The Japan Water Forum has been supporting grassroots organizations since 2005.
Are you familiar with grassroots organizations?
In many developing countries, local NPOs or NGOs, known as grassroots organizations, are working to address water problems. In developed countries, infrastructure is well-established, but in the developing world, access to drinking water and safely managed sanitary toilets often do not receive support from local governments or public institutions. As a result, motivated residents may form grassroots organizations and seek their own solutions to water problems, rather than waiting passively.
The Japan Water Forum focused on grassroots organizations. Conducting support activities for grassroot organizations has been incorporated into JWF’s four major areas of activities, aimed at achieving following objectives:
- Helping those who are truly struggling
- Ensuring that activities dealing with local water problems are led by local people familiar with the situation
- Supporting projects that have sustainable outcomes
- Communicating the reality of water problems occurring around the world, both domestically and internationally
Four Programs for Supporting Grassroots Organizations
The Japan Water Forum implements the following four programs as practical support measures:
JWF Fund
The JWF Fund started in 2005. It is a program that annually calls for support from grassroots organizations around the world. JWF Fund 2024 received 372 applications from 42 countries, primarily in Asia and Africa.
This program is funded through donations received by bank transfers or Yahoo! Japan’s online fundraising platform, which are deposited into the Japan Water Forum’s Charity for Water Fund, along with membership fees from the Japan Water Forum members.
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4℃ Aqua Program
The 4℃ Aqua Program has been conducted by YONDOSHI HOLDINGS INC. and the Japan Water Forum since 2008.
The program currently provides continuous support for the rainwater harvesting system promotion activities in rural coastal areas of Bangladesh by the grassroots organization, Skywater Bangladesh. Skywater Bangladesh developed the AMAMIZU rainwater harvesting system.
This system is based on traditional water jars in Thailand, modified and updated with technology from Japan and other countries to suit the modern conditions in Bangladesh. The program takes a long-term approach, from a baseline survey of ward residents to selection of beneficiaries, to manufacturing, O & M training, and follow-up visit to each beneficiary household.
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Darvish Yu Water Fund
The Darvish Yu Water Fund was established in 2007. This program supports projects proposed by grassroots organizations around the world, based on the funds created by the distinguished baseball player Darvish Yu and his supporters, who are interested in solving global water problems.
In fiscal year 2024, the program’s 17th project since establishment was a rainwater harvesting project in the western part of Cambodia, at the foot of the Cardamom Mountains.
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Kyoto World Water Grand Prize
Since 2006, we have been administering the Kyoto World Water Grand Prize, which is awarded every three years during the closing ceremonies of the World Water Forum.
The prize is given to the best project, based on evaluations of applications submitted by grassroots organizations from around the world. There were 70 applications from 30 countries for the Kyoto World Water Prize 2024.
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The Japan Wate Forum supports active grassroots organizations in areas where local governments and public institutions cannot reach.
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About Our Grassroot Project Support
Project Evaluation
Our grassroot project support process evaluates and selects water projects based on the contents of the applications, according to the following criteria:
Criteria for project evaluation
- Establishment of beneficiary organizations, such as water users’ committees, to manage the projects
- Implementation of hygiene campaigns (awareness-raising and familiarization with new facilities).
- Water quality testing after the completion of water facilities (for setting goals regarding future operations and maintenance).
- Establishment of maintenance and management systems (e.g. fee collection, repairs).
- Follow-up surveys (several years after the project completion).
Examples of Projects
Projects by grassroots organizations aim to solve critical problems regarding water supply and sanitation in daily life. These projects can generally be categorized as follows (though there are many overlaps between categories):
- Rainwater harvesting
- Wells (drilling, pump repair)
- Water sources, reservoirs
- Pipelines, water network facilities
- Irrigation
(Malawi)
Links and References
Links
Grassroot Organizations
Skywater Bangladesh(SB) Ltd. https://skywaterbd.com/site/
RainWater Cambodia(RWC) https://rainwatercambodia-rwc.org/
Youth Sanitation Concern(YSC) https://www.instagram.com/ysc_id/?hl=ja
Recent Donar Organizations
The Tokyo Plumbing Sanitary Association https://www.tokanki.or.jp/
Materials and Documents
Hygiene campaign distribution materials (Pakistan)
Personal Hygiene Notes: Shama Organization, Pakistan
Borehole drilling video (Malawi)
December Progress Report: Touch of Hope, Malawi
Please Support Us
If you are interested in solving water and sanitation problems in developing countries, please offer your kind support through the Japan Water Forum’s Charity for Water Fund.
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We look forward to your support.
