Looking back at 2009

2009 has been a challenging but rewarding year for WaterAid.

Around the world we have achieved a huge amount and thanks to the commitment of our supporters, staff, partners and communities one million more people now have access to safe water and over two million more have improved sanitation.

We also campaigned with considerable success to raise awareness of the importance of safe water and sanitation as essential services, vital for an end to poverty.

Having the spring changed our lives, we loved it! I use the extra time to go to the field, and grow rice, peanuts and maize.
Cristina Viejas, Mozambique

Despite the economic downturn our supporters’ commitment enabled us to raise $4.9 million in the US last year, and increase our program support by 71% over 2008.

While of course we have felt the impact of the recession here, it is people in the world's poorest countries, such as Bangladesh, that are always most affected. This year saw the culmination of a major program of our work there, through which 1.8 million people gained access to clean water and 5.7 million to sanitation.

An independent evaluation of the five year program showed that an estimated $10 million has been saved in medical costs for households. These figures show one of the big issues that we have been highlighting in our policy work this year: that water and sanitation really are the foundation for human development.

We launched our ambitious new Global strategy for 2009 to 2015 in October this year and started working in eight new countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, bringing the number of countries we work in to 26 worldwide. We also opened a WaterAid office in Sweden, which will raise vital funds and help influence change.

Over the next five years, through our investment in our partners – local governments, community based organizations, non governmental organizations and local businesses – we aim to reach 25 million people with water, sanitation and hygiene programs directly and four times this number indirectly through our advocacy and influence work.

As ever, we look to our supporters and our partners to help us achieve our targets. There is a lot that anyone can do to get involved and help to reach the 884 million people without safe water and 2.5 billion without sanitation.

Take for example our supporters at the Black Women's Residence at St. Lawrence University, NY who organized a Taste for Life dinner for fellow students. In addition to raising awareness, they raised $600 and students expressed a strong interest in having another Taste for Life dinner next semester.

Individuals around the world are doing amazing things to help transform people’s lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities.

Thank you all for your ongoing commitment and support.