Water For People (Bolivia)

Water For People -Everyone Forever in Bolivia

Water For People is an NGO promoting the development of universal access to water and sanitation services, sustained by strong communities, businesses, and governments.

According to World Bank Data, 554 people died in 2016 in Bolivia because of inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene. Access to basic and safely managed water and sanitation services in rural communities of Bolivia stood at 78% and 36% respectively according to 2017 data.

More recently, community transmission of COVID-19 has been further exacerbated by the lack of access to water and proper hygiene practices, like handwashing with soap and water. Water For People provides access to safe drinking water, sanitation services, and hygiene education that allows people to combat these issues. Its monitoring framework is designed to capture the number of people directly and indirectly reached through improvement of water and sanitation systems in municipalities where they work.

Since 2019, the Eurofins Foundation has contributed to many aspects of the project ‘Everyone Forever in Bolivia’, including

• The construction or renovation of six community water systems, bringing improved water services to 3,576 people in six communities;
• A collaboration with municipal governments to construct or renovate water infrastructure, resulting in the creation of 82 temporary jobs;
• The organisation of 18 hygiene education workshops for 611 representatives from the Ministry of Education, school principals and staff, parents, and teachers in five ‘Everyone Forever’ municipalities;
• In the Arani and San Pedro municipalities, the achievement of the ‘Forever milestone’ for water, indicating that a sustainable water service has been established and communities and the local government have the skills and capacity to ensure water services continue for future generations.

In 2021/2022, the Eurofins Foundation helped the organisation build on the success of the programme in previous years.

The grant contributed to the implementation of WASH interventions in the eight Everyone Forever municipalities where Water for People work in Bolivia including through:

• The construction or rehabilitation of six community water systems, reaching 1,210 people with improved water service in six communities within four municipalities;
• The construction or expansion of WASH infrastructure in eight schools, improving access to WASH services for 1,434 students and school staff.  

As a result, Water for People reached their Everyone milestone for water in communities in the municipality of Tiraque, meaning that at least 90% of the communities in Tiraque now have high or intermediate water point levels of service, and no communities in the municipality are classified as having inadequate or unimproved water services.  A secondary benefit of Water For People’s partnerships with municipal governments to construct or rehabilitate water infrastructure is the development of employment opportunities. Five temporary jobs related to the WASH sector were created – 40% of which were filled by women.  

In 2022/2023, the Eurofins Foundation renewed its support to this programme in Bolivia, contributing to many achievements, including:

• The construction of two new and three rehabilitated community water systems, reaching 379 people with improved water service in five communities in the municipalities of Arani, Pocona, and Tiraque.
• Water For People reached 717 students and school staff with improved WASH services through the new construction, rehabilitation, and expansion of WASH infrastructure at seven schools in these
• The infrastructure is also now equipped with a separate change room for female students and staff that provides them with a safe space to accommodate menstrual hygiene management (MHM) needs.
• Water For People hosted 25 different WASH-focused workshops for educators and parents at schools in Arani. In addition, these workshops and meeting specifically addressed and explained the new school hygiene policies to teachers, parents, and students from 51 schools, and provided the participants with additional information and training on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM).
• Water For People partnered with the Head of Basic Sanitation (JMSB in Spanish) to facilitate a workshop for school administrators and teachers representing 18 schools within the same six municipalities. With the primary objectives of helping to implement “hygiene corners” in elementary-level classrooms and MHM spaces for middle school and high school students, the workshop also focused on handwashing with soap and water, bathroom cleanliness, management of MHM spaces, and environmental activities to promote reforestation.

The Eurofins Foundation renews its support to this initiative for the period 2023/2025.

This project contributes to the following United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals