Water for Empowerment delivers aid and resources to young women in Nicaragua
Now, as a structured non-profit, we have the tools and resources to make a greater impact on the lives of women, such as those through WaterAid/Nicaragua’s micro-enterprises project.
Indianapolis, Indiana (PRWEB) October 14, 2015
Water for Empowerment, an Indiana-based organization devoted to empowering girls and women to build healthy futures through clean water initiatives, recently received 501c3 status. This tax-exempt status allows the organization to collect money or in kind donations for various water projects and acknowledge by written receipt the amount of charitable contribution for tax deductions. A launch party is planned for Friday, November 6 at Bent Rail Brewery in Indianapolis to raise money for clean water micro-enterprises for young women In Nicaragua through a partnership with WaterAid.
The evening event, called “Agua Nicaragua,” will feature a Nicaragan market and dance floor powered by Indiana’s Latin musicians El Camaron Electronico and SoundzofSantana. Liberation Roasting Company will offer coffee tasting from two farms in Nicaragua with Water for Empowerment private label half-pound bags for sale. The event is the first in a series planned to raise money for the three-year partnership with WaterAid in support of the micro-enterprises project for young women ages 16 to 30.
Water for Empowerment utilizes the expertise of volunteers in environmental science professions to make clean water accessible to communities in need, with a primary goal of creating opportunities for women to become key stakeholders and empowered leaders in the projects. While the 501c3 status marks a new beginning for the organization, for over three years the volunteers of Water for Empowerment have built partnerships with other non-profits and private sector companies specializing in clean water and sustainability for developing nations.
Currently, Water for Empowerment is partnering with WaterAid America to raise awareness and money for micro-enterprises for young women in the Bilwi region of Nicaragau working in areas of sanitation, well rehabilitation, water filtration, and hygiene education. On the ground in Bilwi, WaterAid offers job skills training to women ages 16 to 30 that takes them from writing business plans to educating and developing their own markets. By educating the community on the value of clean water and sanitation, the young women are able to build a demand for clean water products and services. The young women lead crews in construction of latrines and wells. As the young women succeed, so do the communities, which thrive in sustainable ways that bring about healthier futures for everyone involved.
Dawn Sandoe, president of Water for Empowerment, comments, “This is a new chapter for our organization. This certainly didn’t happen overnight. We learned a lot about development and sustainability from our partnerships with organizations like International Medical Equipment Collaborative (IMEC), Puralytics, which manufactures the SolarBag, GSMalawi, and WaterAid America. We have finally come to a point where we are able to offer financial support in addition to providing education on clean water technologies. Our underlying purpose, however, is to facilitate the involvement of young women in the initiatives and help them gain admission into the educational cycle and redefine their value to their communities as leaders and activists.”
She adds, “Now, as a structured non-profit, we have the tools and resources to make a greater impact on the lives of women, such as those through WaterAid/Nicaragua’s micro-enterprises project.”
Water for Empowerment recently launched a new website that provides more information on the organization’s mission, current projects, and educational resources.
Details about the charity event on November 6 and tickets are available at http://www.water4empowerment.org. For more information, call 317-626-0742.
About Water for Empowerment
Water for Empowerment was founded as a charitable corporation by Dawn Sandoe, of Vapor Protection Services and AMACO; Steve Henshaw, President of EnviroForensics; Brent Huber, Attorney at Ice Miller; Shannon Zumbaugh, a marketing professional at Teradata; Greg Zumbaugh, Vice President at EnviroForensics; and Dr.Charles Beck, an Indianapolis osteopath in private practice. Outreach board members include Gerritt Rosenthal, a Hydrologic Engineer and adjunct professor in Portland, Oregon and Susan H. Dugan, a communications expert currently working at CDC in Atlanta. The mission of Water for Empowerment is empowering women and girls to build healthy futures through clean water initiatives.
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