April 17, 2025, Washington, DC / Nairobi, Kenya – The Millennium Water Alliance is pleased to announce the addition of Engineers Without Borders and Vita Impact as its newest organizational members, bringing our total membership to 25 organizations.
Members of the alliance are admitted through a detailed application process and approved by the MWA Board of Directors. All members must meet high standards of program performance, accountability, and sustainability in their efforts to help developing nations accelerate first-time and improved access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for underserved communities, and work with other development sectors to build sustainable, locally owned systems that improve lives and help build resilient communities. MWA members work in more than 100 countries around the world and are strong advocates for continued US leadership in development and humanitarian assistance.
Engineers Without Borders (USA) is well known all over the world. They bring to MWA a model and track record of partnering with local organizations to deliver WASH systems via expert volunteer networks. As such, they are an excellent complement to other MWA member activities and technical support. Their motivation for joining the Alliance is to increase their networks and, through that, opportunities for partnership.
Vita Impact is an Irish non-profit that has a privately financed carbon credit model with private equity invested into clean water service provision to vulnerable communities and income from credit sales to maintain systems. Currently active in Eritrea and Ethiopia, Vita Impact’s operational and financial model is a valuable addition to our exploration of results-based finance. They joined MWA to be more connected to a growing network of the world’s leading WASH practitioners.
Boris Martin, CEO of Engineers Without Borders-USA said “We cannot accept that still so many people everywhere, including across the USA, are drinking water that can make them sick. At EWB-USA we are playing our part, by providing pro-bono engineering and construction support to communities that need clean water infrastructure the most. Yet, the global water crisis will not be resolved unless our entire sector unifies to learn, act and advocate together. Because solving global challenges requires collective action and it requires that not only we care, but others do as well: lawmakers, and people of all walks of life across the country and across the world. The Millennium Water Alliance is the place where learning, coordination, collective action, and collective voice for our sector is coming to life. We are thrilled to become part of the group.”
Speaking for Vita Impact, CEO John Weakliam said, “Millennium Water Alliance are leaders and innovators in delivering access to safe water and Vita wishes to learn from MWA members and in return to share our own carbon expertise to mobilise more resources for water provision in Africa”
The Millennium Water Alliance, founded in 2002, is one of the world’s leading collaborations in the water security and resilience sector, supporting its members through shared learning, convening on best practices and technology, and advocacy to governments and other stakeholders for greater investment in global water security, sanitation, and hygiene. MWA’s member organizations bring safe drinking water, better sanitation, and improved hygiene practices to more than 50 million people in over 100 countries every year. See a full list of members here.