Water Mission is partnering with Compassion International on a global safe water, sanitation, and hygiene alliance through a pilot project initiating in Malawi. The alliance will strive to bring holistic care to children and families experiencing poverty through safe water access.
The newly piloted program will reach the area’s more than 6,000 residents upon completion in 2024. The project will mainstream Water Mission’s well-established safe water processes with Compassion’s program in Malawi for joint church and community engagement.
Herb Ehresman, Director of Strategic Alliances at Compassion International said, “We can reach exponentially more children and families through this partnership than we could on our own.”
Increased water security is linked to gains in food security, economic development, and improved health. Safe water access also enables and encourages healthy hygiene and sanitation behaviors. This access is particularly critical for children as they are less likely to experience malnutrition, disease, and death.
Children are also less likely to miss school due to deadly water-related illnesses, increasing education outcomes. And parents are more productive at home and work, spending less time gathering water, freeing up time for women and children when they no longer spend hours a day walking in remote areas to gather water that often makes them sick.