Transforming More than 1 Million Lives in 6 Months
This newsletter celebrates the first six months of impact for World Vision’s water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) program for fiscal year 2021.
During this period, we celebrated the completion of our shared commitment to reach 20 million people with clean water. This historic accomplishment is a testimony to the partnership between World Vision, our donors and partners, and the communities in which we serve.
This is the first semiannual report reflecting achievements of our new five-year business plan, which will enable us to transform the lives of millions of people through four strategic goals:
provide everyone everywhere we work with clean water and dignified sanitation and hygiene;
deepen our focus on the most vulnerable people;
demonstrate sustainable impact;
and leverage our $1 billion business plan investments to raise additional funds.
Through this five-year business plan, we commit to reach a cumulative 35 million people with clean water, and, based on our first six months, the data shows we are on track to do this.
In the first half of FY21, World Vision partnered with communities to have one of our strongest starts of any fiscal year. We don’t take it lightly that with your partnership, more than one million additional lives have been transformed in six months! This is an amazing accomplishment.
Specifically, we reached 1,236,053 people with clean water (118% of target), 1,194,362 people with improved sanitation (130% of target) and 1,678,058 people with handwashing facilities (137% of target). We also reached 228,200 people with emergency water and 686,502 with emergency hygiene supplies. In line with our business plan commitment to deepen our focus on the most vulnerable, 93% of these participants live in fragile or extremely fragile contexts and 65% (6,087) of the water collection points in communities were on-premise, household connections.
A silver lining in the global COVID-19 pandemic has been the accelerated effort to improve hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus. We reached nearly double our target for schools gaining handwashing facilities (2,994) and nearly triple our target for healthcare facilities gaining handwashing facilities (819).
Given the important role of faith leaders as influencers in their communities, we stepped up efforts to partner with them in promoting healthy WASH behaviors. In the process, we trained 4,389 faith leaders, 171% of target.
We continued our efforts to ensure inclusion of women in our efforts. During this reporting period, 7,348women participated in water committees (42% of members), 553women were trained in businesses active in the sales, repairs, maintenance, and construction of WASH products or facilities (one-third of total participants) and 1,055 female faith leaders were trained on WASH practices (accounting for 24% of all faith leaders).
During this period, we also launched plans to Finish the Job of providing basic clean water access to everyone, everywhere we work in Ghana and Zambia. The Zambia effort already has received significant financial support through multiyear commitments of more than $10 million during the first half of FY21. These efforts, coupled with the high programming capabilities of the national offices, have provided a strong foundation for leveraging planned investments to raise additional financing.
Sean Kerrigan, VP of Philanthropy for World Vision U.S.
We’re thrilled that Water Warrior Sean Kerrigan will move back to the U.S. in September to take the position of VP of Philanthropy for World Vision US. Most recently, Sean has served as the National Director of World Vision Rwanda leading the team that will reach everyone, everywhere we work with clean water in Rwanda by 2023.
Sean’s not forgetting Rwanda and had this to say “Finishing the Job in Rwanda remains a top priority for the entire World Vision Rwanda leadership team as well as the government of Rwanda. I am more confident that ever that we will get this done and help Rwanda achieve its ambitious goals, setting the stage for finishing the job of providing clean water in other countries including Zambia, Ghana and Honduras. I’m moving to the U.S. with my family, but I remain committed to finishing the job in Rwanda.” Welcome Sean!
Last Chance to Register for our Live Fundraising Event!
Finish the Job in Zambia | Thursday, July 29, 2021| 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET
Every child deserves clean water. Be a part of an effort to empower everyone, everywhere we work with clean water in Zambia.
During the hour-long event you will:
Learn about the water situation in Zambia and how World Vision is partnering to address those challenges
Learn how drillers find water in places like Zambia
Learn how we're helping communities, schools, and healthcare facilities get lasting access to clean water
Join other like-minded people across the country to raise money together and partner with World Vision in making our goal a reality.
Water in Healthcare Facilities | Tuesday, August 17, 2021| 8 - 9:00 a.m. PT / 11 - 12:00 p.m. ET
Join World Vision as we celebrate the fulfillment of our 3-year global commitment and hear about our next steps to bring Water to Healthcare Facilities.
Give praise for the impact of reaching more than 1 million additional people with clean water in the name of Jesus.
Ask for God’s continued favor on World Vision’s water program as we continue to face challenges due to the pandemic in many areas where we do our work.
Pray that the increased focus on handwashing facilities due to the pandemic will continue so that households, schools, and healthcare facilities will have improved hygiene and so that the spread of deadly infectious diseases will be prevented for years to come.
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.
In 2019, 87 percent 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