Kohler Co and DigDeep – Water Is Life Microgrant Program

The Water Is Life microgrant programme and the ongoing relationship between DigDeep, a human rights non-profit tackling water and sanitation issues in the U.S., and Kohler Co., a global leader in designing and producing kitchen and bath products, are being celebrated. The Navajo Nation’s microgrant programme, which was established in 2021, assists groups and local community leaders in coming up with creative solutions to improve access to clean water and sanitary facilities.

The Water Is Life initiative gave funds to ten people and organizations in its inaugural year to fund 13 different projects.

These initiatives offer 243 Navajo households in Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico access to water solutions through:

11 residential off-grid cistern systems were installed, providing clean, running water for the first time.

regular water supplies to 55 people without easy access to a water source, including the acquisition of a truck and dump trailer to make deliveries easier.

50 water tanks were delivered to the neediest families on the Navajo and Hopi reservations.

28 families will receive water access resources, including insulation and water filters.

educating and training 89 families and adolescents on safe water practises

Giving ten students practical experience installing and building solar water systems

DigDeep

Grants were given to five beneficiaries as part of Kohler and DigDeep’s continuation of the Water Is Life programme in 2022:

Installation of water stations with sinks, faucets, and grey water runoff to provide clean water for drinking and handwashing to support community hygiene goals is part of the Western Navajo Fairgrounds Water Project.

Repairing water delivery trucks for Community Strong, a grassroots organisation, so that it can regularly provide water to over 100 families, including elderly people and people who are unable to transport their own water.

To Dine Bah (Water for the People): Through its collaborations, To Dine Bah provides mutual aid, water carrying services to over 50 families in the Dzil Yijiin region, and resources continuation such as food, personal protective equipment, and sanitation essentials.

The White Jug: Assist in the transportation of safe drinking water for family, veterans, and elderly members of the community in and around Window Rock.