Safe Water Network Receives Grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Safe Water Network is pleased to announce a generous new grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. This latest round of funding from the Hilton Foundation provides Safe Water Network the resources needed to accelerate the implementation of community-based safe water enterprises (SWEs) in partnership with the Government of Ghana and other leading stakeholders. Safe Water Network’s programs aim to dramatically transform the water services landscape in Ghana so millions more have reliable and affordable access to safe water.

“This grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation will help us build on ten years of innovative operations in Ghana to ensure equitable access to safe water, sustainable services, and water quality. We welcome the continued investment in our programs to build the partnerships and practices necessary to reach many more communities with safe water,” says Kurt Soderlund, CEO, Safe Water Network.

This multi-year partnership with the Hilton Foundation supports Safe Water Network’s programs that address the gaps in access to safely managed water for small towns and communities of 3,000-10,000 people in Ghana. The work includes collaborating with stakeholders across the country to improve the policy and financing landscape for community based SWEs, including quantifying the subsidy requirement for safely managed water from SWEs and building capacity in the sector to achieve scale. With this funding, Safe Water Network will establish a Ghana Alliance of SWE implementers for improved coordination and adoption of best practices; engage with Government of Ghana ministries and peer implementer Water4 on a national advocacy initiative; and share program results through reports, hosting of annual Beyond the Pipe Forums, and participation in regional and international conferences. To prioritize operational sustainability, an independent private entity will be launched in Ghana to support long-term management of the H20ME! branded portfolio of 100+ SWEs that provides water access to over 400,000 people across the country.

This grant also supports the implementation of two new H2OME! branded SWEs and retrofitting of three existing SWEs with direct piped connections to homes, schools, and businesses. The community-level infrastructure will reach more than 12,000 people in the Asutifi North District of the Ahafo region of Ghana. This work, and the continued service of Safe Water Network’s H20ME! portfolio of SWEs across 35 districts in Ghana, will include the piloting of innovative technologies to increase operational efficiency, strengthen water quality assurance, and deliver a better understanding of community members as consumers.

The Hilton Foundation is working with communities, civil society, donors, local and national governments, and private sector partners in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Uganda to create solutions that will sustain quality safe water services for one million people in low-income households, health facilities, and schools in sub-Saharan Africa by 2025. Their systems-led approach is guided by achieving the most significant impact and enabling local sustainability. Please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org for more information.