March 24, 2019
eChievement Award Spotlight: Sarah Evans, Well Aware
Sarah Evans is the founder and board co-chair of Well Aware, an Austin, TX-based nonprofit that funds and implements clean water systems for impoverished communities in Africa. Well Aware is known for its sustainability model in building lasting water systems with high impact.
Evans has worked to change the way water projects are executed and managed in East Africa. She has built a team of staff and volunteers who implement projects that are realistic and lasting through strategic partnerships, true community involvement and empowerment, hygiene and sanitation education, and impact measurement. Evans’ model positions Well Aware and Well Beyond partner communities to thrive, and every dollar invested is at least quadrupled in productivity.
At Well Aware, they believe their responsibility to their partner communities goes far beyond the drilling of a hole. More than 60% of existing water wells in Africa fail within the first year of implementation. Well Aware’s water systems work and they last because of realistic, responsible planning and collaboration. Their partner communities are motivated, organized, and prepared communities that need only sustainable clean water to kick-start their success. Well Aware adapts each project according to each community’s specific needs. And their partner communities are thriving as a result.