Women & Water Leadership Initiative
Global Grassroots worked to catalyze women in East Africa as mindful change leaders within their own communities. Through our two-year experiential Academy for Conscious Change, we partnered with early-stage leaders – women who have overcome significant challenges of poverty, limited access to education, and the violence of war and oppression – to create their own non-profit social impact solutions for their communities. Our unique approach blended mindfulness-based leadership skills, trauma-healing practices, and social entrepreneurship tools. Our change agents designed micro-NGOs that will work on social issues at systemic levels, be financially sustainable, and have a measurable impact. Global Grassroots awarded seed grants and provided high-engagement coaching after launch to ensure self-sufficiency.
Focus on Water
Lack of access to clean, safe, and affordable water is a pivotal issue for achieving sustainable improvements in so many areas of personal and community wellbeing, including hygiene, health, sanitation, safety, family harmony, education and gender equity. In post-conflict East Africa:
Women and girls still walk an average 6 km (3.7 mi) daily to a contaminated source to collect water.
Women have less time to generate income. Girls miss part of the school day, falling behind; many drop out.
Women and girls are at risk of rape traveling to remote water sites, and the long duration can trigger domestic violence at home.
The disabled and elderly who cannot collect water on their own can be sexually exploited by men who deliver them water, spreading HIV.
Source: Women, Water & Wisdom: Ripple Effects Mapping in Rural Rwanda. July 2022. Results from interviews with 43 team and community members from four villages in Jali, Rwanda.
As a result, since 2014, all of Global Grassroots’ women-led teams focused on water as a strategy to generate profound ripple effects from their change efforts. At the end of the 18-24 month Academy experience, teams successfully launched a clean, safe, and affordable water source for their villages. They sell the water for a very reduced rate, on average 86% less than other water sellers, and proceeds from their sales are reinvested into community programs that promote healthy behaviors and cultural mindset shifts that increase health, safety, equity and wellbeing for entire communities.
Numerous Women & Water Leadership Initiative teams have been honored by local leaders and their water authority (WASAC), and have gone on to replicate or expand their ventures in collaboration with neighboring villages.
Highlight: Women’s Water Teams in Rwanda & Uganda
