We received this report as part of our partnership with charity: water. It’s exciting to see the first steps being made toward bringing clean, safe drinking water to communities in need — and we’re proud to be a part of it.

Friends at Volcanica Coffee,

Your First Project Report Is Here!

We are so excited to share your first Progress Report!

In the first half of 2023, you made a generous gift to charity: water to provide clean water for people in India. We are thrilled to tell you that progress is underway. Soon, clean and safe drinking water will bring transformative and lasting change into people’s lives, and we can’t say thank you enough.

Your gift was sent to our local partner in July, and right now, we’re about six months into our 21-month timeline.

This preparation period is crucial for each project’s success and sustainability. Our partners have been hard at work obtaining construction permits, purchasing supplies, and collaborating with community members. Community engagement is especially important at this stage, as it creates a sense of ownership and pride in the completed water project.

We’ll have more updates for you soon, and we can’t wait to share them with you. Thank you again for believing in the same future we do — one in which everyone has access to clean and safe water!

Implementation Timeline

• Implementation Begins (July 2023): 100% of your donation will be sent to our local partners in either January or July — when our implementation cycle begins.
• 6 Months: Our partners complete research and prep work. They acquire permits and supplies, partner with local communities, train local caretakers, and begin water point construction.
• 6-12 Months: Our partners continue construction work, collect midterm reports, and send us progress updates.
• 12 Months: Our partners finish the construction and train local communities to use and maintain their water points.
• 12-15 Months: Our partners collect photos and GPS coordinates of the completed projects and send us information about the specific communities served.
• 21+ Months: We verify final data from our partners and prepare Completion Reports. In other words, it’s time to celebrate!

Social Media Message

“Our first water project update has arrived! The Aga Khan Foundation, one of charity: water’s local partners, has officially started construction on the project(s) we helped sponsor in India. We can’t wait for people to have the clean and safe drinking water they deserve.”

Did You Know?

AKF makes sure that women take center stage in their programming. One way they accomplish this is by ensuring that women are part of Village Water and Sanitation Management Committees, where all members are trained in the development of village action plans, water budgeting, water quality monitoring, and more. AKF also mobilizes youth in the community by training them to provide water quality testing and community satisfaction surveys.

About Aga Khan Foundation

Founded more than 50 years ago, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) has worked in some of the most remote regions of India. They are currently working in the Barabanki and Shravasti Districts in the north. Here, they build piped water systems that are connected to either a community tap stand or a household connection.

AKF’s primary goal is to reach marginalized families in low-income communities, early childhood development centers, primary and secondary schools, and healthcare facilities. Through a combination of direct interventions and technical assistance, a key focus of their programming is to improve sanitation and hygiene for some of the most marginalized communities in the regions they serve.

Progress to Date

Your funds were sent to our local partner in July, and the following six months are considered the planning stages of project implementation. Preparation is one of the most important stages of this process. Our partner uses this time to assess and select which communities or schools will receive water points based on factors such as geography, need, community interest, the risk of overlap with other organizations, and the availability of spare parts for future repairs. Once the school or community locations are determined, water point management training begins and construction materials are transported to the site.

What’s Next?

In the next few months, the construction of piped systems will accelerate. Once construction is complete, AKF will test the water quality and hand the projects over to the community for ongoing maintenance and management. Meanwhile, AKF will coordinate training, covering topics such as sustainability, sanitation, and hygiene. We can’t wait to share even more details in your next report!