HOW: Channeling Water Solutions

Episode 6: How Access to WASH Services Transforms the Lives of Ugandan Women – Action for Rural Women’s Empowerment (ARUWE)

Action for Rural Women’s Empowerment’s (ARUWE) Executive Director, Agnes Mirembe, shares her journey and how ARUWE advances women’s rights, climate-smart agriculture, and water access in Uganda. Discover how this local NGO blends personal experience with impactful programs for rural communities. Agnes highlights how water shaped her childhood—and how that experience now shapes her leadership. This episode examines how water scarcity disproportionately affects women and girls, particularly through the burden of water collection and entrenched social norms that perpetuate their vulnerability. Issues such as distant water sources, limited access points, and the impact on education (including menstrual hygiene challenges) contribute to…

Episode 5: How to Strengthen the Role of Women in the Water Sector - Ethiopian Women in Water Association (EWIWA)

Meet Dr. Adanech Yared Jillo, founder of the Ethiopian Women in Water Association (EWIWA)—a local organization in Addis Ababa promoting gender equality in Ethiopia’s water sector. Learn how EWIWA empowers women to lead and influence water decision-making through advocacy, policy change, and capacity building. Dr. Jillo shares her journey and why inclusive leadership is critical to sustainable water management. In this episode, Dr. Adanech discussed her extensive expertise in Ethiopia’s water sector, covering infrastructure development, transboundary water governance, participation in the Nile Basin Initiative, and the intersection of gender and water issues. EWIWA, which she highlighted, seeks to enhance women’s…

Episode 4: How Shared Boreholes Foster Peacebuilding in Africa – Future for Africa (F4A)

Join us as we explore how Future for Africa (F4A), a non-profit in Bolgatanga, Ghana, is improving lives through clean water, sanitation, health, and education. Focused on tribal and Fulani nomadic communities, F4A uses the asset-based community development (ABCD) model to turn local strengths into lasting solutions. In this episode, Delwin Bawa Mansur and Samuel Nayang discussed their efforts to support underserved last-mile populations, including collaborations with Fulani nomadic groups and marginalized communities. Future for Africa’s education program led them to water work, and now they are working to bridge the gap between water and education. At the same time,…

Episode 3: How Local Knowledge and Resources Drive Sustainable Water Solutions – Ugandan Women’s Water Initiative (UWWI)

Join Godliver Businge, the director and Comfort Hajra, program developer from Ugandan Women’s Water Initiative (UWWI), a grassroots organization empowering women and girls as WASH leaders in rural Uganda. Discover how they blend local knowledge, climate resilience, and community mobilization to drive sustainable change. Their work ensures that rural voices are heard and valued in water and sanitation planning. In this Episode, Godliver and Comfort discussed the journey that led them to the water sector and to build stronger communities. Their organization, UWWI, prioritizes empowering rural women by equipping them with skills to become WASH providers. Key initiatives include implementing…

Episode 2: How to Address Ethiopia’s Rural Water Crisis – Drop of Water (DOW)

Hear from Hermella Wondium (Co-founder) and Elfaz Kassa (Programme Director) of Drop of Water, a youth-led organization tackling Ethiopia’s rural water challenges. From university students to WASH leaders, they now support 150+ clean water projects across the country. They share how passion, volunteering, and community partnerships have fueled their growth and impact. This episode recounts how Hermella and her friends were inspired by an encounter with Matt Damon during their university years, which motivated them to address Ethiopia’s water challenges. Their organization, Drop of Water, now implements diverse water access solutions, beginning with a single well and expanding to pipeline…