From the Desk of TJ Johnston, COO

While the year is still fresh and full of possibilities, I am taking a moment to imagine what could be and should be.

Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point) says, “We are all, at heart, gradualists, our expectations set by the steady passage of time.” But the Global Water Center is not looking for gradual changes this year.

The Global Water Center has bold dreams and exciting initiatives planned for 2024. We are building new trainings, forging new relationships, and harnessing new technology to bring safe water to more rural communities in Ghana, India, Zanzibar, Honduras, and beyond.

In 2024, I see something even bigger than training and technology. I see a movement of leaders transforming the rural water sector. I see a movement of people who are committed to ending the water crisis together. I see a movement that will not stop until it brings safely managed water to everyone, everywhere.

After Gladwell wrote about our expectations for gradual change, he added, “It takes only the smallest change to shatter ... the equilibrium.” That is what I imagine the Global Water Center doing this year. We will shatter the equilibrium. When people are dying without safe water, we need more than gradual improvements. We need a movement of change.

If you are still reading this newsletter, then there is a very good chance that you are passionate about ending water poverty. Maybe even passionate enough to join the movement? I hope so.

We need advocates sharing our message, investors funding our work, ambassadors hosting Global Gatherings, and maybe some roles we have not even thought of yet. But if your heart is stirring within you, then please, stay tuned. The safe water movement is just getting started, and I am excited to see the impact that it will have.

Sincerely,

Thomas Johnston

The Power of Collaboration

We cannot solve the global water crisis alone. That is why our work is built on the power of collaboration.

There are many organizations focused on providing safe water around the world. Imagine how much more effective they would be if they all worked together.

Recently, GWC led a Solar Powered Water Systems training in Karnataka, India, where we saw the power of collaboration in action. This project would not have been possible without our partnerships with Safe Water Network, Water Mission, Royal Eijkelkamp, TEM Company, and Grundfos India.

Together, we trained 18 government workers who will go on to deliver online training in solar powered water systems to over 300 of their colleagues.

The above photo shows Lisa and Kogi from the Global Water Center working alongside Wilson and Pradeep from Safe Water Network. This collaboration is even more powerful because these individuals come from 3 different countries: Canada, Kenya, and India.

We also had other partners that joined us from Denmark, the Netherlands, and Dubai.

When people from different organizations reach across different countries, they multiply their efforts and make a greater impact on the world.

This is what the Global Water Center is all about: Partnering with people around the world to bring safe water to everyone, everywhere.

Thank you to our partners. We look forward to collaborating with you again.

Welcome to the Team!

Eric Wei

President of Carbon4SafeWater

Carbon Credit Program Director at Global Water Center

Eric Wei leads Carbon4SafeWater, a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Water Center, to structure and provide carbon-based financing for safe water projects.

Originally from Hong Kong, Eric grew up in the U.S. and started his career in investment banking, after which he transitioned to the buy-side in private equity. Following a brief retirement, Eric pivoted his career toward impact investment, spending time at The Nature Conservancy and Lombard Odier before joining GWC to continue and broaden his impact journey.

"Water Trumps Them All"

Donor Highlight: Jim and Kathy Stelling

Over 20 years ago, Jim Stelling heard someone say, “There are a lot of needs in this world, but water trumps them all.” Those words still ring in his head today.

Jim’s interest in the safe water movement grew out of his friendship with GWC’s founder, Dr. George Greene III. Since the early 1990s, they have worked together on many different projects. Jim is currently Chairman of The GEL Group, Inc., a business founded by Dr. Greene. He also served on the board of Water Mission, the nonprofit that launched the Global Water Center.

Recently, Jim heard about GWC’s water technician training program. He thought how “a whole village would be impacted” from just one water technician designing, installing, and operating a water system.

Then Jim and his wife Kathy imagined how training 10 water technicians could “impact thousands and thousands and thousands of lives.” As Jim commented, “The return on that investment is pretty powerful!”

Thank you, Jim and Kathy, for supporting the Global Water Center, funding 10 water technicians, and reminding everyone that water truly trumps them all.

Happy Birthday to our Founder,

Dr. George Greene III!

We are thrilled to celebrate our founder on his 80th birthday!

If you’ve ever met Dr. Greene, then you know that he truly embodies GWC’s core values of love, excellence, and integrity. He has worked hard for over twenty-five years to bring safe water to people around the world.

He and his wife Molly founded Water Mission, a Christian engineering nonprofit dedicated to sharing safe water and God’s love with all. Then in 2020, he became the first CEO of the Global Water Center. We are grateful for his leadership, wisdom, and kindness.

Since Dr. Greene is so passionate about saving lives with safe water, we can think of no better way to honor his 80th birthday than raising funds for at least 80 water technicians to take our safe water training courses.

We already have over 1,200 people on a waitlist for our courses. All we need is the funding to make it happen. It costs $150 to put one person through a safe water training program.

Your investment will empower these water technicians to bring lasting change to their communities.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Greene!

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We envision a world where everyone has access to safe water.