin now. Hope is only beginning to bear fruit.

Then, when we celebrate with a community or a school like this one, we can celebrate things that we’ll likely never see – future events that we’ll certainly not have a hand in. We can celebrate Purity’s graduation from high school. Or Steve’s successful new enterprise, fresh out of university. We can cheer as a new school is constructed or as the local church fulfills its mission and raises nearby villages from poverty. We can celebrate things we cannot even imagine.

That’s what it means to join in their story. That’s what it means to hope for Steve and with Purity, and all their friends at the Care Compassion Orphanage.

When water comes… everything changes. These smiles are only the beginning.

What do you see?

That’s the goal, every day, for the Lowe family from Abilene, Texas.

We met Matt, Amy and their two children, Liam and Mary when they called recently about starting a fundraising page so that Liam, pictured here with Dad, could love people by helping build wells in Africa.

As we read through Liam’s page, we met a remarkable young man who has spent many months over the last year battling leukemia in a Texas hospital.  Things had been going well.  Liam had even recently been home for a month in Abilene, in remission.

But Liam soon spiked a fever that just wouldn’t go away.  While checking up on the fever and a few other symptoms in the emergency room, they discovered his cancer was back.

The Lowe family returned to the hospital for more treatment and by July 29th, Liam had been back in the hospital for a few days with plenty of his own concerns.  But, apparently, worrying about himself isn’t what helps Liam through the day.

Dad and Liam were sitting together that day talking instead about how some children don’t have the food and water they need.  They wondered why some of those children have to work instead of going to school.  As they talked about how they could love others,  Liam decided to give some of his own money to help people in need get food and water.  He gave part of his money to buy chickens; and the other part he wanted to donate to bring clean water to children who are in need.  But that still wasn’t enough.

Liam’s a big thinker. His big goal was to fund two entire wells in Africa!  So the Lowe family set the goal of raising $13,500, the average cost of two wells in many of the countries where The Water Project works.  Amy was sure they could meet this goal.  They are surrounded by loving family and friends…who all lent a hand.

Remarkably, only two weeks later,  Liam had reached his goal!  Within days, the local paper heard of Liam and his acts of love and published a great story about this young hero.  The day the article ran, Liam’s original page received even more donations, this time from new friends the Lowe’s have never met. Taking a cue from Liam’s younger friends, who donated amounts like $4.25, $6.68 and $5.17,  many folks seemingly emptied their piggy banks to help Liam raise more than he dreamed.

Everyone seems eager to follow the example of this courageous boy.  Liam inspires.   In the midst of fighting his own battle with cancer, he is strong enough to create hope in the lives of others – half a world away.  All by simply living each day to create, to learn and to love.

We have all learned a lot from Liam.  So, that leaves the rest of today to create and to love…

Students at Southwest Chicago Christian School in Tinley Park, Illinois have been learning about the lack of clean water available to people throughout the world.   As Principal Terry Huizenga wrote, “After hearing that one out of every six people in the world do not have access to clean water and that often women and young children walk more than five miles a day in order to obtain water, students decided to take action.”

In the spirit of the school’s vision statement, “A Christ-Centered Learning Community Intent on Restoring God’s World,” the students raised $26,000.   Students ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade participated in a walkathon in the fall of the 2010-2011 school year, with the purpose of raising awareness and funds for people in developing nations who lack safe drinking water.  The result?  Four communities will have clean water … three in Kenya, and one in Rwanda.  Now that’s faith in action.

But the students didn’t stop at fundraising; they also took time to care about the communities on a greater level.  “As Southwest Christian partnered with the Water Project for this important work, they have also been praying that the communities who receive the wells will come to know the love of Christ through their gift of clean water. “, says Principal Huizenga.

Check out the well projects in Kenya and Rwanda that are possible because of students taking action and making a difference:

See their Projects Here

You can host a walkathon in your community too.  Contact us for a guide of helpful tips to planning this type of event.