Splash International

Splash International is a social justice organisation and international development agency that designs water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems in partnership with local governments. The organisation builds capacity and relationships deliberately engineered for its own exit, so that the systems it installs continue to function after its staff have gone. Its stated belief is that every child deserves clean water, clean hands and clean toilets.

The work centres on three programmes: clean water systems designed for sustainability and eventual handover to local authorities; Clean Hands, a handwashing initiative; and Clean Toilets, sanitation facilities for children. Splash describes itself as a social enterprise as well as a non-profit, and its technical domains include water systems design, sustainable systems design, capacity building and international development.

The organisation operates from Seattle, Addis Ababa and Kolkata, and works as one international team across those locations. It describes its culture as people-first - 'people come first, second, and third' - and lists its core values as People, Quality, Honesty, Joy and learning from Mistakes. The team is characterised as collegial and rigorous in equal measure, with a 'work hard, play hard' ethos and a habit of continual refinement of its own work.

Splash's working principles include designing for its own exit from the start, seeing potential everywhere, and focusing on building capacity and lasting relationships rather than permanent presence.