WaterAid India annual Media Fellowship Program WASH Matters 2019
The media fellowship in its second consecutive year aims to create awareness around water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues in the country.
Meet the Fellows
Meet the jury
Theme of the fellowship
Urban water
According to Niti Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index 2018, 21 major cities in India will run out of groundwater, affecting 100 million people by 2020.
Today, India is in the midst of a major water crisis. Close to half the country, about 600 million people, face high to extreme water stress and about two lakh people die every year due to inadequate access to safe water.
Urban water is complex & under-reported

As WaterAid India strives towards making clean water accessible for everyone, everywhere, ‘WASH Matters 2019 Media Fellowship’ will encourage selected fellows to document stories on the reality of access to clean water in urban areas.
The stories should highlight under-reported aspects on the theme of urban water.
Deliverables
- Publish a minimum of three in-depth long format stories during the fellowship period.
- Attend an introductory workshop with WaterAid India to understand the theme of urban water.
- Travel to minimum two field sites (not necessarily WaterAid India intervention areas) in the country.
- Each selected fellow will have to sign a detailed Terms of Reference.
- The stories may or may not be limited to WaterAid India’s interventions but must contribute to the larger dialogue on the theme.
- The selected candidates will be expected to publish/broadcast long format investigative/ human interest stories, features or photo essays.
- In case of print or online stories, the stories should preferably be in long format, a minimum of 1,200 words for dailies, 2,000 words for online/magazines. In case of video, it should be exclusive long format content for broadcast platforms (minimum 5-7 minutes each).
- After the field/site visits, the candidates are expected to share a draft version of their stories with WaterAid India.
- The fellows must acknowledge the support of WaterAid India when they publish or present their stories elsewhere. Please use the following text - WaterAid India ‘WASH Matters 2019’ Media Fellowship Program.
- Post the fellowship, the articles/reports become the joint property of WaterAid India and the fellow.
- Once published, the stories would also be published on WaterAid India’s website www.wateraid.org/in
- Fellows would be encouraged to promote their stories on social media platforms.
- WaterAid India has the right to question the deliverables and can stall payment if the fellow has not delivered in line with the expectations.
What's more?
Here is all you need to know about the fellowship
The fellowship will be from July 2019 – March 2020 where fellows will be requested to keep WaterAid India in loop regarding the theme, location and travel required for the stories.
The fellowship is of INR 1,00,000 per fellow. This is inclusive of travel, accommodation, site visit and other miscellaneous costs. The disbursal of the fellowship amount will be in three installments – 30% on being selected as a fellow, 40% on the publication of first two stories and remaining 30% on the publication of the third story (a TDS component of 10% would be applicable on this payment).
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Fellows will be shortlisted by the jury panel and WaterAid India.
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Six fellows will be selected for the final fellowship grant.
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The list of final six fellows will be put up on our website and they will be informed through an email as well.
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WaterAid India reserves the right to not award any fellowships if applications do not meet a basic minimum requirements.
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All decisions taken by WaterAid India will be final.