Water For People Reports a Good Year -- Environmental Protection

Water For People Reports a Good Year

Feb 15, 2008

Water For People, based in Denver, Colo., said it had a record year in 2007, significantly increasing impact in the developing world. The international development organization supported 188 communities, directly benefiting more than 108,000 people with access to safe water and improved sanitation. Thousands more received hygiene education that will ensure improved health for years to come.

Water For People 2007 Beneficiaries
Country	Water	Sanitation	Total Number of Beneficiaries
Bolivia	6,741	840	7,581
Guatemala	2,916	2,821	5,737
Honduras	5,138	3,876	9,014
India	41,429	22,788	64,217
Malawi	9,250	11,538	20,788
Nicaragua	143	675	818
Ecuador	300	0	300
TOTAL	65,917	42,538	108,455

Year-end beneficiary reports from each of the organization's seven active country programs showed dramatic growth in the number of people and communities served over the course of the year. The organization is on target to meet the goals set forth in its five-year strategic plan (2007-2011) to reach 1,000 new people per day by 2011.

According to Ned Breslin, director of International Programs at Water For People, much of the growth can be attributed to a strategic regional focus recently adopted in each program country. "Water For People is targeting county-sized regional areas in each country with the goal of 100 percent water and sanitation coverage within each region," he said. "As a result, we have become much more efficient and have been able to dramatically increase our impact."

The organization successfully launched programs in Ecuador and Nicaragua in 2007 and will begin work in Rwanda and the Dominican Republic in 2008. Work in Uganda is scheduled to launch in 2009.

The growth in services was matched by an equally impressive increase in donor support in 2007. Revenues (unaudited) exceeded $5.2 million against a budget of $5.1 million, representing more than a 20 percent increase over 2006.