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
In an increasingly urbanizing world, Water1st’s most significant discovery has been our partner in Bangladesh, Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK). DSK has pioneered a highly-effective means of providing water, toilets, and hygiene education to an urban slum environment.
We began funding DSK in two slum areas in Dhaka in 2006. Since then, they have demonstrated the ability to scale up and spread out. With increased Water1st funding, DSK now implements hundreds of projects a year in Bangladesh’s three largest cities of Dhaka, Chattogram, and Khulna.
The incorporation of micro-lending into the DSK operation model has proven highly effective. Water systems and toilets are not given away. Users must repay the full construction cost to DSK within 1-2 years. Repayment rates have exceeded 96%. These repaid loans are then used to fund more projects. Currently, 49% of our annual budget for Bangladesh comes from repaid loans, leveraging even greater impact.
ABOUT BANGLADESH*
Population: 164,700,000
% living on less than $1.90/day: 15%
Partner: Dushtha Shasthya Kendra
COMPLETED PROJECTS
4,366 projects
199,276 people with clean water and toilets
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
100 loan-based projects serving 4,000 people
*Source: World Bank and UNICEF
The Character of DSK Shines Bright
The urban slum communities we support in Bangladesh consist of hard-working rickshaw drivers, domestic & textile 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 second-to-none when it comes to the technical aspects of our systems, and is also deeply committed to the health, economic security, and dignity of the people they serve. DSK is working tirelessly to mobilize urban slum communities to protect themselves from the spread of COVID-19. They are going door-to-door to educate residents on transmission pathways of disease and hygiene practices people can use to protect themselves, including frequent handwashing, wearing masks, and sanitizing home environments.
Water1st works in urban slums in Bangladesh’s three largest cities—the capital, Dhaka (population 18 million), Chattogram, (4 million), and Khulna (1 million). They have no legal access to public water supply or sewer systems. Adding to the crisis is the rapid increase in urban slum populations in Bangladesh: 150,000-400,000 new residents arrive each year from rural areas seeking a better life for their families.
In these squatter settlements, renters are forced to buy water of unknown quality at very expensive rates. There are no sewer pipes in these neighborhoods, so waste from ‘open’ toilets flows right through the community, making living conditions extremely unhygienic, and sanitary toilets a high priority.
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
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
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
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Sales tax: Sales tax is based on your address. We’ll send you a receipt that includes your sales tax and shipping fee (if applicable).
Approximate shipping costs:
Fall 2021 promotion – Free shipping of orders of 12 bottles (1 case). You may order as many cases as you want. Free shipping promotion is limited to 2 cases/person/month.
Please note approximate shipping costs vary depending on destination. Due to shipping fees that are beyond our control, our suggested minimum order is 3 bottles:
1-3 bottles $24-28
6 bottles $27-37
12 bottles $37-57
*If shipping to Alaska and Hawaii, please call the winery for a quote at (509) 875-2211
Shipping available to the following 36 states + Washington DC: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Water from Wine is a very small winery and unable to benefit from competitive shipping rates that larger wineries enjoy. Wine is shipped via UPS, which adds additional fees for shipping alcohol because an adult over 21 must sign for delivery. Water from Wine does not profit from shipping costs. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns..