Lifewater International

This sharply focused organization specializes in providing individualized technology, training, and support on a village by village basis to bring water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs to poor communities in rural areas. 

(Updated October 2018) 

Lifewater International’s end goal is to bring comprehensive, sustainable Wash solutions to a region.   But the process begins by identifying potential influencers in a village, educating them in sound WASH practices, and equipping them to take their newfound knowledge and practices to their neighbors.  In this way, the organization ensures grassroots participation and ownership throughout the village.  The solutions crafted by each village with help from Lifewater often position the community to tackle, and ultimately solve, other problems — as well as share their success with neighboring villages.

In addition to the leverage inherent in the idea of raising up advocates and trainers one household at a time, there is one other thing that sets Lifewater’s programs apart.  That is, “sustainability” is given high priority at the community level as well.  Careful attention is paid to engaging communities in the process from start to finish – in addition to educating villagers about WASH issues, community members become the advocates, trainers, decision makers, implementers, and evaluators.  In this way, dependency-creating temporary solutions are avoided, in favor of long-term, sustainable solutions.  An exciting side benefit of this approach is that these communities then become ambassadors, sharing their successes with neighboring communities.

Lifewater International is uncommonly effective because of the far reaching ripple effects they generate in the communities and regions they transform.  Supporting this organization is a great way to stretch your donation dollar.

Primary Sector:  Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

Organization Size:  Small — programs are supported by cash contributions totaling
$1,000,000 to $3,000,000 annually

Key Webpages:

Why water:  https://lifewater.org/water-crisis/

How it works:  https://lifewater.org/approach/vision-of-a-healthy-village/

Water solutions:  https://lifewater.org/approach/clean-water/

Sanitation & hygiene solutions:  https://lifewater.org/approach/hygiene-and-sanitation/

Annual Report:  https://lifewater.org/2018-annual-report/

Financial Statements:  https://lifewater.org/about/financials/

Contact Information:  visit https://lifewater.org/ ,   contact  https://lifewater.org/contact/