Global Women's Water Initiative

In 2008, GWWI hosted its first African Women and Water Training at Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement Training Center in Nairobi, Kenya in partnership with GROOTS Kenya. African women coming from 8 countries all over the continent attended.
Read about the Participants.

The women were supported by a team of highly skilled African women facilitators and technology trainers as well as other international supporters. Read about the Trainers and Support Team.

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Anne Ondaye and Benta Akal
Nyanza, Kenya

Anne Ondaye lives in Kisumu, Kenya and is an affiliate of GROOTS Kenya as well as Power Positive.  She has taken part in workshops teaching her community how to access safe drinking water, and partnered with the provincial government and community leaders to ensure that local water sources are safe. Anne also visits homes to teach families how to grow suitable crops on hilly terrain, and how to plant trees. “At the moment we do not have any support on the area of water, yet there is need for more awareness on the issue. It has not been easy to change people’s culture and attitude without having alternative ways of accessing clean water for drinking.”   Anne hopes that the new methods she learns at the African Women and Water conference will bring much needed information to her community.

Benta Akal lives in Kisumu, Kenya and is an affiliate of three organizations: Power Positive, GROOTS Kenya, and Christian Children Fund.  Since 2002, she has been mobilizing people to promote awareness on the use of safe water.  In early 2008, Benta launched the Kowor Water Project, which gathered women to lobby access to safe water.  The goal of the project was to have water access for 2,000 families. She fundraised for these efforts and recruited her community to dig trenches. Benta is concerned that clean water methods are not being implemented in her community. “We filter and boil before drinking, though it is a rare practice among many people…Many feel that boiling water for drink is a hard task. This is what we need to change.”  

Beatrice Wamuhu and Lydiah Wambui
Thika, Kenya

Beatrice Wamuhu and Lydiah Wambui live in Thika, Kenya and are part of the Bodaboda Initiatives, Kenya.  Through this organization, they mobilize and train water committees and groups, implement projects, carry out evaluations, and educate their community. They both strongly support gender equality and advocate for women to make their voices heard in all arenas, from the radio to parliament.

Beatrice and Lydiah state that “customs and traditions are discriminating against women,  portraying them as inferior and creating the impression that only men can be leaders … If men are involved in the campaign to let society know that women too can be leaders. This is how negative attitudes towards women will be reduced.” Both women believe that “access to water is intrinsic to human development.”  Currently, access to clean water in their community is sparse, and women use pond water when cooking.  As Beatrice and Lydiah continue to organize community projects, they hope that their voices and the voices of fellow women will continue to be heard.

Betty Kamami and Holpha Kinya Kirera
Meru, Kenya

Betty Kamami lives in Meru, Kenya and is an affiliate of Family Mediation and Conciliation.  She is an advocate and trainer of tree planting and water projects.  As a trained conservationist, she often trains and educates women to complete or assist in environmental projects in their communities.  Betty is a vital source of knowledge and an inspiration to women in the city of Meru.

Holpha Kirera also lives in Meru, Kenya and is a part of the Family Mediation and Conciliation organization. She is involved in tree planting education and teaching communities proper farming methods that sustain the environment and reduce erosion. She has become a leader in her community by participating in her church, and sensitizing male leadership on the need to involve women in community development. Holpha is particularly concerned with educating and empowering women to be assertive in protecting their environment, and is eager to share her stories with the other African Women and Water Conference participants.

Seline Akinyi Osian and Jesca Aoko Ochieng
Nyanza, Kenya

Seline Akinyi Osian is the Secretary for Mbogo Women Group Solar Cooker Representative (SCOREP) for North Nyakach location. She  trains women in the community about water pasteurization and the importance of safe water. She trains women on how to make and sell solar ovens to reduce tree cutting and create a livelihood.

Jesca Aoko Ochieng lives in the Nyando District and is the Treasurer for SCOREP. She also trains women to use the sun to save energy. During the African Women and Water Conference, they hope to gain knowledge of water tanks, solar cookers, water treatment, and empowerment skills for women.  

Elizabeth Akinyi Obiero and Lillian Akinyi
Kisumu, Kenya

Elizabeth Obiero is part of the organization, Gwako Ministries.  Her responsibilities and achievements include mobilizing and supporting women’s groups and teaching hygiene and sanitation. She works to model for women the importance of women’s empowerment and leadership.  She envisions a future with training sessions, creating awareness, promotions of the use of safe water, and campaigns against water related diseases.

Lillian Akinyi works with GWAKO Ministries as a community health coordinator and also in hygiene and sanitation department. She conducts community health, hygiene and sanitation education and creating awareness within the schools and communities in relation to the use of safewater, good health sanitation practices to curb the water and sanitation.

Lucy Mulenkei and Rodah Rotino
Transmara, Kenya and West Pokot, Kenya

Lucy Mulenkei is a Maasai from Kenya who has been working first as a broadcast Journalist in the Government run radio for 17 years on issues of the environment and development. Her programming focused on environment problems in the rural Kenya and the East African Region. For the past 6 years she has been working both as a chair and coordinator of a women’s organization – the African Indigenous Women’s organization in the East African Region on training and strengthening capacity for Indigenous rural Nomadic Pastoralist and Hunter Gatherers on environment and sustainable development with a main focus on Biodiversity conservation and traditional knowledge. She worked with more than 100 different grassroots organizations in East Africa. She has also networked worldwide with other grassroots women in Latin America, Canada and Asia respectively. At the international level she has tried to connect the grassroots women especially those from her region with the international processes and chairs the Indigenous Women’s Biodiversity Network. Lucy believes that "we need policies that can involve and recognize the women especially the grassroots. We need to train and empower our women to have that voice to demand for their rights."

Rodah Chepkopus Rotino is a women's leader who has been working at the grassroots level on women and development issues. Her primary focus is around women and water. She is a trained teacher and holds a Bachelor of Education degree from Kenyatta University. Rodha taught secondary school for 9 years before taking a job in World Vision Kenya as an anti-FGM coordinator and programme manager. Currently, Rodah works in the Pokot community, building the capacity of women to articulate their rights especially on protecting their girls from harmful traditions such as FGM. Rodha also works on women economic empowerment and health improvement.

Namulondo Asumini and Justine Muduuli
Mukono, Uganda

Namulondo Asumini is the Founder of the Mukono Women’s AIDS TASK FORCE (MWATF) which is a women’s development organization based in Mukono District, Uganda. It helps single mothers, needy women, vulnerable children, people living with HIV/AIDS, and people with disabilities. MWATF also works on issues of environmental conservation. Over the past ten years, a programme ensuring provision of safe water and good sanitation has been an integral part of MWATF’s activities in  rural, urban and peri-urban areas. MWATF also teaches the community about rain water harvesting techniques as well as domestic rain water tanks. In rural areas, they teach valley dam construction, especially in locations where women and children have to walk miles as far as 6 miles to fetch water.   The major aim is to improve and develop the standards of living spiritually, socially, culturally, politically and economically.

Justine Mudouli has a Bachelors in Public Administration from the Islamic University in Uganda.  As a member of  MWATF, her role is  to aid women in group formation to develop income-generating projects through the creation of employment opportunities for self-supporting small businesses.

Matilda Nabukonde and Solome Mukisa
Kumi District, Uganda and Kampala, Uganda

Matilda Nabukonde lives in Kumi, Uganda and is a part of the Uganda Community Based Association for Child Welfare (UCOBAC).   She shares her concerns about the lack of water and the challenge of children missing school to stand in line for water.  As a community volunteer and secretary of the local council, Matilda visits women in their homes and teaches general hygiene.  She has taught them tree planting and protecting wells against any type of contaminants.   She was also able to advocate for by-laws to govern the protected and unprotected wells in her community and the neighboring areas.

Solome Mukisa is a teacher turned “Freedom Fighter” during the Uganda Civil War. A politician and now a community development mobilizer, she works with the UCOBAC whose mandate is to improve the welfare of rural women and children using community based initiatives.  UCOBAC entered into water projects after the realization that the long distances that women, girls and children travel to look for water is one of the major causes of violence including wife-beating, rape and defilement.  Solome and the UCOBAC team are tirelessly coordinating activities that ensure water is available nearer to the people through protecting shallow wells with funding from donors and encouraging local governments to allot bigger budgets towards water programs.  They engage local to local dialogues to influence policies and program on water provision and safety.

Anna Mboka Anatoli and Syoni Mnzava
Arusha, Tanzania

Anna Anatoli works at the forefront of addressing environmental issues as a means to sustain water issues in her community. In a community that faces drought and lack of safe and available drinking water, Anna provides education and training through ANEPO (Attraction of Natural Environment, we Protect and Organize). As Chairperson of ANEPO, she trains women on healthy eating, solar cooking methods, safe drinking using the WAPI method (Water Pasteurization Indicator).  She also teaches women to harvest rain water and to use drip methods to grow trees and organic vegetables. Anna is the Regional Secretary of the Tanzania Girl Guides Association, an organization that trains girls to become strong women and good citizens. She is also Ward Treasurer with TASAF Project, a World Bank project. She also provides women with information on obtaining loans from financial institutions and helps them create project proposals.”

Syoni Mnzava is a retired nurse/midwife. For the last 30 years, she was the Regional Commissioner and is currently the Regional Advisor for the Tanzania Girl Guides Association Arusha Region. She grooms girls and women to become strong and self-reliant.  As a Solar Cooking Trainer she also trains them to conserve the environment, use solar pasteurization methods, plant trees and promoting healthy eating habits through organic foods.

Halima Ibrahim and Halima Elmi
Guriceel, Somalia and Merca, Somalia

Halima Ibrahim is one of the Founders of the IIDA Women Organization based in Galgadud with its headquarters in Mogadishu. IIDA’s mission is to empower women with education to support good decision making.  IIDA provides literacy and vocational trainings for women and youth.  In partnership with international organizations, IIDA also supports schools and orphanages around food security and access to water and sanitation. She maintains that “Women are the only hope for the community and as women, we work together”. Because of the years of war in their region, women and children have especially struggled. According to Halima, “In Somalia there is no stable government.  The only hope is if we can get knowledge to assist ourselves and get help from other women who are not in a situation such as ours.”

Halima Elmi grew up with IIDA.  She joined IIDA in 1998 when she was still in primary school.  IIDA helped her to continue studies until she finished high school as a youth group volunteer.  She then acted as the Chairperson for the Shable Youth Development Organization (SHYDO), a youth group supported by IIDA.  IIDA then employed her as an income-generation manager offering Trainer’s Trainings for  women on leadership skills around female genital mutilation and HIV/AIDS.  “I believe women work hard.  I work to save water for women I rural areas”.

Sizani Ngubane and Gugu Eunice Hadebe
Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

Sizani Ngubane has been a women's activist for over 40 years and the founder of the Rural Women's Movement. RWM introduces sustainable rural development using indigenous ways. Colonization took away valuable indigenous way of sustainable development and this has contributed to the impact of environmental degradation. Women are concerned about this environmental degradation but do not have the capacity to correct their situation because they are not actively involved in local decision-making structures. In an effort to increase the women’s participation in local governance she has created a program that specifically encourages effective participation of women in local governance and political spheres of their lives. She has mobilized over 500 grassroots organizations in the last 5 years and the number of women in local governance has increased. For the first time in South African history we are seeing women in traditional authority structures which ten years ago was something that was seen as impossible. Sizani believes that women's voices are crucial in creating policy to make lasting and effective change.

Gugu Hadebebe is a mother of four children.  She has been a member of the RWM since 2003 and is one of it’s project coordinators.  She has taken part in teaching her community how to access safe drinking water and running a community pre-school.

Jennifer Mutinda and Priscah Mutia
Kitui, Kenya

Jennifer Mutinda and Priscah Mutia are both women leaders from TEI WA WO in Kitui district. TEI WA WO is one of the community-based organizations in the GROOTS Kenya network. The organization creates HIV/AIDS awareness, offers care and support for orphans, vulnerable children and people infected with HIV and AIDS. In the course of their work, they have found that access to good nutrition and clean drinking water for people living with HIV and AIDS is a significant problem. This is because Kitui district is a semi-arid region with very high temperatures and unreliable rainfall.

To ensure improved living standards for people living with HIV and AIDS in Kitui, Jennifer Mutinda, Priscah Mutia and their group members have developed strategies to enhance women’s access to water for home use and crop production. They mobilize women and youth to dig wells in the river beds, which they then use for drinking and irrigation. They have also trained women on how to filter water using sand. The average distance to the nearest river bed is 5 Km and the wells in the community are hard to use and very deep. Therefore, Jenipher and Priscah would like to learn more methods on water harvesting and water cleaning. 

Joan Jessica Okolo and Mary Omble Wuya
Jos, Nigeria

Joan Okolo lives in Jos, Nigeria and is a member of the NGO Organized Centre for Empowerment and Advocacy in Nigeria (OCEAN).   The overall objective of Joan’s efforts is to train women and young people on issues that involve HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, just and responsive governance, micro-credit assistance, water, hygiene and sanitation promotion.    She mobilizes, sensitizes, and advocates on behalf of her communities and appeals to local council authorities to consider the challenges that rural women face to access water. Joan believes that behavioral change and aggressive campaigning on the part of volunteers and advocates is the best way for environmental change to occur. She believes this will be made possible through education and simple and affordable technologies.

Mary Omble Wuya lives in Jos, Nigeria and is a coordinator of the NGO Organized Centre for Empowerment and Advocacy in Nigeria (OCEAN).  Her work is centered on educating women about clean water methods and basic sanitation and hygiene. She is currently promoting and advocating for environmental sanitation in Jos by publishing a series of articles and engaging public awareness campaigns on environmental sanitation.  Like many other women, she supports low cost, easy ways that the everyday woman can adapt in order to purify water. “The African Women and Water conference will make great change in our community, which has had several outbreaks of cholera and other diseases. This is a practical training that can easily be replicated in other communities.”   

Olanike Olubunmi Olugboji and Anna Avong
Kaduna, Nigeria

Olanike Olugboji lives in Kaduna, Nigeria and is a member of the Environmental Management and Protection Network.  She has a background in Environmental Studies (along with Urban and Regional Planning) and is currently working alongside some community organizations to form a water coalition in Kaduna State, which is proposed as  “Kaduna Water Action Team.”  She is also a freelance writer and guest columnist for New Nigerian Newspaper and Kaduna Chronicle and has many published articles on the environment.  Olanike’s dream for a cleaner and safer environment and her passion for humanitarian work are the driving forces behind most of the things she does.

Anna Avong lives in Kaduna, Nigeria and is a geographer, the Kaduna state president of the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), and the president of the Attakar Women Association of Nigeria. She has a keen interest in the issue of sustainable development, as statistics have revealed that women and children are the ones who are most affected by environmental challenges and problems.  Her leadership has allowed her to actively participate in both national and international forums.  Anna is very concerned with the preconceived social constraints held against women.  “…Some of these difficulties are closely tied to socio-cultural beliefs and traditions within the society … It is in this light that I have taken it upon myself to promote the welfare (economic and social) of the women with whom I work by laying emphasis on education and training.”

Felicia Kuubeka and Rebecca Adarpaya
Accra, Ghana and Wa, Ghana

Felicia Kuubeka lives in Accra, Ghana and is the chairperson of the organization WATSAN.  She initially became more active in her community when ProNet started water and sanitation projects in her community.  The training she has received on gender and water sanitation during the projects gave her capacity as chairperson of the WATSAN to appreciate women’s empowerment concerning the above issues.  Felicia has since been educating women on the need to practice good environmental and personal hygiene in their communities and households.

Rebecca Adarpaya lives in Wa, Ghana and is an affiliate of ProNet North, where she was trained in safe hygiene practices, some of which included safe water transportation and household water storage. Rebecca has also had the opportunity to serve on the water and sanitation development board in the Lawra community as treasurer.

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Trainers and Support Team

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Mildred Mkandla
Zimbabwe/Ethiopia
Trainer, Rainwater Harvesting Techniques

Mildred Mkandla is originally from Zimbabwe but currently lives in Ethiopia. She is the External Relations Director of EarthCare Africa Policy Monitoring Institute, an Africa regional organization registered in Kenya. She is married with 3 adult children and a 4 year old grandson. She is a development activist with more than 35 years experience in the fields of health, education and environment focusing mainly on women and children Over the last 7 years she has worked on issues related to gender and water, especially rainwater harvesting. Her biggest achievement in this respect was the project on Empowering Women in Rainwater Harvesting in Kenya. This project concentrated in Kajiado District amongst the Masaai Pastoralists where women compete for water for domestic use with that for livestock use. She enjoys writing poetry on topical issues. At the African Women and Water Conference, Mildred will conduct a technical training on Roof Catchment which will be a joint presentation Lillian Mwandha on water storage.

Lillian Mwandha
Mukono, Uganda
Trainer, Ferro Cement Tank Construction

Lillian N. Mwandha, has been spear heading the creation of awareness about the importance of having clean water sources and the consequences of unsafe water. She involves the local communities in decision making about location of water sources as the best option in increasing people’s access to safe water. Further, she is a trainer of trainers therefore her attendance will have a multiplier effect when she returns to Uganda. In addition, not only is she interested in the management and provision of water, she is a member of FIDA- Uganda and a lawyer, whose objective is to ensure social justice to all vulnerable groups of people, especially women and children, using the law. She teaches the community basic legal concepts to ensure that people live harmoniously, without violating others rights within their communities. At the African Women and Water Conference, Lillian will conduct a training on Ferro Cement Water Storage Tanks and conduct a joint presentation with Mildred Mkandla on Roof Catchment.

Faustine Lutta Obada and Margaret C.A. Owino
Nairobi, Kenya
Trainer, CooKit and Solar Pastuerization

Faustine Odaba is a leader in community-based social development activities with a particular focus on women development in rural areas. Her expertise is in environment conservation (energy) programmes, Health & Nutrition programmes, community development, and gender issues. Faustine has worked for Solar Cookers International as a field trainer in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Refugee camps in Kenya. She has also worked for the Catholic Relief Services in Turkana. At the African Women and Water Conference, Faustine will be conducting the solar oven/water pasteurization training with Margaret Owino.
Margaret Owino attended Kenyatta University and went on to be a high school teacher, administrator and author. She later worked with the Kenya Energy and Environment Organization (KENGO), promoting sustainable energy use, energy saving technologies, natural resource management and general development. Currently, Margaret is the representative of Solar Cookers International operations in the Eastern Africa region. She has also been the coordinator for SCI’s refugee projects. Her hobbies include cooking, church activities, embroidery and needlework. At the African Women and Water Conference, Margaret will be conducting the solar pasteurization training with Faustine Odaba.

Mariah Klingsmith
Colorado, United States
Trainer, Biosand Filter

Mariah comes to Africa from the Philippines where she was living and working for the past two years as a Water and Sanitation volunteer with the U.S. Peace Corps. Her activities in the Philippines included helping to implement a BioSand water filter project in schools and evacuation centers after two devastating typhoons and a volcano eruption ravaged her region. She has also conducted trainings in Ferro Cement water tank construction, BioSand filters and offering solid waste management education to establish a local mother’s club livelihood project using recycled materials. When not working with water and trash Mariah enjoys being with her family and her husband, Jarod, reading, singing, hiking, biking, and being outdoors. At the African Women and Water Conference, Mariah will be conducting the training on the Biosand Water filter.

Juddy Elizabeth Opiyo
Kitaye, Kenya
Facilitator, WASH Strategies

Juddy Opiyo is currently finalizing a Master’s Program in International Relations and is the Founder and Executive Director of Global Missions Services-Kenya, a Charitable Trust founded 7 years ago that specializes in education, water and sanitation initiatives, and gender-based violence in marginalized communities. Juddy is the founder of 5 Primary Schools in the West Pokot area with over 700 pupils and 20 teachers addressing high illiteracy levels among pastoralist girls. Ms Juddy also hosts an Annual Alternative Rite of passage Program for Pastoralist against the harmful cultural rite of female genital mutilation that is practiced in the community. In an effort to meet the MDG Sanitation targets in Kenya, Juddy has been able to build and sustain a more positive attitude towards Hygiene and Sanitation and generate resources, knowledge, and political interest in marginalized communities and around the world. At the African Women and Water Conference, Juddy will be conducting an workshop on Integrated Water Sanitation and Hygiene Strategies.

Annette Fay
California, United States
Facilitator, Peer Water Network On-line Proposal Peer Review Platform

Annette Fay is a core member of the PWX team, and works with all PWX member organizations to help them with keeping their information current. The Peer Water Exchange (PWX) is a process and on-line platform that uses a network model to review grassroots water project proposals and create an active and current knowledge base of water strategies around the world. PWX values the experience of field personnel and empowers grassroots implementers to participate in the decision-making process for funding and enforces collaboration and an exchange of best practices, key ideas, and the sharing of both successes and failures from water projects around the world. At the African Women and Water Conference, Annette will conduct a training on The Peer Water Exchange online platform.

Sarah Mbinji
Nairobi, Kenya
Facilitator, Microbusiness Development

Sarah Mbinji is the Managing Director of Leverage Project Consultants and offers Financial Management, Management Consultancy, Training and Business Advisory services. She is the holder of a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Business Studies from Kenyatta University and a fully qualified Certified Public Accountant CPA (K). She is also an active member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK). She has 12 years working experience in the areas of Finance, Management, Administration and Training. She is also an auditor with vast experience from PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and has worked with several other organizations on different assignments. At the African Women and Water Conference, Sarah will conduct training on Project Proposal Development and Business Planning.

Judy Kimamo
Nairobi, Kenya
Facilitator, Civic Engagement

Judy Kimamo was born in the Nyeri District of Kenya and has worked with Green Belt Movement for 4 ½ years. She has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science – Botany and Zoology. She started working as a Project Officer in the School Environmental Education program and engaged school children in fun nature-based education activities that created enthusiasm and a bond with nature. Currently, Judy works in the Women and Girls program that seeks to improve women’s livelihoods by empowering them and strengthening their voices in governance, households, environmental issues, and education access. Judy’s work also supports orphans and vulnerable children. At the African Women and Water Conference, Judy will present the Green Belt Movement Programs and highlight specific activities around civic and environment.

Njogu Kahare
Nairobi, Kenya
Facilitator, Introduction to Sand Dams and Rainwater Harvesting Earthworks

Njogu Kahare joined Greenbelt Movement in 1991. He is a graduate of Bsc. Agriculture from Nairobi University. He has worked I most programs of the Movement participating mainly in project development. He is a conversant with its food security and water harvesting project.
Njogu will be offering a workshop on Water Harvesting and hosting a trip to one of Greenbelt Movement’s Sand Dam Projects.

Dr. Robert Metcalf
California, United States
Trainer, Portable Microbiology Lab Water Testing

Recent technological breakthroughs in water testing methods and solar water pasteurization have been pioneered by Dr. Robert Metcalf, Professor of Biological Sciences at California State University, Sacramento. Metcalf's methods include a Portable Microbiology Laboratory (PML) kit that allows water testing to be done in the local community. A unique aspect of the PML tests is that they demystify science and microbiology, and do not require extensive education or scientific training. It removes the need to deal with obsolete, complicated laboratory-based tests requiring sophisticated laboratories and expensive equipment. The women attending the conference will all learn how to test their own water using this portable lab, and will take one home with them.

Annabel Waitutu
Nairobi, Kenya
Facilitator, Gender Mainstreaming in the Water Sector

Annabell Waititu is the Programme Coordinator for Institute of Environment and Water. She is also a member of the Gender Water Alliance, a network that supports the study of women’s roles in water resource management as well as offering trainings in Gender Mainstreaming to ensure women demand consideration in water policy and local water decisions.