One of the founding principles of The Water Project (TWP) was that anyone who helped create a water project should be able to ask questions about how that project is doing, even years after its implementation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nowadays, anyone who funds a water project through us can log in, even years afterward, to ensure the water is still flowing<\/a>. But what we\u2019re still working on, and will likely be a neverending journey for us as we grow, is creating a human connection between the donors who want to help and the people their generosity is supporting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not just geography that separates our donors from those we strive to help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s difficult for people in countries where water is a taken-for-granted utility to relate to those who fend for themselves by supplying their households with water. We have different ways of speaking and writing. We have different expectations. We see the world differently \u2014 and that\u2019s okay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But it means that sometimes our donors need help understanding the perspectives of the people we serve. They have to work harder<\/a> to feel that \u201caha!\u201d moment when they know the person they\u2019re helping is just like them<\/a>. If our donors were born in sub-Saharan Africa, they, too, would face water struggles \u2014 but they weren\u2019t. So, we had to think of a way to help them understand the water crisis\u2019s terrible impact<\/a> even without having lived through it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To bridge this communication gap, last year TWP hired two new Impact Communication Officers (ICOs), Jacklyne and Olivia, who now have over six months of experience under their belts. Not only do they communicate the impact our donors make, but they also share the urgent need of those still waiting for water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To do this job effectively, someone would need to understand both the water need and the need for those who help to know that their contribution made a difference. Jacklyne and Olivia fit this mold perfectly. Both women worked as part of our Western Kenya team before their new roles, and this experience has proved invaluable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n