Meet the Team Behind: Waves for Water

Waves For Water provides clean water to communities around the world by delivering portable water filtration systems, responding to disasters, and supporting long-term access to safe drinking water. Learn more here! 

Can you tell me about the need for your work? 

The global water crisis is solvable. It’s not a question of technology, it’s a question of access. The overall health benefits of clean water are obvious, but the ripple effect that happens when clean water is introduced into a community is profound. It means less money spent on medicine, less time collecting water and wood to boil that water, which leads to a significant change in the socioeconomics of a community. Less sick days for children means a higher attendance in school, changing the outcome of their overall education. It improves infant care, feminine hygiene, women empowerment, and so much more. All of these reasons are a driving force for us, but it’s the belief that everyone deserves access to clean water that drives us everyday.

How is your approach different? 

Guerrilla Humanitarianism is about taking a no-nonsense, stripped down approach towards solving a global issue— taking matters into your own hands, bringing a solution directly to the problem, under the radar, around the red tape. This model allows Waves For Water to focus on changing the global water crisis statistics while avoiding the bureaucratic gridlock that many organizations get caught in. At the center of our efforts is empowerment. We always implement our programs through local teams of volunteers and community leaders that we cultivate in the beginning stages of any program.

Can you explain what work you do?

Over the past ten years, we have implemented 155 clean water programs in 48 countries using water filtration systems, bore-hole wells, and rainwater harvesting systems, impacting an estimated 3,750,000 people. In addition to our primary focus around providing clean water, we also coordinate and execute natural disaster relief efforts around the world. We have responded to 33 major natural disasters, to date–including initiatives in Nepal, Bosnia, Philippines, Indonesia, Haiti, Japan, Chile, and Pakistan. We encourage people to look at aid work or humanitarianism as a way of life, rather than just a way to “give back”.

What is your Courier Program? 

The Courier Program, our "DIY" volunteer model, is a platform that empowers travelers to do what they love and help people along the way. Whether you’re on a diving trip to Belize, a surf trip to Mexico, or a mountain climbing expedition to Nepal, we encourage you to keep following your dreams. It is your journey, all we want to do is help you plug a little purpose into it. You can join existing Courier Programs or start your own on our website.