This past summer, we surpassed 10,000 people served with safe, clean, and sustainable water (we will exceed 14,000 people served by the end of 2021). These numbers are significant and exciting, but they are just the beginning; a substantial amount of work remains.
According to the latest published information more than 785 million people in the world do not have
access to essential water services, and more than 884 million people do not have safe water to drink (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, 2021).
In Nigeria, approximately 60 million Nigerians live without access to safe drinking water (World Bank, 2021).
When what we have completed thus far is compared to what is needed, our efforts can feel like a drop in the bucket; and in some ways, they are. That said, for those whose lives have changed because of the water brought to their community, PFW’s and our Nigerian partner CFF’s efforts are much more than a drop in the bucket.
Still, there is a significant amount of work to do. When we started Partners For Water in 2018, we did not have any delusions of grandeur to change the world; our goal was to change the reality for one community. We have learned a lot in three shorts years. One of those things is that a drop in the bucket isn’t enough. We have committed to scaling our work to make a true and lasting impact in Nigeria and eventually beyond.
Our clean water project investments have grown every year since we started, and we are committed to continuing and accelerating our clean water activities. To meet this commitment, we must continue to grow our network of private and corporate partners, which we are confident will happen.
In pondering the importance of effectively scaling to meet needs, I have realized that effectively achieving scale has as much to do with allowing our horizons, imaginations, and dreams to grow as it does with improving our network, strategy, and project capabilities. Every organization that has done any good in this world has had to navigate this process; we are excited to enter this next phase of our journey.
As we enter the final quarter of 2021, we are targeting the completion of at least two more clean water projects this year and will be narrowing our 2022 strategy for water project completion. Stay tuned, and follow us on Instagram for regular updates.
JT
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, April 1).
Access to Clean Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. Retrieved from Centers For Disease Control and Prevention:
World Bank. (2021, May 26).
Worldbank.org. Retrieved from Nigeria: Ensuring Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene for All: