WaterStep is excited to be working with a new organization, Global First Responders (GFR). GFR works in many of the same countries we do utilizing volunteers who are medical professionals to provide healthcare at clinics and schools as well as volunteers of all skill sets that work on sustainable projects such as building schools and clinic design. Their team members have seen first hand how critical it is to have safe water available when administering medical treatment. WaterStep will be partnering with GFR to provide safe water to three different sites this summer, two schools in Uganda and a healthcare clinic in Zambia.
Hopeland School in Kizigo, Uganda is the first project to be completed this summer. Valence Rutaisire (pictured below), founder of the Youth Focus Africa Foundation, has overseen the construction of a rain catchment system at the school (pictured above) that will ensure teachers and students have ready access to water even during the dry season. The GFR team will arrive in June bringing with them safe water solutions to treat the contaminated water and make it safe to drink. Their volunteers will also conduct training on health and hygiene while onsite.
GFR’s mission: Global First Responders advocates for global healthcare equality and partners with the communities where we work to undertake and complete joint sustainability projects (globalfirstresponder.org).
Their mission and model of how they work is very similar to WaterStep’s mission to empower individuals and communities around the world to take care of their own water needs. A partnership just makes sense and we are so grateful to work with this awesome organization.
Stay tuned to meet Rose Chityaba who runs the health clinic the GFR team will be visiting in July!