For decades, General Board of Global Ministries’ Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) (Advance # 3020600) projects have concentrated on communities that lack access to clean water, but particularly to ease the burdens for women and children. Generally, when water sources are far from home, women and older children must hike daily to the source of the water and haul it home for use, often on their backs or using a long pole across their shoulders. Unfortunately, if the water source is a river, pond or other open waterway, the chances of contamination and waterborne disease are high.
This physical burden is compounded by the social burden of children missing school and women who spend so much time hauling water they have no time to work outside the home or improve their own education.
Caring for Women and Children’s Health
Global Ministries supports WASH projects that consider the needs of women and children and include women in training about water usage and sanitation practices. Women are also part of community water committees to make decisions about maintaining and safeguarding new water sources, like borehole wells, and keeping sanitation facilities clean and functioning.
In 2025, Global Ministries awarded 12 new WASH grants totaling $621,963.00.
From 2025 to present, there have been 92,395 beneficiaries for WASH projects, including those who have gained access to new water sources, new latrines, or were recipients of water and/or hygiene kit distributions.
Minkoameyos Borehole Project
The United Methodist Church in Cameroon received a WASH grant from Global Ministries to drill a borehole well and install an electrical pump with a storage tank at the UMC headquarters in Minkoameyos. It provides reliable access to clean water for the church and the surrounding communities, Nkmassi and Edorezok (about 1,000 people total).
The church is moving forward with new projects, providing a reliable source of clean water, improving health outcomes, reducing time spent on water collection, and enabling community members – particularly women – to engage in other economic activities and participate in education.
WASH for Health Facilities in Sierra Leone, Liberia
In December 2025, Global Ministries met with colleagues of the Liberia and Sierra Leone health boards to complete WASH Facility Improvement Tool (FIT) assessments for their network of UMC health facilities. It extended invitations to both health boards to apply for Health System Strengthening/WASH funding to remedy the gaps identified in their assessments. As a result, the Sierra Leone UMC has been awarded a 2-year $500,000 grant to improve WASH across nine facilities and Liberia UMC a $360,000 grant over one year for six facilities.
Global Ministries is grateful to the Wallace Genetic Foundation (WGF) for its initial grant to support this assessment, and to Africa Christian Health Associations Platform (ACHAP), Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF, and other members of the WASH Circuit Riders Community of Practice for their encouragement and support throughout the WASH FIT process. Through this collaboration, The United Methodist Church will integrate into the newly convened Community of Practice, enabling a broader impact in its global work.
100% of Your Donation Helps
You can designate your donation to go to a specific missionary/country through The General Board of Global Ministries’ Advance accountability system. Missionaries are but one part, there are numerous of projects that you can support depending on your preference.
excerpt from a story by Christie R. House, consultant writer and editor, Global Ministries and UMCOR.
The Advance is The United Methodist Church’s designated giving network, connecting donors with approved ministries around the world. Gifts support disaster relief, leadership development, education, and justice initiatives, helping the Church respond where the need is greatest.
When your church or you give through The Advance, you partner with the global Church to extend God’s love and make a real, lasting impact.
