We recently announced the milestone of reaching 1 million people with clean water access as part of our work to finish the job and reach everyone, everywhere we work with clean water in 29 areas of Zambia. The level of effort by our teams to accomplish this task was herculean and deserves a deeper dive.
To begin with, when we started, there were no existing maps to show us where people lived. It's impossible to reach everyone if you don't know where they are! So, our teams obtained high resolution satellite images and used artificial intelligence to resolve the images down to the level of an individual dwelling. This allowed us to create new-to-the-world maps in each of the areas where we work showing where people lived.
Having the maps of where people lived, we then sent in our field teams with GPS devices to record and catalogue all of the existing water points. Our teams use a software system called "mWater" and have become a global leader in mapping water points. We have now mapped more than 200,000 water points globally and more than 35,000 in Zambia alone.
The next task was to provide a sustainable clean water source near each of the homes as well as in the surrounding schools and health centers. In total, we provided 15,848 water points, water on premises in 383 schools, and 153 health centers.
Please watch this 11-minute video that features Allen Hollenbach, World Vision Senior Technical Director of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, as well as several of our Zambian team members. This will help you appreciate the phenomenal milestone we've accomplished together.
Finish the Job Health
The lack of adequate healthcare is needlessly taking the lives of millions of babies and mothers around the world every year. In the areas where World Vision works, half of the health clinics don’t have clean water and 5 out of 6 don’t even have basic handwashing facilities. Many mothers are required to bring their own water to wash themselves and their newborns after giving birth and, not surprisingly, infections spread under these conditions. While the miracle of birth should be a joyous occasion, too often it becomes a death sentence for mother or baby.
World Vision has a proven track record of effectively improving healthcare by delivering clean water access, handwashing facilities, and infection prevention training to health centers while equipping and training community health workers to prevent and treat diseases in hard-to-reach communities. With your help, we’ll upgrade 3,000 health facilities by 2030, serving an estimated 30 million people.
Part of the finish the job work in Zambia resulted in the upgrade of 153 clinics in the 29 areas we were working. This has brought improved health to more than 1 million people. An evaluation of World Vision's work to upgrade health clinics in Zambia by the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill concluded that World Vision is helping to save lives by tackling malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea (the top three killers of children in sub-Saharan Africa) based on measuring a substantial increase in the capacity of community health workers.
We prepared a 3-minute video that brings to life our work to save lives. We show the before and after of a clinic in Zambia where previously, Nurse Lucky struggled to do all he could to help his patients, and end the video celebrating the upgrade of his clinic. This heart-worming story shows the impact we are making together by upgrading clinics and training community health workers.
Thank you for supporting our work to transform and save lives with our water and health work.
More Health impact data
In addition to the UNC evaluation mentioned above, an evaluation was conducted to determine the impact of our work with the Rotary and Gates Foundations to train and equip community health workers (CHWs) in Zambia. This collaborative effort trained 2,500 (CHWs) to serve 1.25 million Zambians. The evaluation showed that CHWs became an essential first point of care. Because of this effort, over 1.3 million malaria cases were identified and treated. These cases might otherwise have gone untreated or been delayed, resulting in needless deaths. We are thankful to our partners who are helping us save lives.
We're thrilled that our documentary, The Long Walk for Water, has now been accepted into five film festivals. World Vision supporters around the country are holding events to watch the film and discuss World Vision's work. Please contact your donor representative if you're interested in hosting a watch party. Here's a 90-second trailer about the film.
Coming soon!
My memoir Thirsty for a Miracle is available for preorders. It's my true story of helping bring clean water to millions of people and finding my purpose along the way. Thank you to everyone who has helped in this journey. I'm eternally grateful. Learn more at drgregallgood.org
Prayer requests
Give praise for the expertise of World Vision staff who are achieving remarkable impact based on the support of our donors.
Pray that we continue the finish the job momentum in Honduras where we are half-way to our goal, and in Ghana where we are in our first year.
Pray that our work creates momentum so that we can fulfill our vision of everyone, everywhere we work having access to clean water and improved healthcare.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, we serve alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.
In 2025, 86% of World Vision's total operating expenses were used for programs that benefit children, families, and communities in need. Learn More.
World Vision, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063
