Acts for Water Impact Report | 2022-2023

IMPACT REPORT

The effect of your generosity

EVERYTHING FROM WATER Flows

You helped make this a year unlike any other in our history - full of unprecedented victories in the face of challenge

Reflecting back at a fiscal and calendar yearend fills me with tremendous pride, gratitude, and anticipation for the next steps on the journey ahead.

Here's a snapshot of what made this year so unique:

Your kindness allowed us to serve 41,451 people: double than ever before in our history.

Through the expansion of the Entrepreneurial Training program - which empowers communities - people were served in a deeper way, leading to unbelievable results like co-ops doubling their revenue within 3 months!

Just as we were expanding our reach, challenges like inflation driving prices up 30% in Uganda, the recession driving down giving, plus the exchange rate, made matters difficult We were forced to scale back the number of health clinics that received clean, safe latrines which felt so hard.

Our donor community rallied - growing in leaps and bounds, primarily driven by champions fundraising for us: one champion helped us by inviting 72 new people into this community!

In the midst of challenges, we still grew new donors by 47%, which helped us, especially near year-end!

Our vision of becoming the world's most sustainable water charity has become much closer to reality. Your generosity helped us: repair 2 water systems, grow our recurring monthly revenue by 5.8%, and increase our Canadian to Ugandan Staff ratio to 3.2:26!

I am so grateful to be able to pause and look back at the history that is being made - not just for this organization - but for the tens of thousands of lives being impacted through your generosity

You’ve enabled the good and stood with us in the challenges. Thank you

To the journey ahead,

Jeffrey Golby | CEO Jeff

MORE PEOPLE

41,451 with access to sweet, clean water thanks to you!

Impact

YOUR AT A GLANCE

APRIL 2022 - MARCH 2023

209

Tap Stands flowing clean water

4,453

Households received water access & hygiene training

95 Safe & clean toilets built for students

981

Tippy tap (simple handwashing) kits distributed

41,451

More people with access to sweet, clean water

1,254,000 Litres of water available daily from new taps installed

Thanks to you, the Masha project commissioned 97 taps serving over 20,000 people inhabiting 18 villages - a big milestone in our organization's efforts to expand capacity and reach!

The project is having a significant impact on the lives of residents, particularly women and children who previously traveled long distances to fetch water, thus improving health and quality of life.

New innovations like mirrors, taps, and sinks constructed on school latrines are encouraging good hygiene practices. Looking into the mirror while washing, students not only see their own

Reflection OF YOUR KINDNESS

reflection but also the reflection of your kindness in supporting this new innovation

We are deeply grateful to you - our generous donors - for your generous support, which has shown such change in the lives we serve and made this achievement possible.

Thank you for your partnership and commitment to making a positive impact in the world.

Richard Richard Musinguzi Director of Field Operations

MAKING

Your Mark HERE

Kicuzi Sub-County

Kanywambogo

Ibanda District

Isingiro District

Masha Sub-County

Nyakigyera

Kanywameizi

- Generous Donor

A bird's eye view of where your generosity has been at work over the last 18 months in south western Ugandan communities.

UGANDA

"Clean water is a right that everyone should have. I give to ACTS because it changes people's lives for the better, dramatically, every time another tap of clean water is turned on.”

-GenerousDonor,BritishColumbia

"Waterhasaddedsomuch toeveryone’slife!

TIPPYTAPS

981 were distributed so households could make simple handwashing stations!

Wenolongersufferfrom diseasesbecausewewere taughthowtomakesoap, andACTSgaveusjerrycans tomaketippytaps.Nowwe washourhandseverytime becausewaterissovery available."

-Mackline,Beneficiary

7,087 now have access to clean, safe latrines at school thanks to you!

A Bubble Bash

STUDENTS

When Becky's mom brought home soap she learned to make at a workshop, their family's health increased and so did the bubbles!

On average,

76% of beneficiaries now take no longer than 30 minutes to collect clean water within 500 meters from home.

A RECORD PROJECT

Smashing

IF COVID TAUGHT US ANYTHING, IT WAS THAT YOU, THIS COMMUNITY, AND OUR TEAM ARE UP FOR CHALLENGES. AND IT WAS OUT OF THAT REALIZATION THE SWEETER WATER (MASHA) PROJECT BEGAN.

Truly the first of its kind, this project involved a significant partnership with the government, private contractors, & our NGO.

A powerful collective effort like this meant the Masha Project received a retrofit for a current water system, an extension to get water to farther-reaching areas, more latrines than ever before, and extensive WASH trainingsmashing previous records!

Your generous gifts helped take this project from dream to reality.

Thank you for giving the communities of this project a year they will never forget. A year of meaningful work through partnership, a year their village came out and worked day after day to build something incredible, and a year clean, life-changing water came from the hills right down to their village

CHECK THIS OUT

The UWASNET Performance Report highlighted that this project saw an increase in school attendance thanks to new latrines + innovative mirrors The pupil-stance ratio reduced from 52:1 to 26:1 for boys & 85:1 to 24:1 for girls!

"WearesohappyforACTS' helpgivingusaccesstoclean watertoday!

VILLAGES

38 were trained in healthy hygiene behaviours because of you!

Youalsohelpedusget involvedindevelopment activities,sowehaveincome forourfamilies.Weshallnow havesurplusforourfamily fromallthesenewprojects youhavetaughtus!!"

-Imelda,Beneficiary

FROM DROUGHT TO

Our team met Harriet in April 2022 when she kindly allowed us to join her family on their daily walk for water.

Harriet was fed dirty water from the swamp all her life And her 3 children and 8 grandchildren were too. They walked twice a day, in the heat of the drought to that swamp.

“When I’d see my children climbing this hill with a jerry can of water, I felt the pain in my chest that they experience in their chest too This situation made my tears painful, which made me anxious all the time without any hope of solving the challenge ”

Overflow

Thankfully, because of kind people like you, Harriet’s Village now has clean, disease-free water just steps away from their front door!

That extra time she spent walking to collect water has been joyfully traded for time with her family. She has now put down that heavy jerry can to pick up her grandkids.

"Now, you cannot count the smiles on my face, and my eyes twinkle as I see my children walk only meters to fetch water!"

Thank you for making a real difference amidst a season of drought so that Harriet's home is now overflowing with joy!!

FINANCIAL FIGURES THAT

Matter MOST

For many years, 75% of water projects were funded by the Canadian Government When that funding stopped, kind donors like you were patient while we invested in building up a base of support and rebuilt our programming model, so more money could be sent to Uganda

Part of this was investing in fundraising, and part of it was investing in the team capacity there This year we really saw the fruit of both efforts! Thank You!

$138,532

LOCAL UGANDAN FUNDRAISING

This past year, $138,532 came from Ugandan Sources, with total pledges for the year ahead equalling $160,000! An incredible feat and a key strategic pillar for our organization moving forward

LOCAL UGANDAN STAFF

26 Ugandan Staff make up the current team (compared to 3 2 FTE in Canada) When a project is in full swing, about 8 more contract labourers from the local village are hired which injects capital into the community, provides a deeper level of training, and allows us to scale while staying as lean as possible.

COST PER PERSON SERVED

For 32 years, our model always involved building new water systems Now, our model is a combination of new systems, retrofits, extensions, and comprehensive, deep WASH training across huge population groups

This coming year, our cost per person served will be higher again because the population group will be more remote (and that's good too!), but this new model is a highly effective way to serve a large group of people!

“The donor's dollar is matched by the hard work of Ugandans, and to see the fruits of their labour is life-changing!

Seeing how a global community can impact a local community reminds me of the important role that each of us plays in affecting change. It truly takes many to change one life, but seeing that one life transformed can change yours ”

- Tracey DeGraaf, Director of Progams & Partnerships

THE Contrast

OF CLEAN WATER

AS IF HUDDLED AROUND A CAMPFIRE, THE GROUP GATHERED EAGERLY. IT WAS CLEOPHAS WHO JUMPED IN FIRST TO SHARE HER STORY OF THE CONTRAST BETWEEN LIFE BEFORE AND AFTER CLEAN WATER.

“We were so dirty! Because of living with no water at least every week, I had to take my child to the hospital due to diseases caused by drinking dirty water as well as not bathing I would spend a lot of money on medicine.”

The contrast between life before and after clean water almost takes your breath away.

Since the taps turned on, Cleophas has gained back the hours she’d spend walking to the swamp, the money given up for medication, and the deep sense of pride for the collective community is overflowing.

“But now, we are fine! Thank you for the

training from ACTS to live beyond poor sanitation with good hygiene!”

Your continued support has enabled Cleophas’ community to reach the national standard for sanitation. They’ve put healthy hygiene practices in place to improve health & eliminate disease for long-lasting impact

ALL KINDS OF

Team Spirit

Scaling to three teams running multiple projects at once was a 2022 milestone!

KILOMETRES

70 of pipeline laid thanks to you!

HOURS

48,096 of in-kind labour contribution from community members

Not only did we see our entire staff commit to big goals and persevere to achieve them, but we also saw a record number of community members volunteer their time, take ownership of the water systems in their villages, and flourish amidst some intense seasons of heat, COVID, ebola, inflation, and more.

That's what we call true Team Spirit!

TO OUR DONORS:

Thankyouforyour

generoussupport!

Because of kind people like YOU, the load for so many is now lighter.

INCREDIBLE Cooperative GROWTH

"Thisisoneofthe soapswehavemade Ithasascent-itwashesvery wellandyoucanevenseehow myclotheslookneatbecause Iusethissoapto washthem"

-Deus,Participant

Running an entrepreneurial skills training pilot program was a new focus this year.

As people like Deus learned the skills to make soap, jelly, and shoes, they began to take pride in their own economic development.

Apart from improving household income, the other goal of this pilot was to improve community-based resources by increasing the revenue generated into cooperatives that can provide access to capital through Village Savings Loans.

At the start, participating cooperatives had a total of $508 in savings; these same cooperatives now have $1,319!

"We started saving in banks which had never happened before ACTS. We are comfortable that we are able to pay the school fees of our children and now we have pocket money any time!"

This revenue growth was created by using better business management practices and creating diversified income streams with WASH-based products (and other marketable products), such as soap, skin lotion, school backpacks, and sandals.

Thankyou!”

-Vangelista,Beneficiary

LOOKING BACK AT Kicuzi

Last year, the 3 year-long project in Kicuzi was commissioned thanks to your steadfast commitment.

Before the project started, only 8% of the population there practiced hand washing with soap. When the project ended, 93% of the population adopted this practice

The team returned to visit this community 12 months after the project was completed and growth continued: now 97% of the population practice hand washing using soap!

Likewise, the Kicuzi WASH project resulted in a 55% change in the percentage of the population using a proper latrine.

Before the project started, 61% of the population had an adequate latrine, and many had none.

Now, 95% of households have a proper latrine, and 15 villages are certified as Healthy Hygiene Communities. Your generosity continues to impact the health of these communities!

“Wearesohappytosee thatwehavewateratour church!Wesufferedto theutmostandIstill consideritadream!

"The gravity flow system has changed our lives! I work hard to maintain the system because we don’t want to go back to the life of using water full of algae. Thank you for bringing joy to us.”

PO BOX 30044 MONCTON PO RICHMOND BC V7E 0A6

P | 778 855 4352

E | info@acts.ca

@actsforwater

@actsforwater

@actsforwater

- Philpo, Water Committee Chairman