Water For People exists to build a world where all people have access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and no one suffers or dies from a water‐or sanitation‐related disease. Our mission is to partner with communities in the developing world in creating permanent solutions to the water and sanitation poverty they face. We strive to extend sustainable services to everyone, without exception, in every district where we work. By achieving 100% coverage in water and sanitation, we close the gaps that leave communities vulnerable to outbreaks of diarrheal disease. And by systematically strengthening local supporting institutions, we ensure the long‐term sustainability of water and sanitation infrastructure and services, independent of further aid from outside charities. This is our commitment to reach Everyone, Forever.
Water For People was founded in 1991 by leaders of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) in response to the world’s growing water crisis. Critical early funding came from AWWA in the form of general support, and as Water For People has grown and refined its strategic plan, it has built a broad base of support from private individuals, corporations, and foundations. The organization continues to be the charity of choice among AWWA’s over 60,000 water supply professional members, the Water Environment Federation and other sectors of North American water community. In 1995, Water For People – Canada was formed as a registered Canadian non-profit organization to better involve Canadian citizens.
Through over 20 years of existence, Water For People has striven to continually improve, to experiment with promising ideas, and to leverage resources to multiply our impact. Our guiding tenet is to “grow our impact without growing our footprint” – facilitating rather than directly implementing water and sanitation solutions to ensure that they will be sustained by local commitment and capacity long after construction is completed. Since 2009 we have been working in eleven countries: Malawi, Uganda, Rwanda, India, Guatemala, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Peru
