In 2021, the Safe Water initiative set out to provide professional, sustainable, affordable, and safe water services to 1 million people in low-income households, health facilities, and schools across sub-Saharan Africa. By 2025, the program not only met its goal but surpassed it, reaching 1.95 million people across rural communities in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Uganda. This achievement reflects a strategic focus on system-strengthening and service delivery, rather than merely building infrastructure, addressing the persistent challenge of broken water systems due to inadequate operations and maintenance.
The initiative emphasizes professionalized water service delivery as a viable and accountable social enterprise. In Ghana’s Ahafo region, World Vision has partnered with PEC Consult Ltd. to manage water schemes under government contracts, ensuring continuous and reliable services for nearly 50,000 people. Innovative financing mechanisms, such as a Drinking Water Sustainability Fund and a Water Facilities Insurance Scheme, are being introduced to reduce dependency on traditional aid and strengthen sector accountability.
Local entrepreneurship in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector is emerging as a powerful solution. Youth-led and established social enterprises are providing reliable water services while expanding access through innovative approaches. Dani Hydrodrill, a Ghanaian social enterprise, has upgraded broken handpumps into solar-powered systems, reaching over 12,000 people and planning to expand services to an additional 15,000 by 2027 with technical and financial support.
Another example is Linda Appiah, who launched the social venture Ahafo Nkwa Nsuo after winning a youth hackathon. Starting with a small grant, she built mechanized water systems for rural communities, demonstrating the transformative potential of youth-led innovation in the sector.
These efforts highlight that sustainable access to safe water depends not only on infrastructure but also on people, innovation, and collaborative partnerships. By combining community engagement, government support, private sector participation, and donor funding, the Safe Water initiative is creating durable systems that improve access to safe water for millions across sub-Saharan Africa.
