Project Community Update | the impact of COVID-19
The leadership of our partners during this unprecedented pandemic has proven nothing short of extraordinary. The effective and unified actions of our in-country partners are protecting our project regions and saving lives. They are demonstrating the multitude of ways in which trusted leaders can mobilize and protect a community through effective messaging—this influence doesn’t happen […]
Update from Bangladesh | Be inspired
The urban slum communities we support in Bangladesh consist of hard-working rickshaw drivers, domestic workers, and other low-wage earners. They survive one day at a time, without personal savings or a safety net. When their work is disrupted by a pandemic, their families are instantly impacted and at great risk. Our partner organization, DSK, is […]
Update from the Field | Kumira, Bangladesh
Meet the indigenous Tripura peopleWater1st staff recently traveled to Kumira, Bangladesh with a group of supporters and students from our Global Fellows program. The Kumira community is a settlement of displaced Tripura people. As the urban population grew, this ethnic minority was forced to migrate to extremely undesirable circumstances without access to water, electricity, or […]
Bangladesh Reflections | Sophia Dettweiler
In December, I had the opportunity to travel to Bangladesh as a Water1st Global Fellow and see the tremendous impact of clean water and sanitation on the health, happiness, and dignity of slum communities. I saw the huge difference in quality of life between communities with and without clean water and sanitation. When we visited densely populated […]
An Update from Bangladesh | More complex than just clean water
It’s more complex than just clean water. In Bangladesh, Water1st is working in communities with some of the highest population densities in the world. Disease spreads rapidly in these environments, increasing the importance of a comprehensive solution to water and sanitation challenges. Our local colleagues, Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK), provide access to clean water and toilets […]
A Record-Setting 2018
A record-setting 2018, with even bigger dreams for 2019. We set several records in 2018, including raising over $3 million—which will provide 35,000 more people with clean water! You made this possible. You walked in record numbers, bought and shared $100,000 in award-winning wine, and raised $1 million in one unforgettable evening. Our youth programs […]
Introducing Ava Ikbal
Ava is among our amazing group of youth board graduates; her compassion, intellect, and delightful personality continue to make the world a better place. Ava is currently studying International Affairs on the East Coast while remaining engaged with the work of Water1st. In 2016, she spent a week observing our Bangladesh partner’s work (DSK) in […]
Khadun Community-Based Organization
Water1st staff made a monitoring visit to our Bangladesh partner in December 2017. This is one of the stories that inspired us and we wanted to share it with you. DSK, our local partner in Bangladesh, has formed the Khadun Community-Based Organization to facilitate the implementation of water and sanitation programs. A young woman named […]
Bangladesh Water Tour | The Power of Community Organizing
Last week Water1st staff and donors returned from a visit to our project communities in Bangladesh. We are grateful for the warm welcome from the people living in the slum settlements of Dhaka, Chittagong, and Khulna and for the hospitality of our extraordinary local partner, DSK (Dushtha Shasthya Kendra). We thank them for the curry […]
Bangladesh site visit | Breaking the cycle of poverty
We recently visited Bangladesh to evaluate our projects in the urban slums of Dhaka and Chittagong. We are always thankful for the chance to connect with our colleagues abroad and to see how our projects are changing lives. Below are a few highlights from our visit. Breaking the Cycle of Poverty—Girls like Isra can go […]
Meet Eti—she is transforming her community—thanks to YOU
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Eti lives in a slum neighborhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh with her husband and three children. Like millions living in slum settlements, they migrated from a rural area looking for work in the city. She works in a garment factory and he drives a taxi. Together, they earn $75 per month. They can’t afford proper housing, […]
December Bangladesh Site Visit
We just returned from Bangladesh to see the work you’re supporting and the impact it’s having. As we walked through the slum settlements of Dhaka and Khulna, we were surrounded by smiling faces and words of gratitude – “We are so happy! Dhonnobhad! Thank you!” With your support, we are currently serving 100,000 people in […]
Water & Community Empowerment
What is the best way to achieve lasting change in poor communities around the world? At Water1st, we believe the answer lies in community empowerment. Community empowerment looks very different than international aid. Community empowerment begins with the belief that the most valuable and most effective force of change exists within the people living in […]
100,000 people with clean water!
Thank you for helping us reach this milestone! Together, we have ended the walk for water for 101,000 people. Since 2005, your support has funded a total of 940 projects. So far this year, your gifts have brought clean, convenient water supplies, toilets, and hygiene education to an additional 19,255 people. We thank our dedicated […]
Those Upstoppable People at DSK – Bangladesh
[photo above: a new water system installed in Chittagong] Bangladesh has had a difficult year. A fire in a garment factory in November killed more than one hundred workers, heightening concern about working conditions. Then in April an entire factory collapsed, killing more than 2,000 workers. Meanwhile, trials are being held on the highly sensitive […]
A new truck stop bathroom in Demra
[Above: Ribbon-cutting ceremony in December 2012 for Demra settlement’s new truck stop public toilet.] I’ve done my share of cross-country road trips (in 1967, ’69, ’74, ’75, ’76, ’79, ’82, ’84, ’87, ’95, ’98, and 2004). It doesn’t take a dozen to realize that a good, clean truck stop bathroom is worth driving hundreds of […]