WaterAid Ethiopia Launches Influencing and Fundraising Strategies

31 July 2024
Participants group photo

WaterAid Ethiopia launched its Influencing and Fundraising Strategies. Globally, WaterAid will focus on Women's Health and Climate Global Advocacy Priorities (GAP) for the next five years (2024-2028). This initiative aims to bring transformational change by achieving clean and sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services for everyone, everywhere. The approach involves scaling up advocacy and influencing efforts across the world.

The mission of the Climate GAP is to call for urgent political action and cross-sectoral investment, ensuring that communities on the frontlines have reliable access to the WASH services needed to build resilience and adapt to climate change. This mission seeks to influence political, policy, and technical processes at national, regional, international, and multilateral levels. The goal is to ensure that national climate plans include gender-responsive, climate-resilient WASH services and that adaptation frameworks prioritize these needs, backed by adequate funding mechanisms.

During discussion with participants

WaterAid’s Ethiopia’s Advocacy Priorities are aligned with the global advocacy goals and the Country Programme strategy and programme plans. In line with the global strategy, WaterAid Ethiopia developed and officially launched its Influencing and Fundraising Strategies on July 20, 2024, at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Addis Ababa, with key WASH stakeholders in attendance.

Influencing Strategy Objectives:

  • Prioritize WASH in Climate Policies: Influence national and subnational governments to effectively prioritize WASH in climate policies, coordinate the implementation of National WASH targets under the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), and mobilize increased resources by the end of 2028.

  • Accelerated Access to WASH Services: Advocate for accelerated access to gender-responsive and climate-resilient WASH services, including the promotion of safely managed sanitation by the end of 2028.

These objectives are expected to result in the inclusion of robust, gender-responsive, and inclusive WASH indicators in NAP/NDC frameworks and the development of a Safely Managed Sanitation Policy and Protocol. WaterAid Ethiopia (WAE) will utilize evidence generation, lobbying, coalition-building, capacity strengthening, strategic technical support, communication, and campaigning to achieve these goals.

Head of Policy and Advocacy, Abireham Misganaw presenting the National Influencing Strategy

Fundraising Strategy Goals:

  • Secure Funding: Resource the country program strategy by securing sufficient funds between April 2023 and March 2028.

  • Increase Visibility: Enhance WaterAid Ethiopia’s visibility among donors and within the sector, positioning the organization as a preferred funding and partnership choice.

  • Ensure Compliance: Ensure excellent contract management across all funded projects, maintaining full compliance with donor rules and regulations, thereby upholding WaterAid Ethiopia's reputation as a high-performing partner.

  • Enhance Fundraising Capability: Build and enhance WaterAid Ethiopia’s fundraising capability.

To achieve these ambitious objectives, WAE will adopt and operationalize program-led funding models, collaborate with new partners, organize fundraising events, invest in effective outreach and communication with funding partners, tap into Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, and provide continuous fundraising capacity-building support for staff. These efforts are expected to diversify funding sources, improve the organization's visibility and public recognition among donors, and strengthen contract and compliance management within the organization.

To access the Influencing Strategy, Click Here 

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