Montana Working for WASH
Montana Working for WASH
Briefing Prepared for ______
Improving Access to Clean Water is at the top of Americans’ Global Health Priorities
People in the state of Montana Kentucky arearare leading the effort to solve the global safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) challenge. There are numerous faith-based, civic, and academic initiatives for WASH underway throughout the state. The top programs in the state include:
a) Rotary Club of Bigfork received a $23,000 grant to support the construction of wells and latrines and to train communities on proper well maintenance in Zambia.
b) Montana State University’s Engineers Without Borders Chapter was awarded the C. Peter Magrath University Community Engagement Award and $20,000 for the contributions its students have made through bringing clean drinking water to 61 schools in Kenya.
c) Project WET Foundation provides education materials and training sessions to over 60 countries worldwide.
d) Billings-based Hope 2 One Life installed over 100 bio-sand filters, drilled water wells, provided training for villagers, and completed water assessments for three villages in Uganda
Other notable efforts include:
Rotary Clubs in Montana
· Rotary Club of Missoula
o Sponsors weekly presentations on their international service projects, including Africa water projects
· Rotary Club of Bigfork
o Funded the construction of 12 clean water wells at refugee camps in Afghanistan
· Bozeman Sunrise Rotary Club
o Partnered with Bozeman Noon Rotary Club, Pure Water for the World, and 12 other Rotary Clubs to install 420 water filters in 70 schools in Haiti
o Completed a WASH in Schools project in Honduras
· Billings West Rotary Club
o Made international contributions to Rotary projects that improve drinking water safety
Faith-Based Organizations in Montana
· Hope 2 One Life, Billings
o Hosts an annual Walk for Water with over 300 attendees each year that promotes awareness about the global water crisis
o Educated 957 children about hygiene, sanitation, and handwashing and provided hygiene kits to children living in Western Uganda
o Provided WASH training for Ugandan outreach workers
· St. Stevens Episcopal Church, Billings
o Father John Naumann and the St. Stevens Episcopal Church organized multiple Walk for Water events that raised money for a water well project in Tanzania and has provided water to over 30,000 people
· Amani for Africa USA Foundation, Billings
o Works to relieve poverty in Africa through development efforts that include drilling water wells and harvesting water
o Provided clean water to 35,000 people living in nine local villages throughout Tanzania
· Provision International, Billings
o Partners with organizations worldwide on projects that provide new sanitation facilities and water wells
· Montana on a Mission, Big Timber
o Implemented clean water systems, health care and hygiene programs in the Philippines
Schools and Universities in Montana
· Montana State University – Engineers Without Borders, Bozeman
o Built 8 deep-water wells, 11 composting latrines, a biogas latrine, a rainwater catchment system, and a water distribution pipeline that benefitted over 3,500 students in Kenya
· The University of Montana Western Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, Dillon
o Partnered with the Residence Life staff and raised over $700 in a week for a clean water well project in Kenya for The Water Project Inc.
· Carroll College – Engineers Without Borders, Helena
o Created a waste-water treatment system for a Mexican orphanage
o Implemented a clean water project in Guatemala that brought clean water to schools and villages
· Sentinel High School Basic Science, Missoula
o Partnered with H20 for Life to raise money for latrines in the Democratic Republic of Congo
WASH-Focused Organizations in Montana
· Project WET Foundation, Bozeman
o Promotes awareness of global water issues among children, parents, teachers, and communities to solve the global water crisis
o Hosted the “Sustaining the Blue Planet Global Water Education Conference” and brought water stakeholders together for discussions, seminars, and exhibits
· The Traveling School, Bozeman
o Students trained by Project WET staff to facilitate water education workshops at local schools during their semester abroad
· Central Asia Institute, Bozeman
o Provides funds to establish clean water systems and sanitation facilities in remote mountain villages in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan
o Teaches sanitation and hygiene classes at their local literacy centers
· Scramble for Clean Water, Bozeman
o Hosts an annual race that raises money for charity: water clean water projects in Ethiopia
· Hydro Solutions Inc., Billings and Helena
o Developed an irrigation system for Ugandan farmers that conserves water
o Funded trips for employees to travel to Uganda to build wells, conduct evaluations of water quality in existing wells, and construct bio-sand water filters
· World Montana, Helena
o Participants in the International Visitors Leadership Program, Managing Cross-Border Water Resources in India learn about how governments and private sector partners work together to provide clean water and manage sanitation
· Seedlings of Change, Missoula
o Provides clean water to countries through Lifestraws
o Sponsors middle school and door-to-door fundraisers that support international water projects
For more information, please contact John Oldfield at WASH Advocates:
202.293.4049 Updated: December 2015