Nairobi — Global Water Center (GWC) has rolled out a new project to improve access to safely managed water across East Africa, backed by $1.1 million (Sh142.5 million) in grants from the Grundfos Foundation and The Coca-Cola Foundation.
The initiative, covering Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Uganda, aims to address a critical shortage of water professionals by developing vocational training programs and strengthening government capacity in the rural water sector.
"Safe and reliable water access is key to livelihoods, health, and social progress. This project will help governments build the technical skills needed to maintain water systems," said Kim Nøhr Skibsted, CEO of Grundfos Foundation.
The Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) report highlights that many African countries have less than 50 percent of the workforce needed for water and sanitation infrastructure, posing a major sustainability risk.
Key focus areas of the project are identifying training gaps and designing vocational courses for water professionals and partnering with local and global stakeholders to ensure sustainability and scalability, among others.
While the $1.1 million grant funds the first phase, GWC seeks additional partners to support the full rollout.
"We invite others to collaborate and help drive systemic change for safe, reliable water access across East Africa," said Thomas Johnston, CEO of GWC.
