What is WAWI?
WAWI is the acronym for the West Africa Water Initiative. The Initiative was founded in 2002 as a public-private partnership and includes the following organizations: Conrad N. Hilton Foundation (CNHF), Cornell International Institute of Food, Agriculture, and Development (CIIFAD), Desert Research Institute (DRI), Helen Keller International (HKI), International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), The Carter Center/Global 2000 (TCC), UNICEF, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), WaterAid, Winrock International, World Chlorine Council (WCC) and World Vision. Associates in Rural Development (ARD, Inc.) also assists USAID in implementation of the activities it sponsors.

What are the objectives of WAWI?
WAWI has four major objectives:
a. Increase the level of access to sustainable, safe water and environmental sanitation services among the poor and vulnerable populations;
b. Reduce the prevalence of water-borne diseases including guinea worm and diarrheal diseases;
c. Ensure ecological and financially sustainable management of water quantity and quality; and
d. Foster a new model of partnership and institutional synergy.
Please see the WAWI Strategic Plan for further information: download here

Where does WAWI work?
WAWI carries out activities in Ghana, Mali and Niger. Within each country, there are focus geographic areas. In Ghana, WAWI operates in the northern region only. In Niger, activities are focused in Maradi and Zinder. In Mali, WAWI works in Ségou, Mopti, Gao, and peri-urban Bamako.

Is WAWI an independent organization / NGO?
No, WAWI is not a legally separate organization. Rather, it is a voluntary partnership of thirteen international organizations implementing water, sanitation, hygiene, and sustainable water resources management programs in Ghana, Mali and Niger. The WAWI alliance contributes to the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg (WSSD) endorsement of partnerships as a new model for sustainable development.

Why does WAWI have its own logo?
A WAWI Logo was created for the partnership to help establish a unique WAWI identity, and to reflect a unified face of the alliance to the national and international water community.

Are staff of partner organizations WAWI staff?
No, there are no WAWI staff, since WAWI is not an independent institution. All personnel working to implement WAWI-supported activities are staff of the specific WAWI partner organization to which they belong.

How does WAWI coordinate its activities?
WAWI has an operational Secretariat located in Niamey, Niger. The WAWI Secretariat works on behalf of the entire alliance, and is located in an independent office. It helps coordinate the activities of the various WAWI partners in Ghana, Mali and Niger, facilitates communication across the three countries and between the headquarters and field levels, and supports the collective planning of the partnership at the regional level. In addition to the Secretariat, there are WAWI coordinating bodies at the international level (Headquarters Steering Committee), and the national level (National Steering Committee), which set policy and lay out the Strategic direction of the partnership.

How is the WAWI Secretariat funded?
The WAWI Secretariat receives core funding from the Conrad N. Hilton
Foundation (CNHF) and World Vision United State. Other WAWI partners such as the United States Agency for International Development / Associates in Rural Development (USAID/ARD) have provided the Secretariat with funds to undertake capacity building programs for WAWI partner staff and local government agencies. Secretariat personnel are currently World Vision employees, however all work is done on behalf of the entire WAWI alliance.

How are WAWI activities funded?
Donor funding (Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and USAID) is provided directly in the form of grants and contracts to WAWI partner organizations to carry out activities in support of the Initiative. World Vision matching funds are directed specifically to World Vision activities within WAWI. The total funding for WAWI to date is approximately$57 million.

Why are WAWI funds not channeled through the government but rather WAWI implementing partners?
As described above, WAWI is not a legally independent institution with a consolidated budget. Rather, each WAWI implementing partner is an accredited organization already in existence and working in the WAWI focus countries. WAWI-targeted donor funds are made available to specific partners to enable implementation of programs within the WAWI framework, similar to other donor funding these organizations receive.

Can WAWI finance activities of my organization?
Neither WAWI as a whole or the WAWI Secretariat in particular are grant making institutions. All available funding for WAWI activities is directed towards existing WAWI partner organizations, and all resources have already been allocated. The principal WAWI donor institutions (CNHF, USAID, and World Vision) will not entertain requests for funding from outside organizations.

How can my community benefit from WAWI activities?
Your community may benefit from WAWI activities if it is located within the WAWI geographic area of operation, and if a WAWI partner organization has already received funding to work in your specific location. Funding solicitations from communities outside the already funded areas of activity of WAWI cannot be considered at this time.

How do I contact WAWI within each of the three target countries?
Each WAWI country has a National Steering Committee convened by official government counterpart ministries, and including representatives of each WAWI partner with national presence. Please contact the WAWI Secretariat for specific information on how to get in touch with someone at the national level.