Milliman Giving Fund expands access to clean water and hygiene

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, announced today that the Milliman Giving Fund has awarded a grant to Splash International. The $750,000 grant is for a three-year period to fund Splash’s Project WISE (Wash in Schools for Everyone).

Project WISE started in 2019 to provide comprehensive water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, combined with behavior change and menstrual health programs in 100% of government schools in major growth cities.

From 2021-2023, the Milliman Giving Fund granted $750,000 to help provide safe water, clean hands, and child-friendly toilets in Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, and Kolkata, India.

This grant funds Phase 2, a multi-country expansion to improve WASH conditions at schools in strategically located cities in East Africa. Splash aims to demonstrate that their model is cost-effective, replicable, adaptable, and scalable in nearly every geography. Plans include training local partners to take the lead on building and maintaining facilities to create sustainable impact.

”I was fortunate to be part of a Milliman group that travelled to Ethiopia in 2023 to witness the incredible impact Splash is making in schools,” said Milliman Giving Fund Co-Chair John Meerschaert. “Supporting Project WISE in Phase 2 was an easy decision.”

“It goes beyond clean water and toilets and extends to cultivating respect and support for girls through menstrual health education for all students,” said Milliman Giving Fund Co-Chair Deborah Wolf.

Splash’s partnership with the Milliman Giving Fund has been critical to transforming safe water conditions for the thousands of kids that Splash serves, said Splash Founder and CEO Eric Stowe.

“This new grant from Milliman will help us to ensure that 100% of public schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, have safe water, kids washing their hands, and dignified toilets by the end of 2024,” Stowe said. “Beyond this, our partnership will allow us to begin implementing Project WISE in new countries, benefiting hundreds of thousands of kids across new cities in East Africa.”

The employee- and retiree-funded Milliman Giving Fund amplifies Milliman’s mission by supporting transformative programs to improve communities’ health, education, and economic development worldwide. Since 2019, the Giving Fund has donated more than $5 million to partners worldwide.

About Milliman

Milliman is among the world’s largest providers of actuarial and related products and services. The firm has consulting practices in healthcare, property & casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services, and employee benefits. Founded in 1947, Milliman is an independent firm with offices in major cities around the globe. For further information, visit milliman.com.

About Splash

Splash is a social justice organization committed to the poor, an international development agency disciplined around urban economies, a social enterprise dedicated to putting ourselves out of business, and a safe water company focused on children.