Philadelphia Global Water Initiative (PGWI) A Regional Model For Collaboration of WASH Activities Rupal Prasad, Program Manager PGWI Stanley Laskowski, President PGWI March 21, 2013

Philadelphia Global Water Initiative- PGWI Is:  A NETWORK OF NGOs, Businesses, Government Agencies, Academic Institutions, and Individuals in the Philadelphia Region Working Together to Promote Access to Water And Sanitation in Developing Countries (Founded 2006)  A 501 (C) 3 Organization Registered In Pennsylvania

 Mission – To increase global access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services, engaging the resources and expertise of the Philadelphia region and beyond.  Vision: PGWI envisions a world where all people have access to safe drinking water and sanitation; a world free of suffering from water- and sanitation- related disease. PGWI Mission And Vision

 Education:  Annual conference on important water/sanitation issues: April 9, 2013: Gender and Water Leading Beyond the Burden  Fairmont Water Works Interpretive Center (FWWIC): education of K-12 students; university classes and research on water/sanitation issues What We Do:  Projects: Mainly helps member organizations to be successful through finding needed expertise, developing partnerships, and providing expert technical advice

 Many current/former business professionals in the environmental field  Technical experience in hydrology, engineering, public health, sanitation  Federal, regional, and local water experts  Water regulatory experts  Language services  Super student volunteers! Who We Are

 22 person board meets four times/year  Bylaws have been developed  Eight committees have been established  Network organizations are independently-governed: have their own boards, fundraising efforts PGWI Governance

 Providing a forum for network organizations to exchange ideas on best practices  Research on key WASH issues (i.e. performance indicators)  Holding annual conferences on cutting edge water/sanitation issues  Providing experiences for students both in the classroom, by participation in international conferences, and on projects in the developing world How PGWI Educates

Organizations In The PGWI NETWORK Dr. Arun Deb

Organizations In The PGWI NETWORK  Government:  City of Philadelphia Water Department (FWWIC)  Delaware River Basin Commission  US EPA  Pennsylvania DEP  Academia:  University of Pennsylvania  Drexel University School of Public Health

Where PGWI NETWORK Organizations Have Projects Member Projects In Developing Countries Member Projects In Developing Countries Mexico Guatemala Haiti Cameroon Kenya Rwanda Afghanistan India Nepal

Dr. Arun Deb  Accessing arsenic-free water for almost 200,000 people over the past 15 years.  Looking to complete projects for access to drinking water in several schools in India.  completed WASH prj at 8 schools. Examples of Success Stories From the PGWI NETWORK

Keiyo Soy Ministries Dr. Elijah Korich  Constructed the equivalent of 18-mile pipeline gravity based system from the mountain to villages and schools.  3 concrete water towers serving 6 schools, 6 villages and 3 shopping centers.  Over 4,000 people have access to drinking water. Examples of Success Stories From the PGWI NETWORK

Aldo Magazzeni  Self- sustaining village with a large water system  Water system was built at a public school in Nairobi  Planning to build 2 water systems this year in Afghanistan Examples of Success Stories From the PGWI NETWORK

Penn EWB & PGWI  Collaborative effort between EWB and PGWI  Water assessment of Bome Valley, Cameroon including a health surveys  Initiated three successful projects in the Bome Valley Region of Northwest Cameroon.  Still much work to be done including additional education component. Examples of Success Stories From the PGWI NETWORK

Brittany Young  Founded by a University of Pennsylvania Student  Built 20+ water wells in rural African schools and promoted education.  Researching and gathering quantitative success indicators. Examples of Success Stories From the PGWI NETWORK

PGWI Successes Include  Consistent Support Of Progressive Companies And Universities  Learned From and Inspired Each Other  Shared Office Space  Help In Fund Raising (ex. CETRA)  Guest Lectures  A Close-knit Network Of Professionals/Students With Common Interests Has Been Established  A Hub To Exchange Information And Make New Connections  Stronger Projects By Member Organizations

More PGWI Successes Education  Annual Conferences on key issues: Water Allocation, The Water-Sanitation-Public Health Connection, Performance Indicators.  Inspired Offshoots— WH2O Journal, An Academic Journal For Gender And Water  Student Leadership At International Conferences- World Water Forum 6; RIO +20  Started Global Partnerships- UPENN-BESU (INDIA) Joint Workshop, Student Exchange

Where PGWI Would Like To Do More  FUNDING:  More Projects For Network Members  More Education  Executive Director/Staff to get us to the next level  Establish Philadelphia as a global center for water, sanitation and hygiene education and research  More use of PGWI expertise by UN, USAID, and Large NGOs  Sponsor more research on critical issues

 Provides additional/ better services to people in developing countries  Enables network organizations to find the expert help that they need within regions  PGWI adds value to organizations in the network  Provides a platform for innovation by students and professionals  Increases the efficiency of helping in developing countries  Raises awareness within the network and with the public  Allows for more people and organizations to be involved  Provides broader and more multi-disciplinary opportunities for students Why Would PGWI Be a Good Model?

Our Members Many others that have supported PGWI through the years Many others that have supported PGWI through the yearsVolunteersAWRA-PMASwww.pgwi.org Contact information: Rupal Prasad: Stanley Laskowski: Acknowledgements