RWSN at the 43rd UN Water Meeting in Rome

By Valérie Bertschy. Re-blogged from Skat Foundation, RWSN’s host organisation.

Bringing Field Experience into the Preparatory Process for the 2026 UN Water Conference

In March 2026, The Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN) participated in the 43rd UN Water Meeting, held over three days at IFAD headquarters in Rome. As an official UN Water Partner (one of only 39 organizations with that status) RWSN has recognized standing to participate in these intergovernmental preparatory processes, deliver oral interventions, and submit written contributions to official policy documents. 

This article explains what RWSN brought to Rome, what happened there, and why it matters for the communities RWSN serves. 

Context: RWSN, Skat Foundation, and UN Water

Before turning to the meeting itself, a word on institutional roles.

RWSN is a global knowledge network with more than 17,000 members across 190 countries. It is hosted by Skat Foundation – a St. Gallen-based Swiss NGO that provides the secretariat and staff support that keeps the network running. Valérie Bertschy, Knowledge Management Officer at Skat Foundation, represented RWSN in Rome in her capacity as secretariat staff. 

UN Water is the United Nations inter-agency coordination mechanism for all freshwater-related issues, including sanitation. Its Members Meeting are held twice yearly, typically in Rome, and serve as a key preparatory forum for major global water policy processes. RWSN’s status as a UN Water Partner gives it formal access to these meetings – a recognition of its role as a credible, evidence-based voice for rural water across the global governance architecture. 

The 43rd Members Meeting was the second major preparatory milestone for the 2026 UN Water Conference, which will only be the third UN Water Conference since 1977. The stakes are high: the conference is expected to produce a framework shaping global water governance well into the post-2030 period. 

The Conference Framework: Six Interactive Dialogues

The Abu Dhabi conference will be structured around six Interactive Dialogues (IDs), each with member state co-chairs and UN agency co-convenors. These dialogues formed the backbone of discussions throughout the three days in Rome:

  • (a) Water for People – co-chaired by Ghana and Switzerland
  • (b) Water for Prosperity – co-chaired by China and Spain
  • (c) Water for Planet – co-chaired by Egypt and Japan
  • (d) Water for Cooperation – co-chaired by Zambia and Finland
  • (e) Water in Multilateral Processes – co-chaired by Germany and Mexico
  • (f) Investments for Water – co-chaired by France and South Africa
Participants of the 43rd UN Water Meeting in Rome

What RWSN Brought to Rome

RWSN’s participation was grounded in substantial preparation ahead of the meeting. RWSN produced a gap analysis comparing its Draft Position Paper against each of the six concept paper outlines, and prepared six tailored oral interventions (one per dialogue) designed to introduce rural water priorities into the intergovernmental discussion.

Continue reading “RWSN at the 43rd UN Water Meeting in Rome”

Are Governments Simply Technophobic?

By Muthi Nhlema. Re-blogged from Are Governments Simply Technophobic?, LinkedIn. Photo: local government extension using a mobile phone for data collection, Malawi.

Mutala Abdul-Mumin and I recently co-hosted a RWSN – Rural Water Supply Network webinar examining how countries are using water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) data to support progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 targets for #water. More than 240 people joined, and the discussion ran long so we couldn’t cover everything in the time available. A few observations on government adoption of digital technologies stood out, and I wanted to share them.

Firstly, governments recognize the value of data. It is sometimes assumed that governments remain indifferent to evidence, but the presentations from Ghana and Sierra Leone suggested a different picture. There is a clear interest in having a firmer grip on data, provided it is relevant to the decisions governments actually face (that is, addressing actual pain points) rather than information collected for its own sake. Sierra Leone’s use of WASH Accounts to track how financial resources are allocated, and whether they reach sustainable water and sanitation services, illustrated how data was responding to a question the government genuinely had. Because it answered a real question, the incentive to adopt and implement was already there.

Secondly, governments are increasingly embracing digitization. The move from paper-based methods toward digital systems was all the talk across the continent more than a decade ago. The session indicated that this transition is now underway in practice, with both Ghana and Sierra Leone taking different paths to migrating from paper to digital systems and even further to more centralized systems. This is no easy feat though; Sierra Leone has been on this data journey for more than four years and is not done yet, but they are still driving and leading the process.

Thirdly, digitization appears to be broadening ambition. The World Health Organisation presentation highlighted institutional fragmentation (WASH responsibilities being split across different ministries) as one of the most consistent systemic barriers to data-driven decision-making. Governments, using digital tools, are stepping up to address this barrier. In Ghana, in particular, they are leading to make sure WASH data serves more than just the ministry responsible for water, but also other strategic sectors such as health and education. This is a considerable undertaking that will require sustained resources and coordination across government departments, but the willingness to pursue this was evident and shows how digital tools have opened up options that weren’t on the table before.

Lastly, and interestingly given our times, a comment from a participant concerning artificial intelligence made me reflect on one key lesson I believe we can take forward from the digitization experience. When I asked the speakers what role they saw for AI in their work, both countries described a deliberate, sequential approach, meaning they preferred to address governance, financing and underlying systems gaps first BEFORE introducing AI as an additional layer. It was a measured response, and a clear signal that both countries want to move at their own pace. Given the impact AI has had across the world, do you blame them? Learning from the digitization experience, this measured response was not necessarily surprising. The ‘fail fast’ culture may suit NGOs and the private sector, but governments need more time to weigh effectiveness against trade-offs, especially on tax-payer funded services such as water supply.

So, if I had to wrap this up under one simple lesson from this webinar, it would be this: governments are not necessarily technophobic, they are technocautious. And with the current push, mostly via philanthropy, to scale new technologies through government systems, this is a valuable lesson to keep in mind. If nothing else, it could help manage expectations around the pace of government adoption. Fascinating stuff!

My thanks to Fiona Gore (WHO), Suzzy Abaidoo (Ghana) and DAUDA KAMARA (Sierra Leone) for their contributions, and to all who attended. The recording are currently available on the RWSN website for those who missed the webinar or would wish to revisit the discussion. Links can be found below:

Where Water and Energy meet

By Sean Furey. Re-blogged from where Water and Energy meet, LinkedIn.

I have to credit the likes of Patrick Moriarty , IRCWASH, Bethlehem Mengistu Agenda for Change and Duncan McNicholl for getting me back into #SystemsThinking, which I had obsessed over 20 years ago when working on integrated water management withing urban and catchment master-planning for the Environment Agency but once I moved on it faded into the background.

Then, a while back, Tom Chaplin and The Stone Family Foundation asked me whether the private-sector run water mini-grids that they had been supporting in Cambodia were to be found anywhere else in the world. Using the power of the RWSN – Rural Water Supply Network and our network of networks I tried to find any examples around the world that had similarities. I wasn’t very successful. However, as a by-product, I learned a lot about electricity mini-grids and this, along with an experience of meeting village micro-hydropower entrepreneurs in Myanmar with Dipti Vaghela and Hedi Feibel slowly baked into an obsession: could the parallel systems of rural #water supply and rural #energy supply be brought together?

So, I had great discussions over the last year with David Lecoque and Jens Jæger at Alliance for Renewable Electrification and internally, with the RWSN Executive Committee – particularly with James Origa, Ph.D and Diane Arjoon when it came to the #Mission300 – the ambitious World Bank/AfDB investment programme for electrification for 300 million people across Africa.

Attending the #EAIF2026 conference in Nairobi recently, I listened to some great speakers (learned a load of new acronyms and jargon) and had a range of really interesting conversations, some brief, some in depth with wonderfully open, helpful people, including Cornay Keefer , Ravishka Jairam and Prince Innocent from Schneider Electric ; Karin Jeanneret Vezzini from ennos ag ; Jakub Vrba from the Energy Saving Trust ; Mihaela Chirca from Expertise France ; Vivian Vendeirinho ; Leonard D’Cunha ; Dr. Georgia Badelt ; Petteri Pulli ; Sisty Basil ; Elizabeth (Lizzie) Biney-Amissah ; Kondwani Gondwe ; Janos Bonta ; Lena Musoka, MPH, MSc and many more.

Some of my current thoughts on the water + energy link

The graphic is my attempt to distill what I’ve learned through all of this (trying to avoid a systems diagram with lots of squiggly arrows) to identify some leverage points where the two sectors could reinforce each other. Right now, the urban way of thinking and working dominates: water and energy are separate and there are very good reasons for doing that; but applying urban logic to rural areas, with lower populations densities, different economies and different social and cultural norms, does not have great track record.

Instead, how about focusing attention on these three leverage points where the two systems intersect:

Continue reading “Where Water and Energy meet”

From Declarations to Delivery: The Case for Integrated Implementation Systems in Africa’s 2026 Water Agenda

Blog by Peter Wanyangi & Ida Githu (Dr.), Managing Partner,  EED Advisory.

Africa Water Policy Moment: Converging Programmes, Fragmented Delivery

Africa is experiencing one of its most significant water policy moments in decades. In February 2026, African leaders adopted the African Union’s (AU) Water Vision 2063 and Policy, alongside the declaration of 2026 as the Year of Water and Sanitation. This vision recognizes water and sanitation not only as a social service, but also as catalysts for economic growth, food security, and climate resilience, calling on African governments to “position water as a strategic asset for industrialization, agriculture and energy, and an indispensable enabler of primary national development objectives.”

Within weeks of the AU declaration, the World Bank Group launched the Water Forward Initiative at its Spring Meetings in April 2026. The initiative aims to ‘make water systems investable, scalable, and capable of supporting prosperity at scale’. As World Bank Group President Ajay Banga put it, “Water is foundational to how economies function. When water systems work, farmers produce, businesses operate, and cities attract investment.”

Central to this ‘water policy moment’ is a recognition of the economic value of water and the dependence of other sectors on this critical resource. Indeed, water is said to underpin health, food systems, energy, and an estimated 1.7 billion jobs worldwide.

The question then becomes: how do we ensure that these high-level declarations are delivered to local communities, and particularly rural African communities that remain largely underserved?

This question is especially pertinent given other major development programmes advancing in parallel with the water initiatives across the continent, which are relevant to delivering the economic potential of water but are not necessarily presented as such. For instance, there is the Mission 300 initiative, developed by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, which targets electricity access for 300 million Africans by 2030. There is also the agriculture-focused programme, AgriConnect, also developed by the World Bank and aimed at improving smallholder productivity, food systems, and rural incomes targeting 300 million smallholder farmers globally by 2030, with country compacts already launched in Senegal, Guinea, Ghana and Angola. The physical infrastructure component of AgriConnect recognizes that ‘irrigation, transportation corridors such as roads and railways, and electricity form the backbone of a strong agriculture value chain’. 

While the World Bank/AfDB programmes, along with the African Union’s policy framework, were not designed as a single integrated framework, their implementation realities converge at the community level. Reliable water access underpins irrigation and agricultural productivity; energy is needed to pump, treat, and distribute that water; and water and energy systems both become more viable when anchored in productive agricultural demand. As a result, rural development, and specifically economic outcomes in water, energy, and agriculture, are increasingly interdependent, a practical convergence reflecting the logic of the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems nexus.

A useful nexus level implementation lever: PUE & MUS

A conversation at this year’s Energy Access Investment Forum pointed to the convergence of two common yet often unlinked approaches as a low-hanging starting point in delivering these high-level declarations to local communities: Productive Use of Energy (PUE) and Multiple-Use Water Services (MUS). PUE is an increasingly popular approach within the energy sector that refers to the use of energy to create value, be it in the form of productivity or income, employment, or reduced hardship. PUE largely entails using decentralized energy systems (for example, mini-grids and solar home systems) to support income-generating activities. This includes irrigation, agro-processing, cold storage, and small enterprise development. PUE approaches have demonstrated consistent livelihood gains across the region: solar irrigation in Ethiopia has helped over 3,199 households diversify crops and extend cultivation through dry seasons, while solar agro-processing in Uganda has enabled women-led enterprises to reduce post-harvest losses and generate new income streams, with one solar dryer installation alone yielding over US$2,382 in additional income for 90 smallholder women farmers.

Across many African rural contexts, however, mini-grids, a more economical electrification option compared to extension of the main grid, face viability challenges due to limited demand concentrated only in household consumption. Without productive demand, revenue streams remain insufficient for sustainability.

Continue reading “From Declarations to Delivery: The Case for Integrated Implementation Systems in Africa’s 2026 Water Agenda”

Ainslie Street Advisory: Facilities Readiness Assessment

Blog written by William Haggerty, Founder + Principal at Ainslie Street Advisory

At a rural district hospital in West Africa, a medical oxygen production plant went down for scheduled maintenance and a two-day job took almost a week – because the hospital didn’t have a consistent water supply. Replacing a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plant’s zeolite molecular sieve requires clean water to flush the pressure vessels, and submersible pumps require electricity, and the grid is intermittent, and fuel is expensive, and so the maintenance team waited for power, to get water, to clean the pressure vessels, to put the PSA oxygen plant back into service. Meanwhile, the clinical team burned through days of backup cylinder inventory until the oxygen plant finally came back online. This kind of downtime chain reaction happens all the time in limited-resource healthcare facilities [1], and it almost never gets spotted in advance.

All WASH practitioners working in healthcare delivery understand that reliable potable water supply is non-negotiable for safe clinical procedures, patient hydration and nutrition, and effective infection prevention and control, but according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program data from 2023, only 60% of healthcare facilities in sub-Saharan Africa had access to basic water services (defined as an improved water source on the healthcare facility premises)[2]. What’s not often considered is that a reliable water supply is also critical to facilities’ operations and maintenance, and when it’s interrupted, the ripple effects show up in places a WASH assessment would never look – like PSA oxygen plant downtime.

Ainslie Street Advisory developed the Facilities Readiness Assessment (FRA) to catch healthcare infrastructure failures before they happen. The FRA covers water and sanitation alongside electrical infrastructure, medical oxygen supply, waste management, and operations and maintenance, and includes references such as Médecins Sans Frontières’ Public Health Engineering in Precarious Situations and the WHO/UNICEF WASH in Health Care Facilities Global Baseline Report. In the example above, the FRA would have flagged the gaps in power, water, and medical O2 supply before the maintenance team took the plant out of service, enabling the facilities team to prepare by stockpiling a bit of fuel, filling the water tanks, and compressing a few extra oxygen cylinders before getting started. The FRA also distinguishes what matters most across a facility by specifying Critical Life Safety factors, e.g. consistent free residual chlorine monitoring is not weighted equally with sufficient handwashing points.

Fig. 1 – Facilities Readiness assessment summary page with scoring by component and separate Critical Life Safety issues

Ainslie Street Advisory is a fee-for-service infrastructure advisory firm grounded in over a decade of humanitarian and global health implementation experience. ASA deploys the Facilities Readiness Assessment at limited-resource healthcare facilities and provides additional infrastructure advisory services like pre-procurement technical assessment, capital project development support, and O+M program design. We operate globally with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa and are available for new client engagements now. Contact us at hello@ainsliestreet.com.

Ainslie Street Advisory’s Facilities Readiness Assessment is available free of charge at: https://ainsliestreet.com/FRA-tool-download.

[1] Water, sanitation, hygiene, waste and electricity services in health care facilities: progress on the fundamentals. 2023 global report, pp. 9-11. Geneva: World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2023, link. Accessed 13 April 2026.

[2] WASH in health care facilities 2023 data update: special focus on primary health care, Geneva: World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2024, link. Accessed 13 April 2026.

Moving towards professionalised community managed rural water schemes in Nepal

Reposted from IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre: see the original post here. The article is written by Digbijoy Dey and reviewed by Ruchika Shiva. Photo: IRC.

Rural water supply services are evolving quickly because of technology, climate stress, financing models, and governance changes. And these changes differ from country to country and within countries. However, the changes have some common characteristics as well, at least in lower middle-income countries. During our recent visits to Nepal, we have tried to understand the dynamics of rural water supply in this country. Here rural water supply essentially includes small urban and rural municipalities.

Common trends in rural water supply

Recent research and publications have documented the changing models of rural water supply, including Shiva and Saha (2025), Odhiambo et al. (2025), USAID (2023), and SFF (2020). An AI-assisted trend analysis based on these works highlights several shifts. Globally, rural water supply is moving from handpumps to piped schemes, as exemplified by India’s Jal Jeevan Mission and Ethiopia’s HoA-GW4R Project. Management is becoming more professionalised through private operators, public–private partnerships, and utility-style agencies, replacing traditional community-based volunteer committees. At the same time, digitalisation is transforming service delivery with Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, prepaid meters, and mobile payment systems that improve monitoring, detect leaks, and enhance cost recovery.

Other major trends include the integration of climate resilience and source diversification, such as combining groundwater, rainwater harvesting, and surface water treatment with climate-proofed infrastructure and energy-efficient pumping. Solar-powered and hybrid renewable energy systems are replacing diesel pumps, while water safety planning, real-time quality monitoring, and low-cost treatment are gaining ground. Financial sustainability is being strengthened through volumetric tariffs, prepayment, and blended finance, while regionalisation is clustering small schemes under federated utilities. Equity and inclusion are also central, with greater focus on women, marginalised groups, and people with disabilities. Finally, rural water networks are increasingly designed for multiple uses, linking drinking water to irrigation, sanitation, and livelihoods.

Why Nepal is different

Nepal has a population of about 30 million, 23 million of them live in rural areas, mostly in mountainous and remote regions. As per JMP 2024, 77.2% of the population is accessing basic drinking water services, only 16.5% of the population access safely managed drinking water (the remaining 6.3% have limited or unimproved services). With an aspiration to deliver reliable services, Nepal is trying to change its water service delivery ecosystem. If we look closely, we will see that the trends in Nepal are similar to those mentioned above. The difference is, while most countries are adopting more professionalised private or utility-managed services, Nepal is embracing a more formal version of community-managed services to address the rural water need. Historically, water supply in rural areas of Nepal has been managed voluntarily by the community. At present, the Water Users’ and Sanitation Committees (WUSCs) are being formalised into legal entities under sector laws.

Continue reading “Moving towards professionalised community managed rural water schemes in Nepal”

New paper: O&M and the Finance Gap for Drinking Water Services

There is a multibillion-dollar finance gap slowing progress towards universal drinking water services. Focusing on how governments are investing to address this gap, a new open access research article examines the different elements that contribute to this gap, and argues that the funds needed for operations & maintenance (O&M) of services should be considered differently from the funds needed for infrastructure. With the functionality and sustainability issues the sector faces, these differences are worth paying attention to.

This research suggests a framework of five strategies for bridging, shrinking, and filling the finance gap for drinking water services, based on how the funds available from tariffs, taxes, and transfers compare to the life-cycle costs of services.

A framework for bridging, shrinking, and filling the finance gap for drinking water services (Nilsson, 2025)

Do we need a new framework?

Maybe, yes! Approaches for targeting gaps in infrastructure finance have been well studied, with many frameworks already available to guide actions and suggest new funding sources and mechanisms. However, the parts of the finance gap related to operational needs has been less analysed, even though there is an increasing need for operational finance.

The water sector continues to struggle with the financial sustainability of drinking water services. Most repayable finance sources are not suitable for operational costs, and so it falls to governments and service providers to see how to balance ongoing costs and revenues. This framework shows that, after construction, there are fairly limited options: increase tariffs, cut costs, and/or set up subsidies.

How can the operational finance gap be addressed, to keep water services flowing?

This research studied 213 examples of government investments for drinking water services, from 68 countries, to see how public finance is being used to address the operational finance gap. It found 13 tactics being used by governments from around the world, using financial, technical assistance, and/or policies, to:

  • increase funds available from tariffs, and/or
  • decrease funds needed for operations & maintenance, and/or
  • increase funds available for operations & maintenance through subsidies.

These tactics, and their investment requirements, are presented here: 

Public finance tactics to support operations of drinking water services (Nilsson, 2025)

This framework could help to better understand and compare tactics for addressing the finance gap for drinking water services. To read more about this study, you can access the full article here: The Role of Public Finance to Address the Global Finance Gap for Drinking Water Services.

What do you think?

  • Which tactics are being applied in your areas, by governments, or by other sector actors? Which are not?
  • Are the tactics being used achieving what is needed, supporting services for more people, and services which are more financially sustainable?
  • Are there other tactics being used that are not captured here?

About the author: Kristina Nilsson is a governance and development professional with over a decade of experience working on water and sanitation service delivery in Africa and Asia. She is currently a PhD student at the University of Oxford, researching public finance support for rural drinking water services.

Sustaining Access to Safe and Healthy Drinking Water in Fiji: A Universal Challenge for Island and Rural Coastal Communities

Access to safe and healthy drinking water is a fundamental human right. Yet for many island and rural coastal communities worldwide, this right remains fragile or unattainable. Fiji, an archipelago of more than 300 islands, vividly illustrates this challenge. Despite its tropical climate and abundant rainfall, freshwater resources in Fiji are increasingly under pressure. Over-abstraction, particularly in water-intensive tourism sectors, combined with the accelerating impacts of climate change, threatens the sustainability of water systems. Fiji’s experience reflects a universal struggle for water security in island nations and rural coastal regions.

Island environments are naturally constrained when it comes to freshwater. Unlike continental landmasses, islands have limited rivers, streams, and shallow aquifers. In Fiji, water is sourced from rivers, streams, natural springs, rainwater harvesting systems, and underground aquifers. These sources are highly sensitive to variations in rainfall, land-use changes, and contamination. Once compromised, alternatives are often scarce, making water security a central concern for both rural villages and small island nations.

“Sustaining access to safe and healthy drinking water is not just about scarcity, it is about how water is managed, shared, and protected.”

Over-Abstraction and Tourism Pressures

Over-abstraction has become a critical issue in Fiji. Population growth, urban expansion, and changing lifestyles have steadily increased water demand across the islands. Coastal zones and smaller islands are particularly vulnerable, where shallow freshwater lenses can be quickly depleted. Once over-extracted, these lenses may collapse or become contaminated with saltwater, leaving water unsuitable for consumption.

Tourism, a major pillar of Fiji’s economy, further intensifies pressure on freshwater resources. Hotels, resorts, and other facilities consume large volumes of water for swimming pools, gardens, laundry, and guest services. In many cases, tourist water use exceeds that of local residents. When regulation and conservation measures are weak, tourism can compete directly with community water needs, a challenge common to island destinations worldwide.

Climate Change and Extreme Weather

Climate change magnifies existing water challenges. Rising temperatures increase evaporation, reducing water availability in rivers, reservoirs, and storage tanks. Altered rainfall patterns have caused longer dry periods and more frequent droughts, disproportionately affecting rural and outer-island communities that rely on rainwater harvesting. During extended dry seasons, households often face water rationing or must rely on untreated sources.

Extreme weather events, including cyclones and floods, further threaten water systems. Floodwaters can damage infrastructure, carry debris and pathogens into freshwater sources, and overwhelm natural filtration processes. Sea-level rise also poses a long-term risk for coastal groundwater, as saltwater intrusion contaminates shallow freshwater lenses. Recovery, if possible, may take decades, underscoring the lasting impact of climate change on water security.

Health and Social Implications

Unsafe or unreliable water has serious health consequences. Limited access to clean water increases vulnerability to waterborne diseases, including diarrhea, typhoid, cholera, and skin infections. Children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals are particularly at risk. In rural areas with limited infrastructure, households often rely on untreated sources, further increasing health risks and placing additional strain on local healthcare systems.

Inequality in water access compounds the problem. Urban populations generally benefit from centralized treatment and distribution systems, while rural and outer-island communities rely on small, self-managed infrastructure such as rainwater tanks and natural springs. These systems are often outdated, poorly maintained, and highly susceptible to contamination.

Toward Sustainable Solutions

Fiji’s challenges reflect broader patterns among islands and rural coastal regions: limited freshwater resources, competing demands, climate change impacts, and unequal access to infrastructure. Addressing these issues requires integrated, multi-faceted solutions:

  • Investment in climate-resilient infrastructure to protect storage systems, pipelines, and natural water sources.
  • Community engagement and local management to ensure maintenance and equitable access.
  • Promotion of responsible water use across all sectors, particularly tourism.

By implementing these strategies, Fiji can move toward sustainable water management that balances economic development, environmental protection, and public health.

Sustaining access to safe drinking water is more than a development goal, it is a matter of survival, health, and dignity. Over-abstraction, tourism pressures, climate change, and social inequality threaten the long-term resilience of water systems. Protecting freshwater resources, investing in resilient infrastructure, and promoting equitable water management are critical steps not only for Fiji but for island and coastal communities worldwide.

“Ensuring safe drinking water for present and future generations is not only a matter of development, but a commitment to the survival and dignity of island communities everywhere.”

Save our Fiji is dedicated to addressing these pressing water challenges in Fiji and beyond. They work directly with local communities to improve water infrastructure, promote sustainable water management practices, and build resilience to climate-related impacts. By combining research, community engagement, and practical interventions, they aim to ensure that every island and coastal community has reliable access to safe, clean, and sustainable drinking water for generations to come. Save our Fiji joined the RWSN member organisations in April 2024.

Highlights from the RWSN Mentorship Programme 2024: Faith Lilian Kuloba

This is a guest blog by Faith Lilian Kuloba, who participated as a mentee in the RWSN Mentorship Programme 2024.

My name is Faith Lilian Kuloba, a Ugandan currently pursuing an MSc in Water and Wastewater Processes at Cranfield University. My journey to this point began during my time as an Assistant Water Resources Engineer at Water Access Consulting, when my supervisor encouraged me to join the Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN).

About a year later, while reading one of RWSN’s monthly email updates, I found the 2024 Mentorship Programme for Career Development. Although I wasn’t sure what to expect, I applied with optimism, and I was honoured to be selected.

Shortly after submitting my application, I was paired with my mentor, Rodolfo Bezerra Nóbrega, a lecturer and researcher in the water and environmental sector. His extensive experience in research and academia made him the perfect guide.

At the time, I was eager to advance my career through further studies. I had already applied for several master’s programmes without success, and my family was experiencing financial strain, making the prospect of funding my education even more uncertain. When I shared my career goals and challenges with Rodolfo, he committed to guiding me through the process.

Applying for a master’s degree can feel overwhelming, but Rodolfo provided exceptional mentorship. He helped me identify the right programmes, advised me on suitable universities, and taught me how to search for scholarships including how to reach out to universities about funding opportunities. He supported me in reviewing scholarship requirements, refining my CV to UK standards, and learning how to write strong, structured essays. He also assisted with interview preparation.

Earlier this year, I was honoured to received the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, which has allowed me to begin my masters programme at Cranfield University.

This mentorship programme has been truly transformative. Without Rodolfo’s support, encouragement, and skill, I would not be where I am today. Just a year ago, I was unsure how I would finance my studies and now I am in the UK pursuing the master’s degree I always hoped for.

My sincere thanks go to RWSN and the Skat Foundation for organising this mentorship programme. It is an outstanding professional initiative that empowers women in WASH to grow, learn, and advance their careers. I am deeply grateful for the knowledge, confidence, and opportunities it has given me.

To join RWSN and be informed about the next round of the mentoring programme, please sign up here.

Mentorship That Flows: My Journey in the RWSN and Women in WASH Mentorship Programs

This is a guest blog by Esther Lydia Akol, who participated as a mentee in the RWSN and Women in WASH 2025 Mentorship Program.

Photo: Esther (Mentee) with Community Water users after an Exchange Learning visist on Water Point Sustainability in Uganda

When I joined the RWSN and Women in WASH Mentorship Programs in April 2025, I hoped to grow professionally and expand my network. What I didn’t expect was a six-month journey that would challenge my thinking, deepen my confidence, and transform the way I approach leadership in rural water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). From meaningful conversations with my mentor to new global opportunities, these programs has shown me that mentorship is not just guidance; it is a ripple effect that strengthens communities, builds leadership, and fuels sustainable change.

My name is Esther Lydia Akol, a Ugandan WASH professional with The Water Trust. I joined the mentorship program to grow professionally, expand my network, and strengthen my leadership in promoting sustainable and inclusive rural water systems. Coordinated by the Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN) and Agenda for Change, the programs pair emerging professionals with experienced mentors to foster leadership, learning, and collaboration. It is more than a capacity-building effort; it is a platform for women to find their voices, share experiences, and lead change in communities and organizations.

Discovering Strength in Shared Experience

My mentor, Elon Ryan Sooknanan (PMP, MSc(Eng), MBA), brought a wealth of experience and a genuine spirit of guidance. Our monthly conversations went beyond technical discussions; they explored how sustainability, equity, and innovation intersect to make WASH initiatives more effective and inclusive. Through his mentorship, I learned to communicate with clarity, set achievable goals, and adopt a systems approach to rural water challenges.

Perhaps the most transformative lesson was realizing that mentorship is a two-way flow. While I learned from my mentor’s experiences, I also shared reflections from my work in Uganda’s rural communities. Together, we explored how local realities inform global strategies and how personal growth strengthens professional impact.

During this period, my mentor introduced me to Transformations Leeds (UK), a charity offering apprenticeship and coaching programmes in leadership. I was awarded a one-year apprenticeship and an additional six-month coaching opportunity focused on leadership, sustainable solutions, and climate change. Alongside this, he shared resources on scholarships and WASH knowledge platforms, which I continue to explore to expand my learning and global perspective. This experience demonstrated that mentorship often extends far beyond formal programme sessions, opening doors to lasting professional growth and collaboration.

Bridging Knowledge, Confidence, and Community

Beyond one-on-one mentoring, the RWSN and Women in WASH Mentorship Programs connected me with a diverse community of professionals committed to improving the sustainability and inclusivity of WASH services. Peer-learning sessions and resource-sharing platforms provided spaces for dialogue, reflection, and practical problem-solving.

What stood out most was the sense of community. Our mentor created a WhatsApp group for all the mentees he was mentoring, connecting us with WASH professionals from different regions and countries. Each participant brought a unique perspective, yet we shared a common determination to make a difference. Stories of resilience from across the globe reminded me that collaboration is one of the most powerful tools for advancing rural water supply.

Lessons That Will Flow Forward for me

Reflecting on this journey, I carry forward lessons that will guide my WASH and community development work:

  1. Mentorship multiplies impact. Guiding others strengthens leadership, knowledge-sharing, and the sustainability of development efforts.
  2. Diversity enhances problem-solving. Global exchanges between mentors and mentees bridge context-specific and universal challenges.
  3. Confidence grows through support. Having someone believe in your potential helps dismantle self-doubt and nurtures leadership courage.
  4. Networks are transformative. The mentoring programs connected me to a vibrant community of practitioners who continue to inspire collaboration.
  5. Gender equity drives sustainability. Empowering women in WASH leadership fosters inclusive, resilient, and community-driven systems.

A Call to Future Mentees and Mentors

To women joining future mentorship cycles: embrace every session, challenge, and conversation with openness and curiosity. Ask questions, share your story, and listen deeply to others. The RWSN and Women in WASH Mentorship Programs’ true strength lies in mutual learning, where every perspective contributes to shaping a more inclusive and resilient WASH sector.

To professionals considering mentorship: your experience and time are powerful investments in the next generation of WASH leaders. Mentorship is not about having all the answers; it is about guiding reflection, nurturing curiosity, and helping others grow in confidence and skill. Every shared insight strengthens a global community working toward sustainable rural water services.

Conclusion: When Women Lead, WASH Thrives

Participating in the RWSN and Women in WASH Mentorship Programs has been deeply transformative. It reaffirmed that sustainable water supply is not only about infrastructure—it is about people, relationships, and shared learning.

As I continue my work in Uganda, I carry the lessons of mentorship: the power of connection, the strength of collaboration, and the hope that when women lead, communities thrive. Every act of guidance creates ripples of change, ripples that sustain clean water, dignity, and opportunity for all.

About the author:

Esther Lydia Akol is a WASH Officer with The Water Trust in Uganda. She is passionate about sustainable WASH solutions, gender equity, and empowering rural communities to build resilient rural water systems.

Photo: Esther (Mentee) facilitating a community WASH Committee Meeting in Uganda

To join RWSN and be informed about the next round of the mentoring programme, please sign up here.