What is the best thing about your job?
Visiting sites and seeing the difference clean water makes. Field visits are a great opportunity to hear from beneficiaries and look for areas of improvement. I would like to spend more time in the field and less behind the desk.

How did you come to work for Water For All?
In the early part of my career, I was a tax consultant in Cape Town, South Africa, where I was born and raised. I later worked in an accounting firm in London as an economist, and then moved to Washington DC to work in the economics department of the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank. In 2005 I started working in the IFC's Small and Medium Enterprise department, where we focused on strengthening grassroots business initiatives and the capacity of social entrepreneurs.  I began to learn more about the water crisis facing Africa and the need for sustainable solutions. Growing up in South Africa during apartheid, I was aware that many of our nation's people were denied equal rights, including the right to clean water, but the government of the day went to great lengths to keep the true picture under wraps.  So at that point in my career I felt I could help make a difference in the water sector and joined the staff here in South Africa in 2007.

Describe what you do for Water For All.
As the managing director I set overall strategy for the organization, and am involved in partner formation with companies, NGOs and governments. I spend a lot of time working with national governments in the countries where we are donating pumps. I am also the financial director and oversee our financial team.

What is it like doing the government liaison work?
I have found that even if a country is facing enormous challenges, it all comes down to leadership. With talented, enthusiastic, and committed people in government we are able to put together partnerships that have huge impact. Unfortunately, the opposite can mean progress is slow. It can take a lot of time to build the relationship within governments, but it is worth it in the end. Our work should be a complement to that of government not a replacement.

Do donors understand that?
At first donors may not realize how much is involved when you enter into a new country. It's often a process that takes many, many months. Part of my job is building relationships with our donors is to ensure they understand each step in the process and keeping them informed along the way.

In South Africa, for example, we've recently had a change in administration which means re-introducing yourself to different government officials. Our new Minister of Water comes from a rural area and has a great understanding of the problems facing South African and the solutions Water For All can offer.

Describe a typical day or week at work.
One-third to half of my time is taken up with financial management, planning, budgeting, invoicing, disbursements, meeting donor requirements and staying in touch with partners like SAWA, our NGO partner in Tanzania.

How is Water For All making a difference?
Water is the most fundamental building block of life. In the communities where we have donated pumps, the difference to those people is huge -- literally immeasurable. And although we've donated more than 1,000 pumps and 2,000 water purifiers, we are only scratching the surface of the overall water crisis. What gives me hope is that with advances in technology it is possible to bring water to those who don't have it.

Besides the direct impact Water For All has in the communities, we are a learning organization, and we are showing how green technologies can and do work. I hope through our work we can demonstrate to others that renewable energy solutions are more affordable than ever before, are low maintenance alternatives, and have enormous impact.

Do you think that the way NGOs function in Africa/South Africa has changed in the last 20 years?  Do you think they will operate differently 20 years from now?
Twenty years ago we would not be able to do what we are doing now in South Africa; under apartheid it would have been illegal. Here in Africa, NGOs have come a long way in the past decade. Many NGOs are more entrepreneurial in their approach to development; creating jobs, bringing new products to market and developing unique partnerships. This is a big shift. This approach has meant that governments, companies, and the non-profit sector are working as partners rather than givers and receivers.

One trend that I hope will continue is the decision by many Africans who study abroad to return home.  For example, our installation partner in Malawi did an advanced degree in engineering in India and returned home to start a drilling company.

The brain drain will always be a problem but I have seen an increase in the number of Africans who decide to return home and pursue a job in the NGO sector rather than a career in the corporate world. If this trend continues we will see great progress. We need home-grown leaders who can offer practical solutions.