5. Conclusions and Recommendations
Water is Our Right Project on WASH Recommendations
Based on interviews with community members and leaders it is clear that a collective commitment to protecting water points is essential for the sustainability of the positive impact that The Sonder Project has had on communities. Respondents repeatedly emphasized that the sustainability of The Sonder Project’ s WASH project is underpinned by a strong sense of need for reliable WASH services. Many communities described life before the intervention as marked by long water collection times, poor hygiene, and high rates of illness, particularly among children. The contrast created by the project’ s impact( improved access, reduced disease, and enhanced school attendance) was framed as a powerful motivator for sustaining the intervention. Participants across multiple sites expressed a collective commitment to protecting the water points, noting that clean water had become essential not just for health, but also for dignity, education, and livelihoods.
Sustainability was also noted to be driven by the willingness of community members to contribute financially and materially to the water system’ s upkeep. Households consistently pay small monthly fees into maintenance funds, and interviews suggest high levels of compliance due to transparent use and local oversight. Beyond financial contributions, respondents reported that community members frequently volunteer their time and labor for repairs, security, cleaning, and supervision of water points. In some locations, individuals mentioned tools and spare parts, and improvised additions such as affordable lighting, and flashlights to support vulnerable groups. This strong culture of contribution was enhanced by a shared recognition that the benefits of the water system, ranging from reduced illness to new incomegenerating opportunities, were tangible and worth preserving.
The presence of functioning governance structures was widely cited as a key reason for sustained operation. Respondents noted that each water point had an elected committee responsible for technical maintenance, fee collection, dispute resolution, and regular reporting to The Sonder project. These structures were viewed as legitimate and accountable, in part because their authority was locally derived and not externally imposed. Rules governing water use, fee payments, and maintenance schedules were said to be well known and enforced, with consequences for non-compliance agreed upon by the community. Crucially, local leaders including chiefs, religious figures, and school administrators were reported to actively support and monitor WASH efforts, reinforcing both community engagement and collective accountability. This embedded governance, alongside a noticeable track record of health improvements, school attendance gains, and economic growth, has many respondents confident that the project would endure well beyond external involvement. Given these effective governance structures, we can recommend the following:
1. Formalize and further strengthen community governance structures by appointing local trainers who can provide periodic refresher trainings( once per quarter, for example) for water point committees in technical maintenance, financial management, and conflict resolution as these have been effective thus far. The trainings of trainers should be highly thorough so that these leaders can become the go-to source of information and expertise for each individual committee’ s needs.
2. Support continued transparency in maintenance fund management through standardized record-keeping tools and public reporting practices.
3. Enhance community-led maintenance capacity by supporting the creation of community gardens near boreholes that generate income to supply communities with what they need to maintain and fix boreholes, such as basic repair kits, spare parts, and affordable lighting to ensure safe water access for vulnerable groups.
4. Encourage ongoing community contributions by working with the community to develop methods to recognize and reward high participation rates in financial and labor support for water system upkeep.
5. Document and share success stories that highlight the link between reliable water access, improved health, education outcomes, and livelihoods, reinforcing community motivation to sustain the systems, such as those shared in this evaluation.
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