World Vision Rwanda has launched a new five-year Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) business plan to be implemented from 2026 to 2030. This aims to expand access to clean water and boost sanitation and hygiene across the country. Launched on Thursday, September 18, 2025, under the theme “Mapping the Blue Thread,” the plan seeks to reach more than 1.3 million people, particularly children, women, and vulnerable households, in 22 programme locations nationwide by 2030. ALSO READ: World Vision phases out of Maraba Area Programme, marking 17 years of transformation The launch ceremony, held at World Vision Rwanda’s headquarters in Kigali, brought together government officials, representatives from the private sector, development partners, and stakeholders in Rwanda’s WASH sector. Presenting the business plan, Valens Ndayahoze, Acting Director of Strategy and Programs Quality at World Vision Rwanda, said the initiative will focus on five technical areas, namely water supply and water quality, sanitation and hygiene, governance and finance, disaster management, and water security. He said, “Our WASH financing products will mobilize private sector investment, while our integrated approach will demonstrate measurable cross-sector impacts on reduced growth stunting in children, increased school attendance, and agricultural productivity.” Reflecting on the partnership with the government, Ndayahoze underscored that they have been able to achieve their ambitions to improve clean water access since the initiative started in 2018. Currently, the project has reached over one million people nationwide with access to clean water within 500 metres of their homes. ALSO READ: How World Vision has enhanced lives of over 40,000 residents He added that the new five-year plan will primarily focus on sanitation and hygiene. For access to hygiene, the target is to reach over One Million people, 226 schools, and 95 healthcare facilities with hygiene services, and improved sanitation for 70,000 households, 246 schools, and 95 hospitals. The strategic plan is centred around four goals, including accelerating operations and reaching more people and institutions with WASH services. This, in turn, will deepen interventions by increasing resilience among the most vulnerable households, while empowering women through unified activities. It will demonstrate real-time reporting to stakeholders to ensure the project’s effectiveness and efficiency, and leverage US funding through the development of projects with repayable financing projects and increased cost-sharing agreements with national and local governments. How will the plan be financed? Currently, World Vision’s WASH projects have been funded through a 60-40 per cent cost-sharing model with the government. However, the organisation intends to shift towards a 50-50 partnership model by 2030, bolstered by mobilizing the private sector to secure funding across all operational areas. ALSO READ: World Vision Rwanda launches ‘THRIVE 2030' scheme to lift over one million people from poverty Ndayahoze pointed out that World Vision Rwanda has already secured a $7 million base fund through the commitment of World Vision USA for the Private Non-Sponsorship Fund, with a focus on sanitation and hygiene priorities. This commitment is supported by the organisation’s sponsors worldwide, enabling the successful implementation of the WASH business plan. For the remaining funds, he noted that they will be generated from sponsorship initiatives, grants, and the government’s WASH co-financing scheme, as well as through mobilizing stakeholder investment, including corporate entities and private institutions. Government weighs in Gemma Maniraruta, Director General of Water and Sanitation at the Ministry of Infrastructure, speaking on behalf of the ministry’s permanent secretary, expressed the government’s acknowledgement of World Vision and other development partners’ contributions in transforming the lives of people, particularly in underserved areas. “This commitment is a statement of the strong partnership between the government of Rwanda and development partners in advancing sustainable access to clean water and improved sanitation services,” Maniraruta said, commending World Vision Rwanda for its forward-looking five-year WASH business plan. “We acknowledge that such planning is essential to ensure coordinated, efficient, and impactful interventions that align with national priorities.” She pointed out that access to clean water and improved sanitation is fundamental to a dignified and healthy life for all humans, adding, “It is a basic human need and a key driver of social and economic development.” She noted that while Rwanda has made significant strides in clean water access, sanitation remains a persistent challenge, citing the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda’s Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey 7(EICV7), which provides statistics to facilitate monitoring progress on poverty reduction programmes and evaluation of different policies. “We are not really ranking well on basic sanitation. And it is maybe based on our informal settlement, but it is our task as the government and its development partners to eradicate poor services in sanitation.” Water as a marketable product Maniraruta urged private institutions to intentionally invest in water and sanitation to ensure a healthy population. While significant steps have been made to increase access to clean water, she noted that sanitation remains a challenge. World Vision Rwanda’s Programs Director, Innocent Mutabaruka, echoed the call for more investment, arguing that water distribution can and should be treated as a viable sector for private players. “We want to make water distribution a marketable product. That is why we are engaging private institutions and investors to explore this sector,” Mutabaruka said. He emphasised that the five-year business plan aims to shape a future where water transforms communities and creates pathways out of poverty.
