Annual Report - WaterAid Canada
Building a legacy of clean water and dignity for generations
- Wateraid AR
- About WaterAid
- The Challenge
- From our Executive Director and Chair
- Our 2023 Global Impact
- Our Global ReachImproved HygieneOur Impact: The HerWASH ProjectOur PartnersOur DonorsSupporter SpotlightMonthly Donors Making A Lasting DifferenceOur TeamOur FinancesSummary of Financial StatementsThank You
About WaterAid
WaterAid is an international charitable organization, determined to make clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. Only by tackling these three essentials in ways that last can people change their lives for good.
Our mission
WaterAid’s mission is to transform the lives of the poorest and most marginalized people by improving access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Our vision
WaterAid’s vision is a world where everyone, everywhere has safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Our values
They define our culture and unite us across the many countries in which we work. They are at the very heart of WaterAid – who we are, what we do and how we do it.
Accountability
Collaboration
Courage
Innovation
Integrity
Respect
WaterAid acknowledges that our office, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation, whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
We honour and pay our respect to these lands, and to all First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples throughout Turtle Island.
WaterAid Canada Staff and Board have embarked on a multi-year journey of reflection and learning towards Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. Our 10-year strategy includes a commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. Read more about Our Commitment to Reconciliation.
The Challenge
703 million people in the world – almost one in ten – don’t have clean water close to home.
Almost 2 billion people in the world – one in four – lack soap and/or water to wash their hands at home.
1.5 billion people in the world – almost one in five – don’t have a decent toilet of their own.
Over 300,000 children under five die every year from diarrheal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That's more than 800 children a day, or one child every two minutes.
857 million people have no water service at their healthcare facilities.
Globally, 29% of schools do not have a basic water service. That means 546 million children attend school without drinking water.
From our Executive Director and Chair
The past year has been marked by significant challenges for vulnerable communities worldwide, from conflict to climate. From Burkina Faso to Mozambique to Bangladesh, we have witnessed the devastating effects of droughts and extreme storms disrupt already fragile water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems. This escalating global water and sanitation crisis, intensified by climate change, is making clean water scarcer and threatening the health and livelihoods of millions.
In the face of these challenges, WaterAid remains unwavering in our mission to provide access to clean water, decent toilets and hygiene. We remain committed to addressing the immediate needs of to the most marginalized communities, while building long-term resilience amongst the most disproportionately impacted people, including women and girls.
Our impact across 30 countries saw WaterAid reach 685,000 people with clean water, improved sanitation for 267,000 individuals, and better hygiene for 967,000. Our work extended from households to schools and healthcare facilities, benefiting 110,000 students and 1.25 million patients. Beyond direct interventions, we advocated for systemic change, influencing governments and reshaping policies to keep the taps running and prioritize WASH services for future generations.
Thanks to the commitment of our Canadian partners and supporters, WaterAid Canada specifically expanded its impact across 11 countries with three new programs (BASIN, COHERS, and IGNIT3) launched this year. We also concluded our HerWASH project. Funded by Global Affairs Canada, HerWASH brought transformative change to Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Pakistan by implementing gender-sensitive water sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure and interventions to improve menstrual health and sanitation for women and girls, empowering communities by dismantling barriers to health and education.
To our donors, supporters, and staff: thank you for your unwavering commitment to our mission. Your belief in our work enables us to drive meaningful, lasting change in the lives of the most vulnerable. Every tap installed, every toilet constructed, is a step towards achieving equity, economic empowerment, and a healthier future for all. Together, we are building a world where everyone has access to clean water and sanitation—a foundation for dignity, opportunity, and hope.
Martin Munro
Chair of the Board of Directors
Justin Murgai
Chief Executive Officer
Our Strategic Role
In 2022, WaterAid launched a ten-year Global Strategy Ending the water, sanitation, and hygiene crisis together – for everyone, everywhere, that significantly increases our ambition and strengthens our approach to accelerating progress towards achieving Goal 6 of SDGs. This goal is at the heart of everything we do.
The scale of the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) crisis calls for greater urgency, and that is why this new strategy is bolder and more ambitious than our previous. While continuing to reach millions of people directly, we will leverage our expertise and work with partners and allies to reach hundreds of millions of people through systemic change. By 2032, our ambition through our work is to see 400 million more people with sustainable and safe WASH, and $15 billion more a year mobilized for WASH in low- and middle-income countries.
- Achieve universal, sustainable, and safe services in focused geographic areas to influence wider change;
- Prioritize WASH across the health sector to improve public health;
- Strengthen the resilience of WASH to climate change;
- Increase the quantity and quality of WASH financing.
WaterAid’s Global Strategy provides the framework for WaterAid Canada’s ten-year Strategic Plan (2022–2032), which addresses core issues of the global WASH crisis with an enhanced focus on gender equality and on climate-resilient WASH services. WaterAid Canada’s Strategic Plan is guided by four overarching goals that reflect our specific strengths in the WaterAid Federation and have been structured to contribute to the goals set forth by WaterAid Canada. We will work closely with our colleagues across the global WaterAid Federation, the Government of Canada, the private sector, policymakers, philanthropists, and our supporters to employ context-specific solutions to meet our goals.
WaterAid Canada’s strategic goals
Inspire Canadians to transform lives through sustainable and safe WASH;
Enable sustainable universal access to WASH in the communities and districts where we work;
Empower women and girls and increase their leadership opportunities;
Influence decision-makers and allies to recognize and prioritize WASH as a critical investment in human development and rights.
Our 2023 Global Impact
To maximize our impact, we work hand-in-hand with WaterAid offices across the globe, alongside local partners, governments, and communities. This approach ensures that the solutions we implement are rooted in the specific needs and contexts of the areas we serve, making them more sustainable and impactful.
By combining the expertise of our national federation members—Canada, India, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States—with the insights of our on-the-ground teams, we advance our shared vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has access to clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene (WASH).
Together, we advocate for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 6: ensuring access to water and sanitation for all, while fostering community ownership and long-term resilience in the regions we serve.
WaterAid has offices in 30 countries, changing millions of lives every year with clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene. In 2023/24 WaterAid Canada oversaw projects in Burkina Faso, Ghana, India, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda.
Global map displays WaterAid country programs as of June 2023.
Where We Work
Click on a Country for more information
Country Offices
Federation Members
Regional Offices
Our Current Programs
Click on a Country for more information
HerWASH: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights program
The WASH for Healthy Learning program
Project Boond
Sexual Health and Reproductive Education program (SHARE)
The Behavioural Adaption for Water Security and Inclusion (BASIN)
Our Current Programs
Click on a Country for more information
HerWASH: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights program
Sexual Health and Reproductive Education program (SHARE)
The Behavioural Adaption for Water Security and Inclusion (BASIN)
Community One Health Empowerment in Rwanda and Senegal (COHERS)
HerWASH: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights program
Project Boond
Sexual Health and Reproductive Education program (SHARE)
The Behavioural Adaption for Water Security and Inclusion (BASIN)
Community One Health Empowerment in Rwanda and Senegal (COHERS)
Increase Gains in Nutrition by Integration, Education, Evaluation & Empowerment (IGNIT3)
Our Global Reach
Globally, between 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024, WaterAid reached:
Access to clean water
685,000
household members
110,000
school students
767,000
patients through healthcare facilities
Improved sanitation
267,000
household members
136,000
school students
941,000
patients in healthcare facilities
Improved hygiene
967,000
household members
456,000
school students
1,248,000
patients in healthcare facilities
The figures refer to the people WaterAid has directly reached as an international federation, globally, between 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024 through services delivered together with our partners. These figures only show part of our impact. To make lasting change happen on a massive scale, we also convince governments to change laws; link policy makers with people on the ground; change attitudes and behaviors; pool knowledge and resources; and, rally support from people and organizations around the world. Through this work we are able to reach many more people than those shown above.
Our Impact: The HerWASH Project
The HerWASH project, a transformative initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada, concluded after four years of impactful work in March 2024. The project set out to address the critical intersection between water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in four countries — Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Pakistan.
By integrating water and sanitation infrastructure that particularly sought to meet the needs of women and girls, as well as menstrual hygiene education, HerWASH worked to ensure that women and girls could manage their menstrual health with dignity. In schools, healthcare centers, and communities, the project created safe spaces for education and conversation, while building life-saving infrastructure to ensure access to clean water and safe sanitation.
Achievements at a Glance
Through HerWASH, 510,835 people were reached through various campaigns, ensuring schools and healthcare facilities across all four countries were equipped with reliable, clean water access, handwashing stations, and gender-sensitive toilets. As a result of the project, 70% of women and girls were found to have positive menstrual health, 60% of community members were found to have positive knowledge on menstrual health, and 83% of women and girls reported using acceptable menstrual sanitary products when needed. The essential infrastructure built through HerWASH is expected to serve generations of students, mothers and community members.
Through HerWASH, 118 women and men received training in entrepreneurship, empowering them to produce and sell reusable menstrual pads. This initiative not only provided sustainable menstrual products but also enabled participants to improve their economic circumstances.
In close collaboration with national and local governments, the project successfully integrated menstrual health into school curricula and municipal budgets. WASH and menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) municipal budgets in Burkina Faso increased from 4.4% to an average of 7.95%. In Sierra Leone, the Kailahun District Council allocated funding for MHH for the first time. Eight national policies, guidelines, and strategies relating to or including MHH were strengthened or enacted as a result of HerWASH. These changes will ensure that the project's impact is sustained, with policy advancements continuing to benefit communities long after the project’s conclusion.
A Ripple of Change in Action
HerWASH's impact was about more than building infrastructure. Over 500,000 million people globally don’t have the resources they need to manage their periods. In Africa alone, 1 in 10 girls miss class due to menstruation and eventually drop out of school entirely. Change starts with water, sanitation and hygiene, and HerWASH’s impact illustrates the transformational power of ensuring communities have access to these fundamental human rights. In Pakistan, 70 male engineers were trained in menstrual health management and played a pivotal role in constructing menstrual hygiene cabins in schools. In Burkina Faso, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, HerWASH created platforms for open dialogue about menstruation, overcoming deep-seated stigmas that otherwise result in girls missing or leaving school completely. Across these regions targeted by HerWASH’s programs, young girls no longer felt isolated by their menstruation but empowered to take control of their health.
Looking Forward: A Legacy of Dignity and Health
The HerWash project has laid the groundwork for ongoing change. Local champions, including health workers, teachers, and community leaders, continue to advocate for menstrual health and hygiene, ensuring that the conversation doesn't stop here. As a result, the project’s influence will continue to ripple through these communities, empowering more girls to stay in school, more women to lead healthier lives, and more families to thrive with dignity and confidence. Change starts with water, and through projects like HerWASH, we see how access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene can spark lasting, generational transformation.
Our Partners
With gratitude, WaterAid Canada acknowledges the contributions of the following organizations who provided essential financial support in 2023/24.
WaterAid Canada is sincerely grateful for the continued support of the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.
Our Donors
Individuals
Paule Antonelli
Ann Atkinson
Claude Boisvert
Nathalie O’Neil and John Connolly
Louise de Grandpré and Michael Meritthew
Krysha Derbyshire
Shannon Dueck
Sylvain Dufour
Joel Erhart
Dale Gantous
Patricia Kennedy
Estate of Mohan Kirpalani
Christopher Koski and Eva Janssens
Dr Elizabeth MacSween
Martin and Sylvia Munro
Annette Nicholson
Bruce Palmer
Bob and Doddi Reid
Jan Suurmond
Jesse Van Herk
Estate of Thomas John Wood
3 anonymous donors
Foundations and Corporations
Aqueduct Foundation
Benefaction Foundation
Canadian Medical Foundation
Celtic Cross Foundation
Chyzowski Charitable Foundation
Donner Canadian Foundation
Fondation Mirella et Lino Saputo
Harrison-Cooper Foundation
Howick Foundation
One Drop
N.A. Taylor Foundation
The Canadian Tilling Foundation
The Gandy Charitable Foundation
The Stephen A. Furbacher Charitable Trust
Diva Salon Spa
E. Lawton Investments Inc.
Fill It Forward
Fortive
H2O Innovation Inc.
Merit Travel Group
Manitoba Water and Wastewater Association
Sunrise Foods International Inc.
Tree World Plant Care Products Inc
Supporter Spotlight
Every year we are inspired by WaterAid supporters’ generosity and commitment to raising funds for clean and safe water, sanitation, and hygiene. We couldn’t do this work without your support.
Fill it Forward is a longstanding partner with WaterAid, while fulfilling its own mission to inspire a world of reusing. Over the past ten years, the Fill it Forward community has eliminated 7.9+ million single-use bottles, cups, and bags.
Fill it Forward’s commitment to creating a sustainable future for our planet is at the heart of its work, ultimately driving their Guelph, Ontario-based team to embrace the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and commit to constantly improving its Corporate Social Responsibility.
As a Certified B Corporation, every water bottle, cup and bag they sell unlocks a donation and tracks environmental impact, resulting in giving back and helping to move the needle on WaterAid’s mission. WaterAid Canada is proud to work with a team of truly compassionate individuals who embrace our work and are making a commitment to better the planet through the power of clean water.
WaterAid Canada proudly recognizes the generosity and commitment of Fill it Forward and its network – thank you so much!
Monthly donors making a lasting difference
We couldn’t deliver clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene without the support of our monthly donors – their generosity helps our team plan and deliver long-lasting, sustainable solutions that make clean water a part of everyday life for more people around the world.
Month after month, every donation drives change, and our team works diligently to ensure these donations bring clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene to the poorest and most marginalized communities. Whether they’re a new monthly donor or have been giving for decades, their support makes a sustainable and lasting difference.
WaterAid Canada thanks each and every monthly donor for their consistent trust and support. Last year, monthly donors raised $284,550, which was applied to priority areas in our projects across the world. It means that 1000’s of people now have access to clean water, ultimately changing their lives. This translates into more taps and toilets, improved health, education and training, and the construction of WASH infrastructure, all because of the combined efforts and commitment of WaterAid Canada’s monthly donors.
Our Team
The WaterAid Canada Team
Justin Murgai
Chief Executive
Freya Struthers
Associate Director, Philanthropy
Brett Massey
Director, International Programs
Judy Erskine
Director of Finance and Administration
Julie Truelove
Head of Policy and Advocacy
Aneesha Hampton
Head of Communications and Brand
Nicole Dagher
Head of Program Management
Sara Marshall
Business Development Manager
Elise Lapalme
Personal Philanthropy and Stewardship Officer
Blanche Talbot
Donor Services and Data Administrator
Dianne Dowling
Bookkeeper
Lori Lejeune
Project Accountant
WaterAid Canada’s Board of Directors
WaterAid Canada’s Board of Directors consists of members who volunteer their time to oversee our strategic direction, financial management; maintain strong links with the federation of WaterAid International and provide leadership and guidance in advancing our mission.
Martin Munro (Chair)
Retired
Max Binnie
Lawyer, Department of Justice, Canada
Garvey Chui
Director of DEI & OD, Masco Corporation
Sylvain Dufour
Retired
John Hinds
Retired
Trent Hoole
Chief of Staff, Financial Services Sector/Finance Technology, TEKsystems
Carol-Anne Kemp
Principal Consultant & CFO, CAK Consulting Inc
Ashley Meek
Executive Advisor, Office of the Chief Scientist, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas
Indra Prashad
Director, Strategic Planning Economic Policy, Ontario Public Service
Palash Sanyal
Strategic Partnership and Project Manager, Global Institute of Water Security
Diana Stephenson
Sr. Vice President, Customer and Corporate Affairs, BC Hydro
Our Finances
Summary of Financial Statements
SUMMARY STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
(For the year ended March 31, 2024)
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| Unrestricted | Special Initatives fund | Reserve Fund | 2024 Total | 2023 Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance, beginning of year | $ | 696, 179 | 325,000 | 1,021,179 | 993,327 | |
| Excess of revenue over expenses | 71,717 | 71,717 | 24,942 | |||
| Internal restrictions | -634,346 | 609,346 | 25,000 | |||
| BALANCE, END OF YEAR | $ | 133,550 | 609,346 | 350,000 | 1,092,896 | 1,021,179 |
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
(For the year ended March 31, 2024)
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| REVENUES | $ | $ |
| Grants and Contributions | 2,915,770 | 2,613,483 |
| Donations and Bequests | 1,166,464 | 1,067,263 |
| Indirect cost recovery from funding agencies | 297,260 | 427,046 |
| Other income | 28,451 | 81,132 |
| 4,407,945 | 4,188,924 | |
| EXPENSES | ||
| Programming | ||
| Funded by grants and contributions | 2,915,770 | 2,613,483 |
| Funded by unrestricted donations | 147,465 | 135,736 |
| Program support | 435,424 | 456,147 |
| Public engagement | 337,706 | 213,396 |
| Fundraising | 375,258 | 502,331 |
| Administration | 124,605 | 242,889 |
| 4,336,228 | 4,163,982 | |
| EXCESS OF REVENUE OVER EXPENSES | $71,717 | 24,942 |
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
(For the year ended March 31, 2024)
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| ASSETS | $ | $ |
| Current Assets | ||
| Cash | 1851482 | 2526662 |
| Accounts receivable | 38830 | 86429 |
| Advances to projects | 151602 | |
| Grants and contributions receivable | 1080013 | |
| 3121927 | 2613091 | |
| Investment in quoted shares | $28137 | $9035 |
| Capital assets | 579 | |
| 28173 | 9614 | |
| $3150064 | $2622705 | |
| LIABILITIES | ||
| Current Liabilities | ||
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | $60441 | $60000 |
| Due to projects | 638253 | 494222 |
| Deferred grants, contributions and donations | 1358474 | 1047304 |
| 2057168 | 1601526 | |
| Net Assets | ||
| Unrestricted | 133550 | 696179 |
| Internal Restrictions | ||
| Special initatives fund | 609346 | |
| Reserve Fund | 350000 | 325000 |
| 1092896 | 1021179 | |
| $3150064 | $2622705 |