DENVER—Water For People believes every person around the world deserves lasting access to safe water, and to help realize this vision it has received a three-year, $3 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation in support of its work in the rural Kamwenge District of Uganda. With this grant, Water For People and its local partners will now be able to accelerate and scale their efforts significantly and deliver high-quality water services to over 100,000 people. This partnership puts a strong emphasis on the Forever aspect of Water For People’s Everyone Forever impact model, which increases demand for reliable quality water within the communities served and partners with local government and private sector institutions to create the enabling environment for these services to last.
“Water For People is thrilled to begin working with the Hilton Foundation,” according to Water For People CEO Eleanor Allen. “Our model for impact is well aligned with the Foundation’s strategy for sustainable water access, and we are grateful for the opportunity to embark on this long-term partnership. Together, we will make Everyone Forever a reality and transform the lives of over one hundred thousand people in Uganda, creating impact that will last for generations and a roadmap to end the global water crisis within our lifetime.”
Uganda is one of nine countries where Water For People works and is one of the world’s poorest nations, with a population of more than 39 million people, nearly half of whom are younger than 15. Life expectancy in Uganda is 58 years, per World Bank data, and most of its population relies on subsistence farming, which makes it extremely difficult for children to break out of entrenched family poverty.
Maintenance, Water Quality Issues
A lack of basic services is the main reason why so many in Uganda struggle to survive. Uganda’s official rate of drinking water coverage is actually high—at 79 percent (UNICEF/WHO JMP 2015 Update). But the reality of broken-down pumps and a low quality and quantity of drinking water means families spend hours each day sourcing water at the expense of time spent in school, generating income, or raising children. This pattern will continue until the cycle is disrupted.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Water For People and are excited by the opportunity to make a meaningful difference for future generations of Ugandans,” said Peter Laugharn, President and CEO for the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. “Water For People’s Everyone Forever model seeks to provide a clear and sustainable path for Uganda, one which aims to ensure that every person, health facility and school has lasting access to safe, reliable and affordable water.”
Some of the expected outcomes of this Hilton Foundation grant include:
- Substantially increased, lasting access to high-quality water, with approximately 50 percent of the local population gaining water access on their property;
- Construction of new and expansion of existing infrastructure for piped water supply;
- Local knowledge, capacity and institutions built up to support and manage the systems;
- Local institutions work in concert together to maintain and expand systems as demand for water access grows;
- National government and additional sector partners use the work in Kamwenge as a model for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal #6; and
- Women and girls will no longer have to collect water every day, and instead can focus on getting an education, earning an income and/or raising a family.
Part of Water For People’s Everyone Forever model’s success is attributed to its emphasis on reporting and data, as well as the priority it places on bringing a system’s users into the process with educational programs designed to stimulate demand and teach them how to hold their local institutions accountable. The Hilton Foundation’s grant is particularly timely considering that there are new Ugandan government regulations which prioritize the development of high quality water systems and taps in homes. Water For People and its partners in Kamwenge will be working with others across Uganda to share their experiences and learnings so that they can benefit even more people.
To learn more about Water for People’s mission visit: Water For People; to learn more about the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation visit: Hilton Foundation.
