Global NGO Splash Receives Transformative $40 Million Investment to Expand Support to African Schools

Splash, a US-based NGO, will use the investment to expand clean water, safe sanitation and menstrual health programs in schools in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia

SEATTLE , WA, UNITED STATES, June 9, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Splash, a US-based NGO working to ensure children living in urban poverty have the resources they need to thrive, has recently received a transformative $40 million investment to implement Phase II of its Project WISE (WASH in Schools for Everyone) initiative. The initiative is designed to ensure students at public schools across select countries in Africa have access to clean drinking water, safe sanitation facilities, hygiene education, and menstrual health resources.

“We are extremely grateful for this substantial support, particularly at a time when NGO's across the globe are being challenged by a variety of external factors,” says Eric Stowe, founder and CEO of Splash. “Being able to provide access to clean water, as well as health and hygiene resources, will bring tangible and long-lasting benefits to the students we serve, their families, and local communities.”

The first iteration of the Project WISE initiative has supported children in Kolkata, India, and Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Phase II of the project will expand to reach 1.2 million students across eight cities in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia—through deep collaboration with national and local governments.

Splash delivers clean water and safe sanitation to more than one million children daily in some of the world’s poorest urban communities across Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. With a focus on scale, Project WISE is designed as a replicable blueprint for achieving citywide access to water, sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual health (WASH+M) in public schools, led in partnership with government stakeholders in each country. From its inception, Splash has collaborated with child-serving institutions such as schools and orphanages, viewing them as key leverage points for long-term systems change.

The effective expansion of Project Wise will bring Splash closer to fulfilling its mission of eventually becoming obsolete: through training and support, local partners will be poised to assume full responsibility for program implementation.

Reliable access to water and sanitation directly impacts students’ health, school attendance, and educational outcomes. By normalizing menstrual health, schools become safer and more inclusive spaces—especially for girls—where all students can thrive without stigma or barriers.

“We’ve shown our model works in multiple cities across Africa and Asia”, continues Stowe. “With this investment, we’re poised to scale our cost-effective, durable, and impactful approach—alongside local government partners in each country who are committed to helping us reach millions more students over the next five years."

This $40 million anchor gift from an anonymous foundation marks a major milestone, bringing Splash significantly closer to its $70 million goal. Yet, the opportunity for additional donors and stakeholders to join this bold public-private collaboration still exists. Splash invites philanthropists, institutions, and supporters to help build on its success—and to be part of transforming the lives of millions of children across southern Africa.

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About Splash
Splash is a nonprofit organization working to ensure children living in urban poverty have the resources they need to thrive. We design and implement child-focused water, sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual health (WASH+M) solutions in partnership with governments in some of the world’s largest cities. Our goal: demonstrate what works, build local capacity, and transition ownership to local partners for long-term sustainability. Founded in 2007, Splash has worked in eight countries and served over one million children worldwide. Learn more at https://splash.org

Katrina Straker, Chief Development Officer
Splash
+1 410-497-7873
media@splash.org
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