August 27, 2020 • 1 min read
Helping CAWST improve water quality in Colombia
How we're helping to provide fresh water and sanitation facilities
Access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation is a fundamental human right and without it, progress towards other sustainable development goals is impossible.
One in three people globally do not have access to safe drinking water, 4.2 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation and 3 billion lack basic hand washing facilities.
For more than three years the Worley Foundation has been supporting the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) through financial contributions and skilled volunteering. COVID-19 pushed us to create new ways to connect and make a difference this year.
Supporting communities
We worked with CAWST to create and participate in the ‘Tippy Tap Challenge’, a collaborative challenge to create a suitable low-cost hand washing station for rural communities. The design solution can be implemented by CAWST’s clients and partners to improve access to hand washing facilities in remote communities of Colombia and contribute to COVID-19 mitigation efforts.
Teaching communities
A key part of empowering local communities is education and we are now working with CAWST in supporting local organizations in building their technical knowledge and skills. This involves working in the virtual environment to support local practitioners with the implementation of household water treatment, sanitation and hygiene interventions, and improving the living conditions of many local communities.
