United States commits $1.2M to support the work of the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST)

CALGARY, October 24, 2023 - The Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) is pleased to announce a $1.2M USD grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) to support its work providing in-person, hybrid and online learning for local water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practitioners around the world.

“Key to solving the existing and emerging world’s water crisis is building the capacity of local water, sanitation and hygiene workers. CAWST reaches tens of millions of people living in extreme poverty, in some of the hardest to reach places. We do this by training and supporting thousands of existing, in-country organizations to start, strengthen and grow their projects,” says Shauna Curry, CEO of CAWST. “By supporting others to be more effective in their work, together we can reach a scale and impact well beyond implementing projects ourselves.”

The grant – aimed at scaling up CAWST’s existing efforts – builds upon previous USAID grants provided to CAWST. It is aimed at providing technical resources, training and consulting support for vulnerable populations in accessing critical water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs.

CAWST is a recognized leader in WASH capacity building to create sustainable solutions for local communities. In 2022 alone, more than 50,000 people used and downloaded CAWST’s free education resources on WASH topics. Additionally, 621 of organizations in 107 countries, who received services from CAWST and our training partners, collectively impacted 12.5 million people with improved water, sanitation or hygiene. With this new funding from USAID, CAWST will further expand its reach by delivering in-person, hybrid and online learning for local practitioners in the sector, with a focus on humanitarian contexts.

“Partnerships are what makes CAWST’s model so successful,” says Curry. “CAWST is looking forward to working together with USAID to advance our shared mission to address the global need for safe drinking water and sanitation in the humanitarian sector.”

The partnership kicks off immediately and will span until the end of August 2025. Access to water is a human right and it underpins every aspect of sustainable development. CAWST, together with its extensive global network of WASH organizations and experts, share a common goal to save lives and contribute to more people around the world being able to succeed because their basic water and sanitation needs have been met.

About CAWST:

The Centre for Affordable Water & Sanitation Technology (CAWST*) is a Canadian charity and licensed not-for-profit professional engineering consultancy. We teach people how to bring safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in their homes, schools and clinics, using simple, affordable technologies. CAWST transfers knowledge and skills to organizations and individuals in low- and middle-income countries through workshops, open content training resources and consulting services. To learn more about CAWST and our mission to make water knowledge common knowledge, visit cawst.org.

*pronounced COST

About the USAID program with CAWST:

This program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of CAWST and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

Media Contact:
Hailey Carnegie
Public Relations Manager, CAWST
403-690-0233
hcarnegie@cawst.org