WEFTA

10/16/2026

Urgent Water System Repairs Needed Following the Panama Earthquake.
On Friday, October 9, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Panama's Pacific coast, centered in Herrera Province. More than 100 aftershocks followed. Panama's civil protection agency has reported more than 700 damaged homes and over 400 affected schools nationwide, with rural water systems out of service and many remote communities hard to reach.

Among the communities hit are many of the indigenous communities where WEFTA has worked for more than two decades. Since 2002, WEFTA and its sister organization Waterlines have partnered with over 160 communities in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé and the mountains of Veraguas to build and maintain small gravity-fed water systems. Local water committees run each system, with support from WEFTA's in-country circuit riders.

WEFTA's circuit riders are working with water committees to assess the damage and set repair priorities. The plan is to restore water flow quickly, then rebuild damaged structures so these systems are stronger than before.

Our thoughts are with the people of Panama, and we are grateful to everyone who has stood with these communities over the years.

Learn more about the urgent water system repairs needed.

https://www.wefta.net/2026/10/16/panama-earthquake-damages-community-water-systems-in-the-comarca-ngabe-bugle-and-veraguas/

Urgent water system repairs needed.

10/15/2026

🙌 Let’s give a hand for Global Handwashing Day!

WEFTA and our partners are installing handwashing stations in healthcare facilities in rural communities across the Americas and Africa. Handwashing is one of the most important steps we can take to break the chain of infection—from contaminated surfaces to people and from person to person.

Together, we’re helping healthcare facilities create safer environments for patients, healthcare workers, and communities. 💧👐

10/11/2026

Today we celebrate International Day of the Girl.

Every girl deserves equality, safety, education, and the power to define her own future.

In many developing communities, the daughters of the family carry the heavy burden of procuring household water in buckets. This difficult and time-consuming task puts them at a distinct disadvantage compared to their brothers when it comes to education. WEFTA’s water projects help erase those discrepancies, giving girls an equal opportunity to attend school.

Visit wefta.net to learn more about our projects.

10/08/2026

DC IPS and our partners at Water Engineers for the Americas and Africa (WEFTA) are continuing the commitment to providing safe sanitation and clean water for all.

At the San Vicente de Paúl School in Awajún, Peru, students are enjoying clean drinking water for the very first time, reducing the risk of illness and food contamination. A healthier environment for students, staff and families has a cascading effect for the local community, improving quality of life and dignity for many families.

This project began in 2025 with the initial installation of a water purification system, and continued this year, when an aging drainage system posed additional concerns for the school. DC IPS responded quickly, renovating the failing sanitation and drainage infrastructure. The emergency repairs are making all the difference in Peru, and clean water, better health and improved well-being are now prevalent in the region.

Ongoing annual inspections by WEFTA and continued feedback from the Sisters will help ensure that maintenance is accurately conducted and clean water continues to flow.

For nine-year-old Carlos, a student at the school, the impact is simple and heartfelt: "I love my school because it is clean. We are also learning to take care of our health and to take care of the environment that God has given us to live without pollution."

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content: https://www.youtube.com/


WEFTA

10/01/2026

A reliable water system is only as strong as the community that manages it.
Following the completion of the new St. Joseph Nyabondo Water Project in Kisumu County, Kenya, WEFTA partnered with Safe Water And Sustainable Hygiene Initiative - Sawashi and the Directorate of Water and Sanitation, County Government of Kisumu, to provide a two-day capacity-building training for the newly established Water User Committee.

The Nyabondo water system serves St. Joseph Nyabondo Catholic Parish, St. Joseph Nyabondo Mission Hospital, special-needs schools, boarding schools, religious residences, and surrounding community members. Reliable access to safe water will support healthcare, education, sanitation, and improved quality of life for thousands of beneficiaries.

Read more about the capacity-building training for the Nyabondo Community.

https://www.wefta.net/2026/09/27/building-local-capacity-for-sustainable-water-management-in-nyabondo-kenya/

Strengthening skills in governance, financial management, operation and maintenance, regulatory compliance, and community engagement.

09/30/2026

We are deeply grateful to our partners at Daughters of Charity International Project Services for their incredible commitment to improving WASH in healthcare facilities around the world.

We are proud to be part of this important work together! 🌍💧

Partnership in Action: DC IPS & WEFTA

Access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is the foundation of safe healthcare, yet a third of the world's people receive care at facilities without clean water, working toilets, or handwashing stations.

Since 2019, Daughters of Charity International Project Services (DC IPS) has been tackling this gap, completing WASH projects through the "Vatican 150" initiative and expanding support to Sisters managing healthcare facilities worldwide. This work is a direct expression of the Daughters of Charity mission: reaching and empowering the most abandoned and marginalized by addressing needs of food, water, sanitation, and shelter through sustaining works in health care, HIV/AIDS support, migrant and refugee assistance, education, and more.

None of this would be possible without our partners at Water Engineers for the Americas and Africa (WEFTA). Their technicians provide annual site visits, hands-on maintenance support, and ongoing training — ensuring WASH infrastructure keeps serving communities for years to come.

As WEFTA puts it: "When safe water is readily available, families are healthier, and healthy people are best equipped for the challenges of education and employment." That's a vision we proudly share.

Thank you, WEFTA, for helping us bring clean, reliable water, and renewed hope, to people across the globe!

🔗 daughtersips.org | wefta.net

Subscribe to the new DC IPS YouTube channel for more content about WASH and other projects: https://www.youtube.com/

09/29/2026

09/22/2026

WEFTA is pleased to announce the successful completion of the Quebrada Macho Water Supply Improvement Project in Panama's Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé. Developed in response to a request from community leaders and the Rural Aqueduct Board, the project strengthened the community's gravity-fed water system and improved access to safe, reliable water for approximately 70 families, representing about 560 residents.

Working alongside WEFTA's local technical partner, Nicolás Arcia, community residents contributed substantial volunteer labor, assisting with excavation, material transport, construction activities, and project oversight.

WEFTA extends its sincere appreciation to the residents of Quebrada Macho, the Community Water Committee, our donors, volunteers, and technical partners whose dedication made this project possible.

Read more about this project:

https://www.wefta.net/2026/09/20/clean-water-improvements-completed-in-quebrada-macho-panama/

WEFTA is pleased to announce the successful completion of the Quebrada Macho Water Supply Improvement Project in Panama's Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé.

09/15/2026

From Peace Corps to WEFTA: Maggie Jones Supports the Role of Community in Accessing Clean Water.

WEFTA volunteer Maggie Jones is a strong proponent of supporting communities as they improve their access to clean water. Maggie served from 2012 to 2014 in the Peace Corps in a village in Panama where she helped build multiple gravity aqueduct systems. Upon returning as a WEFTA volunteer in March 2026, she was elated to find most of the water systems in the village functioning well.
Maggie’s work demonstrates her commitment to the goal of sustainable access to clean water for everyone.

Read more about Maggie’s positive impact:
https://www.wefta.net/2026/09/15/from-peace-corps-to-wefta-maggie-jones-supports-the-role-of-community-in-accessing-clean-water/

Maggie's work demonstrates her commitment to the goal of sustainable access to clean water for everyone.