Our history

WaterAid UK started work on access to water in southern India.

Our focus was rehabilitation and revival of defunct hand pumps.

We started guiding and supporting communities to manage water points, such as hand pumps to ensure lasting access to water. 

We widened our work -- from focussing on only water to an integrated approach towards WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene). 

We expanded our reach from southern India to states in central and north India, with a focus on marginalised communities. 

We demonstrated replicable models for clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene with government programmes to scale-up impact.

For continued water access, we empowered communities to know their rights and supported them to participate in the development of policies and practices.

We adopted a plan to assess the need and delivery of WASH services and monitor performance.  Our approach was to ensure universal and sustained access to water, sanitation and hygiene where no communities or people were excluded.

We partnered with the government as technical support advisors for inclusive designs and approaches.

We revised our country strategy with the aim to reduce inequalities, strengthen sustainable services through influencing government and leadership at all levels, integrate water, sanitation and hygiene in health, nutrition, and education sectors by evidence based advocacy and build internal capacity and knowledge to improve hygiene behaviour.

We became an Indian entity - Jal Seva Charitable Foundation (established in 2010), and an associate member of WaterAid International.