Engaging religious organisations in WASH programmes: a conceptual framework and case study from Zimbabwe

Many WASH actors have had some level of engagement with religious organisations, which is not surprising given the prevalence of religion in developing countries, but there is potential to more deeply engage religious institutions in large-scale WASH programmes. To do so effectively, though, requires a greater literacy around religious ideas and practices. Toward that end, the authors conceptualize a framework that breaks down the concept of “religion” into three components — ideas, practices, and organisations — which interact with each other and influence WASH programmes and outcomes. One aspect of the framework, which is likely most familiar to WASH actors, is how religious organisations influence WASH programmes. A case study for how Living Water International partnered with the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe to implement a district-level WASH programme illustrates this part of the conceptual framework and provides recommendations to other NGOs.