Dedicated to improving lives: Champions of change in the UNICEF WASH programme
Lindström is UNICEF Finland’s longest-standing corporate partner and has supported the organisation since 2007. Through annual donations, we contribute to the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program in India, helping improve access to clean water, sanitation, and better hygiene for children, families, and communities. Change begins with individuals who take that first brave step. In 2025, communities across India are demonstrating how determination and collaboration can transform lives through the support of UNICEF’s WASH program.
When grey turns green: Recycling wastewater for enhanced agriculture and food
In Chota Mangwa village in the Darjeeling district of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, delayed monsoons, erratic rains, and warming temperatures had turned perennial springs into seasonal trickles, making farming unpredictable and daily life a struggle, especially for children’s nourishment.
Against this challenging background, a local solution, facilitated under the national Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission), came to Dawa Sherpa‘s rescue.
The Grey Water Management unit helped reuse treated “waste” water from kitchen sinks, baths, and laundry through a simple horizontal tank filtration mechanism, using natural filter media of sand, gravel, and charcoal, to irrigate fields.
Dawa’s success is living proof that localised solutions for a community in crisis no longer depend solely on seasonal rains.
In an increasingly water-stressed world, this low-cost, decentralised, and locally adapted greywater management model proves that every drop truly counts.
Read the whole story on UNICEF website.
When communities lead, water lasts: a replicable model of sustainable water governance from Kotri, Rajasthan
Amid Rajasthan’s water scarcity, dry spells and uncertain rains, Kotri, a tribal village, stands apart with a reliable sense of water security. What was once a community dependent on just 21 hand pumps, often running dry and affected by turbidity and contamination, has become a model for sustainable, community-led water governance.
But Kotri’s transformation is about more than infrastructure. It is a story of community ownership and local leadership. At the heart of this change is an empowered Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC). When gaps were identified in roles, financial systems and long-term operation and maintenance, a structured effort was launched to strengthen local processes and create a foundation for lasting success.
Women are leading this transformation. In the Gram Panchayat (village council), women play a central role in water governance and management. Through active participation in decision-making, they are strengthening community ownership of local water systems and helping to ensure a more sustainable future for the village.
Access to reliable water has also changed everyday life. Freed from the daily burden of walking long distances to collect water, women can now dedicate more time to earning a living and supporting their families.
“Earlier, I spent hours bringing water home. Now I use that time for my stitching. I took a ₹50,000 loan to expand my work and repaid it. Having water at home has given me confidence and independence,” says Alka Tailor.
Kotri’s experience shows how strong community engagement, local leadership and reliable access to water can create lasting change, improving both livelihoods and well-being for families across the village.
Read the whole story on UNICEF website.
From water carriers to climate leaders: A convergent journey to water and climate resilience in tribal Rajasthan
Rajasthan has a dry climate and the area often suffers from droughts, facing persistent challenges of water availability and quality. In Brahmangarh and the surrounding Adol Gram Panchayat, declining groundwater levels, shrinking pastures and erratic rainfall had begun to undermine livelihoods. Families faced water shortages, reduced crop productivity and increasing food insecurity.
To address these challenges, 39 watershed interventions were implemented across Adol village. These included anicuts, mini percolation tanks, rooftop rainwater harvesting structures and staggered contour trenches. Vegetative barriers supported pasture regeneration, while solar pumps and drip irrigation systems improved water efficiency and increased fodder availability. Together, these climate-smart measures helped restore water sources and strengthen agricultural productivity.
As water returned to the land, new opportunities emerged for local communities. Women, in particular, were able to return to their fields with renewed purpose, using improved access to water to diversify crops and strengthen household livelihoods.
“We are seven sisters who got together at the farm when the watershed was ready. We used solar pumps to water the crops. We now grow all kinds of vegetables. Apart from generating income for us, we also carry them home to make nutritious meals for our children and families,” says Lali.
This transformation demonstrates how sustainable water management can restore not only natural resources, but also livelihoods, food security and opportunities for communities facing the impacts of climate change.
Read the whole story on UNICEF website.
“We are seven sisters who came together to farm when the watershed was ready. Using solar pumps to irrigate our fields, we now grow all kinds of vegetables. The income supports us, and we also take fresh produce home to prepare nutritious meals for our children and families,” says Lali.
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