Five members of the GWC team joined the gathering, creating opportunities to share our work, learn from others, and build relationships that can help safe water reach more communities. 

Eileen Jarnholt, GWC’s Director of Portfolio, reflected on the week: “There was a sense of urgency in that the issues we are working together towards are not getting any smaller, but larger. But I also felt a compassion and understanding in the atmosphere that we are in it together, and a strong intention to foster collaboration.” 

That spirit of collaboration showed up throughout the week. 

Sharing Practical Groundwater Solutions

Eileen was a featured speaker at From Hidden Resource to Improved Livelihoods: Groundwater for Africa’s Future, a session hosted by the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR). 

She shared GWC’s groundwater and borehole drilling course suite and how our free, on-demand courses give water professionals practical tools to help communities more effectively access and manage groundwater. 

While other presentations highlighted the data and scale of groundwater resources, Eileen brought a practical question to the conversation: How can more people gain the knowledge and skills needed to put that resource to work? 

The session brought together different kinds of expertise, from research and data to field experience and practical training, showing how each can help move an idea from possibility to practice.

Creating Space for Connection

That same spirit of collaboration continued at the Water & Faith Dinner that GWC co-hosted with LM International to bring together people working at the intersection of water and faith. 

Around the table were representatives from organizations including World Vision, Living Water International, and Water Mission. They discussed how their motivation to address the global water crisis is rooted in faith and deeply held values. 

Connecting Global Conversations to Local Realities

One of the highlights of the week was seeing Vallentina Massanja, a representative of Tanzania’s rural water authority, RUWASA, take part in these global conversations. With support from the Grundfos Foundation, Vallentina joined GWC at World Water Week. 

She brought firsthand experience of the realities of delivering water in rural communities, along with an enthusiasm for learning, connecting, and sharing what she knows. For Vallentina, who was visiting Europe for the first time, the week offered a new window into the global conversations shaping the future of water. 

At World Water Week, Vallentina was inspired by new ideas, new connections, and a renewed sense of what is possible for water services in Tanzania. She said the experience encouraged her to “think beyond the conventional approach and embrace innovative solutions” and increased her desire to “strengthen partnerships with other stakeholders and development partners” to improve access to safe water across her country.  

For GWC, Vallentina’s presence was a meaningful reminder of the value of bringing people closest to the work into the conversations shaping its future.  

“SIWI gathered so many meaningful organizations and people from across the globe, but more voices like Vallentina’s are needed,” Eileen said. “There needs to be more representation from the organizations that work with the last mile and with those in the most marginalized areas in terms of water.” 

GWC left World Water Week with new relationships to build on and new ideas to carry forward. The challenges facing the water sector are significant, yet the creativity, commitment, and collaboration we experienced in Stockholm leave us hopeful for what comes next.