About Our Partners: Water For People

At EcoVessel, we believe that small actions and consistent effort can greatly and positively impact our planet. We also believe that the organizations committed to this movement need support. That is why we’re a member of 1% for the Planet and pledge to donate 1% of our annual sales to non-profit organizations that benefit the environment. 
1% for the Planet, a burgeoning network of more than 5,000 environmentally conscious members and brands, represents industries and causes that share the same common values of environmental sustainability, good corporate citizenship and responsibility. 
Now, in partnership with Beam, a company aiming to shift $10 billion to high-impact nonprofits, our customers can participate in how we at EcoVessel donate. When you make a purchase on our website, you’ll get a notification to choose a nonprofit. Then EcoVessel will donate part of your total, at no cost to you.
Right now, when you check out at ecovessel.com, we will donate 5% of the sale to one of our partners of your choosing!

Water For People

One of our partners, Water For People (WFP), aims to further the development of safe, high-quality drinking water and sanitation services by creating a foundation that can be sustained by strong communities, businesses and governments.

In the 1990s, having spent their careers working in water and wastewater, Ken Miller, Wayne Weiss and John B. "Jack" Mannion established Water For People. Through this international nonprofit, based in Denver, Colorado, these three men combined their network, knowledge and experience to design a program that would bring lasting solutions to the world’s water crisis.
Today, Water For People continues to rely on strong ties to professionals in the water industry, such as the American Water Works Association (AWWA). Through these partnerships, Water For People ensures that solutions provided are entrenched in the expertise of water and wastewater experts.

How Water For People Creates a Better World

Water

Water For People works in partnership with local governments and communities to assess existing resources and create a plan which covers each family, clinic and school in the district. They then build wells, place pipes, install taps, and establish facilities to test and treat water. 
Occasionally, WFP will build institutions to manage water services and operate water systems. Other times, supply chains are set up so parts necessary for repairs are available locally. WFP also trains local mechanics to maintain water systems, while community water committees are educated about tariff collection and managing water resources. 

Water For People also advocates for regional laws and institutions that will protect water services for generations. Water services are monitored annually, providing information for making adjustments, and when everyone in a district has sustainable water services, WFP consults and provides oversight for up to 5 years to ensure those services remain at appropriate levels. 
Once a district has sustained water services without immediate support from WFP, and local governments and communities demonstrate that they can manage water services for the long term, Water For People moves their investment to new areas.

You can read here about how water taps from Water For People’s Everyone Forever initiative improved the lives of people in Bolivia.

Sanitation

Water For People believes sanitation businesses are the best way to get families access to better bathrooms, ensure that families have affordable toilet options, as well as provide access to skilled contractors who can build bathrooms and safely manage waste.

WFP partners with communities and districts to educate families about the hazards of open defecation to community health. They implement new ways of approaching sanitation services and products based on the needs of local communities. This includes new types of toilets, and new mechanisms for financing, constructing and safely managing waste. These new sanitation approaches are tested in local markets to identify whether there is demand or any need for improvement.

WFP also monitors these new sanitation products and services to ensure they are reaching families. If a new product or service is doing well in local markets, WFP scales it to entire cities or regions, so more people can access better sanitation services. Once there has been enough growth of a product or service, Water For People removes themselves and trusts the market to maintain those sanitation services.

Read about how training on the link between open defecation and cholera, organized by Water For People, changed the lives of people in Malawi here.

Hygiene

Water For People also aims to improve hygiene, which leads to improved health in local communities. In schools, hand washing stations are set up and hygiene committees, which teach students about proper hygiene practices, are implemented. 
Furthermore, Water For People ensures schools have the necessary menstrual hygiene resources for girls to continue their education. These resources include things such as private changing rooms, pads, and incinerators to dispose of used hygiene products. 
Learn more here about how Water For People helped establish Hygiene Corners in classrooms in Guatemala.

Water For People, EcoVessel and You