Nonprofit celebrates clean water milestone in Ghana with local support

LEAVENWORTH — In August, a group of four Leavenworth residents travelled halfway across the world as representatives for Water Access Now (WAN), a nonprofit organization – with local ties – that provides clean water access for communities across Ghana.

This trip, the nonprofit celebrated two monumental milestones since its founding: beginning its 300th well and fundraising over $3 million. To date, the organization has provided clean water to over 200,000 Ghanaians.

Co-founded by Leavenworth resident and WAN president Bob Maher in 2011, the nonprofit identifies villages that have an urgent need for clean water and the ability to sustain a well. Assuming most of the costs associated with building and maintenance, the organization not only installs the well, but trains the village how to manage and care for it, specifically through the formation of a water management team.

“We really focus on sustainability of these water projects…Once the well is put in, we want it to last, and we want the community to be empowered and have all the tools they need to take care of the well,” said Maher.

The group travelled to three different communities where wells had been commissioned, participating in dedication ceremonies, volunteering, and witnessing how the new wells had an impact that rippled through the community.

“We toured one of the health clinics to see what the impact of the well was on the clinic, which was substantial,” said Mike Warren, one of the Leavenworth residents on the trip.

According to WAN, about 5 million people in Ghana lack access to reliable water sources, with one out of 10 Ghanaians having to spend more than 30 minutes accessing an improved source of drinking water. This especially impacts women’s health and education. Clean water is essential to women’s health – reducing risks during childbirth, supporting menstrual hygiene – and allowing girls to stay in school instead of missing class or spending hours each day fetching water. For this reason, WAN’s wells are typically located nearby schools and health clinics.

This year was the first time so many Leavenworth residents have been on a trip, but the local support dates years – particularly with the nonprofit winery Water from Wine, which has a tasting room in downtown Leavenworth. The winery donates all proceeds from its Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon and Rosé sales to clean water projects in communities across Africa, Asia, South America, and India.

Each label supports a project, such as the 2018 Water Access Now Cabernet Sauvignon. A few times a year, WAN will also do a tasting room takeover, where volunteers come pour wine and talk about the organization. Since partnering, Water from Wine has raised $310,000 for WAN. To illustrate the impact, this amount equates to the cost of 31 well projects.

The tasting room was also where Maher met a Cashmere Middle School teacher, who asked him to come speak to her class. Every year, talks about the importance of water, the challenges of traveling distances to access it, and the difference clean water makes.

“They ask so many great questions…Technical questions like how deep you have to dig…Or how much does it cost? And it's unbelievable how engaged they are,” said Maher.

Those interested in supporting the organization can find more information at wateraccessnow.org, or request the 2018 Water Access Now Cabernet Sauvignon at Water from Wine’s tasting room.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media