Internship Opportunity with UNDP (Almaty regional office / Regional Water Programme)

UNDP is seeking a bi-lingual (En-Ru) volunteer in Almaty, Kazakhstan to support knowledge management, coordination & stakeholders relations activities in the framework of UNDP’s joint regional project with the European Union to “Promote IWRM and Foster transboundary Dialogue in Central Asia”.

 

Find more about this opportunity on the UNDP/RBEC website ( http://europeandcis.undp.org/ ) or download the full TOR here: http://europeandcis.undp.org/uploads/public1/files/ToR_KM_IWRM_almaty.docx.

 

… or contact Natalia Alexeeva (Natalia.alexeeva@undp.org  / Mobile: +7 (777) 8466907), Project Manager and UNDP Regional Water Programme Coordinator for Central Asia.

World Toilet Day!

You can CREATE A MOVEMENT this World Toilet Day - November 19!! Water for People want you to "Spread the word—not the germs" by sending E-cards to celebrate this important day!

Throughout developing countries, 2.5 billion people don’t have a toilet. Every single day, they have to find another place to take care of business. And each day, poor sanitation kills 4000 children due to water and food contamination, rampant bacteria, and the fact that no toilet means NO hand washing.

The United Nations set a goal in 2000 to cut the number without access in half by 2015, but sadly—the way things are currently going—the world will miss the sanitation target by more than half a billion people. In other words, close to 2.4 billion people will be without improved sanitation in 2015, barely a drop from today.

What’s the problem? Well, apparently talking about toilets isn’t all that sexy. But we HAVE to get the problem on the world’s radar.

So we had an idea. We’ve created three E-cards to share with your friends, family, and anyone else you might think of.

http://www.waterforpeople.org/site/Ecard?ecard_id=1221

By spreading the word about World Toilet Day, you will help to support the movement. Send your favorite card, send all three, and please send a bunch. Every card you send makes a difference and will help the message spread.

Thank you and have a very productive World Toilet Day!

Leaving the Seat Up is the Least of their Problems!

WATCH YOUR EMAIL THURSDAY FOR "THE WORLD TOILET DAY PLAN"!

World Toilet Day is Thursday, November 19 and I’ll be passing along information from Water For People! Water for People has an exciting plan to get people talking about toilets—a topic not often discussed in everyday conversation. More than 6,000 people die every day, including 4,000 children, from diseases caused by poor sanitation and unsafe water. We’re making strides in improving water, but unsafe—or a complete lack of—toilets is still not capturing enough of the world’s attention to speed support to the communities that need help the most.

On Thursday, I’ll update this blog with information from Water for People asking you to take a simple action. A very quick, easy, fun, but important action. Your help is critical to the success of our viral (no pun intended) World Toilet Day plan. And we guarantee you’ll have fun. You get to talk about toilets and poop in a socially acceptable manner!

“Hmm, I don’t really know anyone who doesn’t have a toilet,” you say? Well, let me introduce you to Miguel, a child in Bolivia where four out of five families don’t have a toilet.

Miguel Angel Almendras is dancing—his little feet are kicking up dust on his family’s patio as he expertly shows off "la diablada." Dancing in Bolivia is a common expression of joy, found from formal festivals to impromptu demonstrations of individual happiness. Four-year-old Miguel Angel is dancing because he now has a toilet in his home.

“Before we had this beautiful bathroom, I used to go out in those fields with the cows to go to the bathroom. I didn’t like it, but when I had to or my sister had to go, we would run to the fields and duck down and go. Everybody in my pueblito used to go to the fields, and our caquita is bad for the pueblito.”

Read more about Miguel and this program at http://www.waterforpeople.org/site/News2?id=5839

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is expanding its Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Team.

With the goal of helping tens of millions of people in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa benefit from safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, we are seeking to add two senior-level members to our team.



Specifically, we are recruiting for:



-Senior Program Officer, Demand-Led Sanitation

-Senior Program Officer, Sanitation Technologies and Tools



For further information, complete job descriptions and to apply, please visit us at www.gatesfoundation.org

Water.Org

Since 1990, Water.org has impacted millions of lives throughout the developing world with safe water and improved sanitation systems.

About Water.Org:

Who are we? We’re the ones with our heads in the clouds and our feet on the ground. There’s the corporate CFO, an actor, a sanitation engineer, Peace Corps volunteers, an executive from the energy sector, a researcher from the EPA, a community organizer, a teacher, and some from high-tech. But in the end, we’re all the same in our commitment to not only deliver water solutions to the world’s poor, but to find ways to create sector-wide change.

The water and sanitation problem in the developing world is far too big for traditional charity. We are driving the water sector for new solutions, new financing models, greater transparency, and real partnerships to create lasting change. Our vision: the day when everyone in the world can take a safe drink of water.

Spread the Word!

Talk to people! Telling others in your circle of influence about the global water crisis, Water.org, and how they can also get involved is one of the most important ways you can help.

RUN FOR WATER!

Hello Friends - an important event can be found at http://liveearth.org/en/run


The Dow Live Earth Run for Water on April 18, 2010 is a series of 6km run/walks (the average distance women and children walk everyday to secure water) taking place over the course of 24 hours in 192 countries, featuring concerts and water education activities to ignite a massive global movement to help solve the water crisis.



Visit this site for lots of great info, and to sign up!

An introduction to Kiva

We Let You Loan to Low Income Entrepreneurs!

Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.

Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend to unique entrepreneurs around the globe.

The people you see on Kiva's site are real individuals. When you browse entrepreneurs' profiles on Kiva, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates and track repayments.

Then, when you get your loan money back, you can relend to someone else. Kiva partners with existing microfinance institutions. In doing so, we gain access to entrepreneurs from communities world-wide. Our partners are experts in choosing qualified entrepreneurs. That said, they are usually short on funds. Through Kiva, our partners upload their entrepreneur profiles directly to the site so you can lend to them. When you do, not only do you get a unique experience connecting to a specific entrepreneur on the other side of the planet, but our microfinance partners can do more of what they do, more efficiently.

Fighting Disease with a Little Soap and Water!

Celebrating Global Handwashing Day, Oct. 15, 2009!



We talk about the importance of safe water and adequate sanitation often, but neither of these goals is accomplished in a silo. Hygiene education is a vital part of the mission of Water For People and whenever possible, we incorporate it into country programs. We've discussed that 6,000 people die everyday from water-related diseases, but did you know that within this disturbing statistic, 4,000 children under five die every year from diarrheal diseases due to poor hygiene and lack of access to sanitation?



Today, Water For People programs throughout the world will celebrate Global Handwashing Day and you can join us.



Visit Water for People for the complete update and more information on how you can meet them at the sink for Global Handwashing Day!

Do you know of a project that will have a significant impact on water management or access to clean water?

Do you know of a project that will have a significant impact on water management or access to clean water? Nominate it for the Nestlé Prize in Creating Shared Value!

Nominate an outstanding innovation for the Nestlé Prize in Creating Shared Value. More information at: http://www.nestle.com/CSV/CSVatNestle/CsvPrize (deadline: 31 October)

Help develop it for others by nominating it for the Nestle Prize in Creating Shared Value, a substantial investment can help bring this innovation to others around the world.

The Nestlé Prize in Creating Shared Value will be awarded for the first time in April 2010 to encourage and reward innovative approaches to the problems of nutrition, water, and rural development. Nestlé believes that developing countries face under-investment in key social sectors, and that rewarding truly significant and innovative efforts to meet the global challenges creates shared value for us all. Nestlé will commit to the Prize winner an investment of up to CHF 500,000 for a specified period of time, to assist in the development and scale-up of the innovation.

The Nestlé Prize in Creating Shared Value will recognize local efforts to practice the Creating Shared Value principle and will be awarded to an individual, NGO, or a business, which has demonstrated innovative techniques for improving access to and management of water, improving the lives of farmers and rural communities, or delivers high nutritional value to populations suffering from nutritional deficits.

Spread the word and nominate worthy projects until 31 October 2009 on http://www.nestle.com/CSV/CSVatNestle/CsvPrize

ICDI has a Facebook group!

Do you Facebook? Why not become a fan of ICDI's page? Becoming a fan allows you to see any of the photos and news we post right from your Facebook "home" page (just click on "Pages" in your application column on the left side of your facebook page to view posts for any pages you've become a fan of). You can still view our page, even if you don't become a fan (or even if you don't use Facebook!) - just click here!

2009 New Well & Well Rehab Progress Report

More from our friends at ICDI (check them out here):

Thought I'd update you on the progress of our well drilling and well rehab teams. So far in 2009 (through July) they've completed 43 new wells, and 195 well rehabs. Our well drilling program is the largest and most involved program we have, which means it also is the most complicated, with lots of equipment to maintain in very harsh conditions, so we're always thankful for the successful months we have!

The New Woodshop

An update from our friends at ICDI (check them out here):



Thanks to a lot of hard work by Tom Peters and his two boys, Mike & JP (with some help from some eager apprentices), the new woodshop trade school at the Bangui orphan center was finished on July 29th. Large folding doors to let in lots of light but keep the shop secure, sturdy worktables, and lockers full of tool sets were all built on-site.



Each participant will receive training in the construction of simple furniture and woodworking basics, in order to start their own wood working shop once they've completed the program. We're very excited to add this program to our Orphan Care ministry in Bangui, along with the sewing program. We're now looking for a local carpenter to employ to teach at the trade school.



Visit our site for photos and more details!

National Peace Corps Offers $20k for Best Ideas to Solve Problems Facing African Farmers!

Africa Rural Connect, a new global online collaboration web site from the National Peace Corps Association, is bringing the world together to discuss, share, and vote on ideas to help solve the challenges facing small farmers in Africa. The best ideas will be eligible for prizes of up to $3,000 each month, leading to a grand prize of $20,000 in November. Get all the details at http://arc.peacecorpsconnect.org.

Water For People Tapped to Help Rebuild After Cyclone Aila

When Cyclone Aila hit the state of West Bengal two months ago in late May, many feared the worst for the people and the long-term efforts to supply them with safe water and sanitation. Water For People was one of the many organizations that feared that all their efforts had been washed away by the six to 12 feet of water that flooded the area.

But mechanics supported by Water For People and its partners in the state of West Bengal, India quickly stepped in and are now in high demand. After making necessary repairs to existing water systems in the district of South Parganas following Cyclone Aila, all except three water systems (which are currently under water and inaccessible) are now functioning.

Immediately after the cyclone, mechanics tested for contamination in 295 water points, and washed and disinfected those found to be contaminated. Their knowledge, preparedness, and access to spare parts led not only the government to seek assistance from the highly trained mechanics (called "jalabandhus"), but also organizations Save the Children and GOAL Ireland. Of the 295 water systems repaired by the mechanics, 47 were Water For People supported projects and 248 were supported by other organizations, mainly the government.
Water For People's model was put to the test after Cyclone Aila. Throughout the past several years, Water For People has worked with local partners in West Bengal to build capacity, engage the community in the projects, establish water committees, train mechanics, develop financial plans, and ensure access to spare parts.

"The government and other organizations heard about the work of our mechanics and asked their assistance because the mechanics were well-trained, local and had access to spare parts," said Rajashi Mukherjee, Water For People–India country coordinator. "Recently, Save the Children and GOAL Ireland have asked for our help in designing new toilets, water pumps, and training their mechanics."

The Beetle Crawls into Berberati!

Getting the machinery needed for water in remote villages is never an easy process:

After a long trip from the U.S., and a long road trip from the coast, the Beetle has finaly made it to Berberati. We're really excited to put it to work. Thanks again to John and Chris Repasky for making this happen! ICDI actually had two trucks and a container of pipe and supplies that all made the trip together. Just outside of Berberati the container truck became stuck in a mud hole, luckily our Central African co-workers are quite adept (and quite experienced) at getting vehicles out of "sticky" situations.

Volunteer Photographer Brightens the Face of Water For People

Driving toward the African border of Mozambique and Malawi, the photographer catches a glimpse of boys in the river below laughing and playing on handmade rafts. He stops the car and jumps out to capture a portrait ofchildren enjoying the water, the element at the center of his project in Malawi. Rivers are known for recreation, but in Malawi, as in many developing countries, people use the already contaminated water for multiple purposes, including drinking, bathing, food preparation, washing dishes, and disposing of waste, leading to potentially life-threatening diseases.

Click here for the rest of the article from my friends at Water for People.

Neverthirst!

“Water is Life”

It is hard for us to appreciate the magnitude and desperation. Simplistically, 1 in 6 people on the planet do not have access to safe drinking water. As a result, thousands of adults and children will die today. And tomorrow. And the next. This necessarily alters the way we see the world.

Visit http://neverthirstwater.org/ to see what one organization is doing about it!

Charity Water - Time Bomb

Not sure how I missed this video - it's been a YouTube hit for a while now. Sorry if you've seen it - but this issue is a "time bomb? just waiting to explode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5QtcoBGLnM

Lets get going people!

Join an org!

Give some money!

Volunteer your time!

Get involved!

Jennifer Connelly - New York without Water

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AqlLyLeJuQ

Can you afford not to give?

A couple months ago, 10-year-old Katie Bartlett and her mother, Ginny, joined Water For People in India to visit a handful of the many villages where we work to support safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. This week Katie shared with us a letter that she wrote to her mom about the experience. Her words touched us deeply and we wanted to share them with you in time for this Mother's Day, May 10, 2009:

Dear Mom - I really enjoyed spending time with you this year. My favorite thing was going to West Bengal, India together with Water For People. I really think that experience helped me grow as a person by helping me think about how lucky I am to have the things that I do. It also opened my eyes to how other children live. Whenever I see the new thing that I just "have to have," I just think of the smiles and joy on the faces of the Indian school kids who were so proud to have a bathroom and running water at their school! It is really hard to think about how lucky most Americans are and how much we take for granted!

I'm very glad that we went to India together and want to say thank you for helping me to see that we are really all just people everywhere. Happy Mother's Day.

Love,Katie

Visit Water for People for more details on this wonderful story and to see the great things they're doing!

World Neighbors selected as a finalist for the Kyoto World Water Grand Prize!

World Neighbors was selected as a finalist for the Kyoto World Water Grand Prize to be awarded at the World Water Forum in Istanbul this month.

The award aims to highlight the excellent work being carried out by grassroots organizations, like World Neighbors, across the globe by giving them a platform to share their lessons learned with other international organizations. During the World Water Forum, Sergio Larrea from World Neighbors Bolivia programs, will present information about World Neighbors global water programs focusing on efforts to battle climate change in the Andes mountains.

To learn more and to download the full proposal submitted by World Neighbors go to:

http://www.wn.org/site/c.coIELNOsGpF/b.3887797/k.71B5/News_amp_Publications.htm

To learn more about the World Water Forum please go to: http://www.worldwaterforum5.org/

PROWAT

Received this today from a colleague - check them out!

"Non Revenue Water" is the difference between the volume of water put into a system and the volume of water paid by the customers. The PROWAT Pilot Project works on reducing this non-revenue water loss. Its main goal is to develop specific training modules & a software tool to reduce the loss of drinking water & provide technical assistance to Water Authorities.

The objectives of the PROWAT Project are to improve the skills and competences of people, to improve the quality of and access to continuing vocational training, and to promote and reinforce the contribution of vocational training to the innovation process.

Specific aims of the project include:

To make a Needs-Analyses by interviewing experts and trainers in Water Management.

To develop specific vocational training tools and materials in the field of Water Management in order to improve the performance of water supply & distribution system by the reduction strategy of drinking water losses.

To design the products in a way to facilitate efficient water management & control in Europe & provide educational information about best practices, new technologies & current regulations in the water management & control field.

To educate the engineers at the strategic levels, technicians working in the water sector, and the trainers in the water sector using the following methods: blended-learning & training modules, web-site, CD-ROM with a user?s manual, a software programme and a project reference report. The content of the modules, thus the content of the project, will be tested by vocational-training pilot courses so that the modules will be improved after the tested results.

To design vocational training course modules in the education centres, universities, training centres, VET organisations that will be given to engineers, technicians, and trainers.

To provide certifications, where they have the approved validity from VET Organisations, to the users in order to have a qualified position at the work-place or to help to find a job easily in the Water Sector.

To develop e-learning methods through a web-site enabling "learning anywhere and anytime".

To disseminate and implement the project results, and ensure a successful valorisation of the project among the users.

To design the project results so to be easily used everywhere.

The PROWAT Group will try to have a successful valorisation of the project among the users in all Europe in order to have a successful project & a large group of engineers, technicians and trainers that will benefit from the products of the project.