Santa Clara University

Gemma Bulos, Class of 2011

Empowering Women with Clean Water Solutions

To mark #GivingTuesday and our national day of holiday season giving, we shared our first story about the ripple effect of GWLN leaders. Our second story features Gemma Bulos, Director of Global Women's Water Initiative. Gemma, a 2011 graduate of GWLN's leadership program, has been working hard to realize her vision for clean water and effective sanitation for rural communities in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Improved Public Health and New Income for Families

In 2011, Gemma's organization taught 56 grassroots women and international fellows to build rainwater harvesting tanks, filters andlatrines. As a result, 15,000 people in East Africa now have access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene education. Grassroots women are launching micro-enterprises and offering personal hygiene classes, resulting in improved public health and new income for their families. They are raising their voices in a sector where women are typically excluded.

"GWLN's community of alumni in Africa helped me identify partners and participants to bring depth and regional knowledge to our programs." -- Gemma Bulos

One Woman. One Ripple. Thousands of Better Lives.

• Women are challenging gender stereotypes and building water solutions to improve living conditions in their communities.
• Children are no longer getting sick as a result of dirty water.
• Female students are not missing school because they have to fetch water.
• Schools in Africa are eliminating typhoid because of access to clean water.
• Grassroots women are marketing their skills and raising funds as entrepreneurs.

Donate to GWLN and help us continue to deliver leadership programs that realize our vision for a better future based on social justice for all. Your donation will be used to invest in women leaders like Gemma Bulos. Whether your gift is $100 or $1000, every donation matters.