About this project

YWP-ZA aims to engage children across South Africa by creating an online platform for children to take part in an art competition. The theme of the pieces has to be around sanitation, health and COVID.

We hope to include an educational video around sanitation and COVID for the children on the same online platform. In order to reach children in more rural areas where internet access is poor, we hope to be allowed into schools and use the art competition to educate more generally on water, sanitation and health.

Budget is highly dependent on whether we are allowed to enter schools or if this is a purely virtual competition.

Goals and Objectives

Due to the current global situation and the rapid spread of the pandemic, we believe that it is of vital importance that we spread awareness to the next generation regarding the dangers attributed with poor hygienic practices and general hygiene. In addition to this, using the pandemic as a backdrop to this exercise could allow for further education regarding other threats related to water and sanitation. Where possible we want to take the project to children in communities where poor sanitation and access to water are their reality.

Expected result

We hope that by engaging children at home and in schools, we will create ripple effect of awareness. Since it will be young professionals from the WASH sector, we hope some of the kids will be inspired to also follow a career path in water.

In addition, we are expecting at least 100 art submissions, therefore, a knowledge of art and engaging with topics in a new way might inspire children to express and use new mediums for communication. If we are allowed to enter the schools, we will need to bring the art materials with us since the schools are poorly equipped. The schools would be allowed to keep these and we therefore consider this an additional win.

If successful, we would want to scale up the project to more groups and create a wider reach.

Sustainable Development Goals
6.2 Sanitation and Hygiene
About me / organisation
Young Water Professionals

The South African Young Water Professionals (YWP-ZA) Programme is focused on bringing people working in or interested in the water sector together in a meaningful way. YWP-ZA is a network of people who are passionate about all aspects of water and its intrinsic linkages to people, economies, development, nature, dignity and life itself. As a committee, we are particularly passionate about helping people in the earlier stages of their studies and careers to find their “professional home” in the South African water sector, understand and explore the challenges and opportunities of the sector, build the skills they need to be influential contributors to the sector and develop meaningful networks that will provide the insight, support, access and opportunities needed to build exciting, meaningful and challenging careers.

The YWP is an international initiative spear-headed by the International Water Association (IWA). In South Africa the YWP is in partnership with the Water Institute of South Africa (WISA). WISA is a volunteer organization representing the professional water industry in Southern Africa.

Website