Water for South Sudan, Inc.

Following decades of unspeakable atrocities, unrest, and war, South Sudan finally gained its independence from Sudan in 2011. However, the newest country in the world still struggles to attain the most basic needs. A decade on, South Sudan still lacks a functioning government, social services, infrastructure, healthcare, education, and basic services for its citizens.

Water for South Sudan’s work is predicated on a deceptively simple concept: Clean water changes lives. For many—especially those in remote, rural areas—access to clean, safe water and the opportunities it brings is the first step toward healthier communities, economic development, and increased access to education—especially for girls.

Elevate Prize funds will be used to extend and expand upon our proven successes by implementing school latrine and water distribution projects, thereby serving immediate needs but also reaching further beyond to elevate the next generation of South Sudanese. A minimum prize of $300,000 would impact multiple communities and thousands of individuals.

Project Details:

School Latrine

• New water well
• toilet facility 
• hygiene training for school and community

Cost per latrine: $45,000 

Total cost: $135,000

Water Distribution

• Water storage tower 
• solar-powered pump 
• pipes
• water taps throughout the community

Cost per water distribution project: $50,000

Total cost: $150,000

Contingency: $15,000

Total Budget: $300,000

I started as WFSS’s first U.S. employee, a part-time office administrator, in 2010, and grew with the organization. I became Executive Director in 2015, and our U.S. team now has 5.5 employees. The WFSS South Sudan team has increased to accommodate our growing programs, with 66 full-time and seasonal employees—all East African, and 98% South Sudanese. We are developing our people as we develop our organization, and empowering the communities of South Sudan to create their own change.

WFSS will remain in South Sudan, doing WASH work, expanding to include projects such as water storage and water filtration, and working with communities to implement projects that are truly self-sustaining. Our vision: to see South Sudan take its rightful place in the world. 

On our South Sudan team’s recommendation, we launched a sister organization in South Sudan—Water for South Sudan Foundation—that Water for South Sudan, Inc., will continue funding. This national NGO is eligible for local funding in South Sudan and will help us develop partnerships and funding for current and future projects. Along with growing our global base of support, the new organization will enable our work to continue for as long as it is needed.

UNICEF states 5.1 million people in South Sudan (2.1 billion worldwide) live without the most basic access to safe water, sanitation services, and hygiene education (WASH). To survive, families must drink dirty water, putting them at risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea—leading causes of death among children in South Sudan. Furthermore, misinformation, illiteracy, and lack of access to media outlets have made it challenging to change hygiene behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Water for South Sudan (WFSS) elevates communities and empowers individuals to improve their quality of life by: 

• sustainably drilling and repairing water wells;
• providing sanitation services;
• delivering training on village-level water, sanitation, and hygiene challenges; and
• providing dignified opportunities for employment to South Sudanese. 

WFSS has provided more than 490 water wells, serving hundreds of thousands of people every day in rural communities. With access to clean water, life improves dramatically:

• health improves, especially for the youngest and most vulnerable;
• communities develop markets, leading to economic opportunities and advancement; and 
• schools and clinics can be built, providing the first opportunity for education and healthcare.

Clean water changes everything and we believe in not only providing access but doing so in a local and sustainable way.

Innovation for WFSS is a two-pronged approach. Local leadership and staff ensure we understand the people we serve and their challenges. Identifying solutions that work in South Sudan, a country totally lacking infrastructure, ensures that we deliver in the most effective and sustainable way.

WFSS staff:

• consults with local government officials to determine areas of need;
• meets with village elders to determine the placement of wells;
• works with local leadership to understand village-specific needs and provide hygiene and well-maintenance training; 
• works with community members throughout the project implementation process; and
• ensures sustainability by giving well ownership to the community.

WFSS staff identifies solutions that work in South Sudan by:

• working with engineering students to study the causes of handpump failure, reducing the need for basic repairs;
• implementing larger and more sustainable solar-powered water distribution systems;
• exploring ways to filter available groundwater; and
• developing village savings programs that support community well maintenance to ensure long-term sustainability. 

Grounded in the reality of the challenges of working in South Sudan, our innovative approach, paired with our vision of a country where every person has access to WASH, provides hundreds of thousands of individuals with the most basic human right: water.

Water for South Sudan (WFSS) delivers access to life-saving and life-changing clean water, hygiene, and sanitation services, empowering people to improve their lives. Our work also creates economic and educational opportunities; markets, schools, and clinics can only emerge with a nearby source of water. When women and girls no longer walk miles each day for water, a new future can emerge for half the population.

Our organization is led and staffed by South Sudanese, who understand the people, language, and customs, along with their challenges. We are elevating our team members, providing training and experience, leading to a more developed workforce. Our local NGO is recognized for the quality of our work and is a visible source of pride for our team.

Our work not only impacts the people we serve in South Sudan, but also touches the thousands of people around the world who support us. Whether through a personal donation or fundraiser, people young and old connect to the importance of clean water for all. We are inspiring young global philanthropists and global citizens to make a difference in South Sudan. Once they see the changes they enable with WFSS, they are ready to change the world.

Water for South Sudan's WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) projects directly serve ~325,000 South Sudan residents annually. 

Based on our annual project goals, we anticipate an additional 26,000-40,000 beneficiaries within the next fiscal year (based on the average of 650-1,000 users per well daily).

Impact Goals and Action Items:

• Strengthen relationships with South Sudanese NGOs, government, and foreign embassies by:

  • Hosting regular Kuajok (Warrap) WASH cluster meetings

  • Building relationships and securing partnership agreements with key NGOs

  • Engaging with South Sudanese government officials

  • Extending/developing relationships begun via COVID work with UNICEF and others

• Attend strategic operations and fundraising events in Africa, US, and elsewhere 

• Maintain current partnerships and establish new connections

• Form subcommittee to establish cost, pricing, inventory plans, supply chain, etc., and policies to determine whether or not to accept proposed contracts

• Research models, partners to undertake a micro-finance village savings program to support sustainability projects for village-level maintenance of wells and/or water purchase

• Strengthen relationships and connect with South Sudanese networks, with emphasis on Syracuse, Buffalo, Boston, Chicago, and Southern California

• Build teacher network, strengthen Teacher Advisory Council, improve ALWTW and curriculum support materials 

Proposed Projects

• Drill 40-50 new wells and rehabilitate 50 older wells for WFSS sponsors,

• Provide hygiene education in every village we visit (90-100), and for a water storage project in Maiwut

• Implement water filtration pilot project with Rose Hulman Institute

• Construct water storage system

• Construct second latrine project at a school in Wau

Our greatest impediment is establishing the best processes for both the South Sudan and US teams. Understanding our differences related to language, culture, technology, infrastructure, and access to the supplies necessary to complete our work is vital to creating systems and processes that work for all of our operations—from South Sudan Country Director to US Executive Director, field operations employees to US administrative staff—our interconnectedness is necessary to complete our work. When we aren’t understanding each other’s communication or needs, it’s impossible to create systems that work efficiently. 

The South Sudan team has identified critical WASH needs in their area and created successful and sustainable clean water projects. We are now identifying the management and administration processes necessary to take the organization to the next level of excellence.

Winning the Elevate Prize would mean our team could:

• Learn and develop best practices for project management that works in South Sudan;

• Improve communication across continents, between varying levels of English, with limited regular internet access (especially when operating teams are in the field);  

• Establish processes that make sense for local operations in South Sudan;

• Introduce meaningful development training activities to support our US and South Sudan staff members.

With supporters in 50 US states and 57 countries, we recognize we have only begun to tap into the potential of our supporters. Access to a larger platform, audience and the Elevate brand will increase our visibility and help us grow our funding support. Outside of the vital support we receive from donors across the globe, the Elevate Prize platform would open us to share a deeper understanding of the need for clean water, ways to protect the health of this precious limited resource, and how we can make the most impact by simply providing access to the most basic human right: the right to clean water.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are values ingrained into the foundation of WFSS. We've developed, implemented and adhere to the following policy:

Approved Diversity Statement: 

Water For South Sudan, Inc. is strongly committed to incorporating diversity in all aspects of our operations. We take great care to comply with all relevant local, state, and federal regulations regarding equal opportunity. We do not discriminate in management, employment, or service delivery on the basis of any legally protected attribute, including gender, ethnicity, race, disability, age, and religion.

We recognize the critical importance of advancing the rights and opportunities for women in a country that has historically been deeply patriarchal.

In addition, our team in South Sudan seeks equity and inclusion and is actively working to increase the number of women employed by our organization, a goal shared by the Government of South Sudan. We recognize the critical importance of having more women on our team, and in advancing the rights and opportunities for women in a country that has historically been deeply patriarchal.

Water for South Sudan addresses the problems of inadequate access to safe water and sanitation, deficiency of hygiene education, and long-standing tribal conflicts over land and water sources in South Sudan, the world’s newest country. Our local staff is well-positioned to address these problems as a result of our relationships with the communities we serve, and our track record and experience—500 wells drilled since 2005, serving hundreds of thousands of people every single day. 

We have learned and grown during our 16 years of operations in South Sudan, working through conflicts, the independence of South Sudan, and infrastructure and bureaucratic obstacles. Through all of these difficulties, we have always been able to continue our work. Our local team knows the landscape and is well-equipped to navigate the constant challenges we face working in a developing country. 

Speaking the local languages and knowing the customs and the people assist us in navigating and traveling throughout our operations areas. Our local team helps us maintain awareness of, forecast, and respond to shifting landscapes—whether manmade or natural. Understanding the people and their needs helps us to implement meaningful and sustainable programs that empower communities to make great change.

I was the first US employee, part-time office administrator in 2010, and my role evolved until I was named Executive Director in 2015. Our board of directors had overseen the organization, and a board member served as COO. This worked well as our team in South Sudan grew. Over time, our team began to chafe under the sometimes authoritarian rule of one COO, and I observed our organizational structure was no longer fitting our needs. I raised these concerns with board officers and supported our team as they advocated for change. Our old structure was no longer working; it was time to fully step into the role as executive director.

Conflict ensued and it was a turbulent time. While some saw the conflict as personal, I saw the organization’s needs, advocating for a new way, for the sustainability of the organization. Board officers and I navigated the challenge, talking through issues, raising concerns constructively; holding space for new ideas. It was challenging and stressful, I saw the organizational structure needed and held that as my “North Star” going forward. 

We resolved the issue and revised our structure and WFSS is stronger than ever.

Charity Navigator - Facebook live interview on World Water Day, March, 22, 2021

Great.com interview

Radio interview on WXXI - Rochester, NY NPR news station

TV interview, with Salva Dut, on KUSI, San Diego (at 3:56 mark)

TV Interview, with Salva Dut, on WUHF- Good Morning, Rochester (at 3:28 mark and 4ish)

Elevate Prize would be used to address the harsh inequities in South Sudan compared to other parts of the world - 50% of people do not have regular access to clean water, and only 10% of the population has access to toilets. 

Receiving an education in South Sudan is not guaranteed; only 30% of children attend school (according to UNICEF). For children who do attend school, access to water and toilets is not typical. School toilets mean children no longer walk into the bush to relieve themselves or practice open defecation. Access to toilets at school, especially for girls, is a game-changer. Once they reach the age of menstruation, girls without access to a toilet often drop out of school, and are more likely to marry at a young age and begin to bear children. 

School Latrine: Approved sites will receive a new water well, toilet facility, and hygiene training for the school and community

$45,000 ea. (3) = $135,000

Water Distribution: Includes construction of a water storage tower with a tank, and installation of a solar-powered pump with pipes and water taps throughout the community.

$50,000 ea. (3) = $150,000

Contingency | $15,000

Total Budget | $300,000

IOM: The International Organization for Migration contracted with WFSSF to drill four wells in 2021.

UNICEF: WFSSF was a key partner in the Wau, South Sudan, emergency COVID-19 hygiene awareness training in 2020. UNICEF empowered the team with PPE, COVID-19 educational materials, and soap and handwashing supplies, traveling to communities and 25 rural Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs). Additionally, upon identifying PHCCs without access to water, WFSSF drilled and repaired wells at 10 sites bringing regular access to clean water for patients and care providers.

ACF: Action Against Hunger contracted with WFSSF to drill 8 wells in 2021.