Economic Empowerment
We strive to provide comprehensive WASH programming in the communities we serve based on the unique needs of each community. Whether it is a project that provides all aspects of WASH from improved water access, upgraded sanitation services, hygiene education in schools and healthcare facilities, menstrual hygiene management, or simply one or two of these components, all projects must be sustainable and the communities must be able to independently support the resources and programs we provide.
Therefore, many of our community programs include an income generation component around the small-scale manufacturing of WASH-related products such as soap, or reusable menstrual hygiene pads. Often these products are difficult to find or people simply can’t afford them. By teaching community members how to produce these products, we not only ensure that hygiene materials are available to them, but that they can also be sold for household income and donated back into the The WASH Foundation community programs.
A great example is the Keep a Girl in School project, which is presented in the form of a multi-day workshop that begins with Menstrual Hygiene Management education and results in a team of empowered young women who possess the knowledge, tools, and skills to produce reusable menstrual hygiene pads. They can then market and sell these for household income and provide to female students, enabling them to have the resources necessary to attend school comfortably each month of the school year.
Another great example is the creation of community-based groups, or Water User Committees (WUC) that are formed to support the administration, maintenance, and repairs of water access resources, such as community wells. Before The WASH Foundation provides a well, and with government approval, a Water User Committee (WUC) must be formed, its members trained, and a bank account created. Maintenance fees are charged to individuals and households who share the water system, and WUC members collect and deposit these fees into the account for future maintenance and repair needs. In this way, the water system can be sustainably and financially supported when repair needs arise.
To learn more about how you can support our mission, please contact The WASH Foundation at info@thewashfoundation.org
