“Huru” Means Freedom, and Freedom Means Water Access for All

By Emmanuel Godliving Minja, 2022 Max Thabiso Edkins Youth Ambassador and Founder of Huru Initiatives

During my last year of high school eight years ago, Ubungo, my neighborhood in Dar es Salaam, experienced a severe water infrastructure failure. At that time, my family had to carefully calculate every ounce of water we used, stop some domestic chores, and consult one another whenever we needed water. That was the moment I realized that water is more than just a resource — it is a story of power, access, and opportunity. This situation was not limited to my neighborhood; it was felt by many across the city, and it was even worse in the villages. In that same year, some of my school friends and I founded Huru Initiatives. Huru means “freedom” or “independence” in Kiswahili — we set out to achieve the freedom that comes with access to water. 

Growing up and working in Tanzania, I have seen firsthand how water shapes lives. It determines whether a girl goes to school or spends hours fetching water, whether a farmer harvests enough to feed a family, and whether entire communities can withstand the growing pressures of climate change. With this in mind, we grounded Huru Initiatives in one simple belief: sustainable water solutions must be driven by the people closest to the problem.

At the heart of this vision is the Malkia Maji Program (Water Queens/Stewards Program), an initiative designed to equip young women with the skills, knowledge, tools and confidence to become leaders in water resource management within their communities.

The idea behind Malkia Maji is both practical and deeply personal. In many settings, women and girls are the primary managers of water in their households, yet they are rarely included in decision-making spaces. This disconnect is not just unfair, but also creates inefficiency in solving water challenges. By investing in young women as water changemakers, we are at once addressing gender inequality and unlocking a powerful, underutilized force for sustainable development.

Through the program, we train young women as fellows in areas such as water conservation, sanitation and hygiene, climate resilience, and community engagement. But we go beyond technical knowledge — our chief focus is empowering these women to lead, innovate, and advocate in their communities, designing and implementing solutions tailored to their local realities. Whether by restoring a degraded water source, promoting sustainable irrigation practices, or leading hygiene campaigns in schools, our fellows have demonstrated  their ability to drive meaningful change from the ground up.

What continues to inspire me is the profound shift in confidence we always witness along the way. I have seen young women who once hesitated to speak in public now leading community dialogues, influencing local decision-making, and mentoring others. They are not just participants in a program, but catalysts of change.

The empowerment that Malkia Maji provides is reflected in its contribution to the water sector workforce. Across Africa, young people face significant barriers to entering the job market, and the water sector — despite its importance — often lacks clear entry pathways for youth. The Malkia Maji program addresses this gap by equipping participants with practical, market-relevant skills.

After her fellowship, Madina focused her advocacy on children’s access to water, campaigning across Africa with UNICEF. Janeth channeled her software engineering skills to develop an app that promotes water-conscious food preparation techniques. With her startup Kijana Factory, Sandra made vital sustainable farming techniques easily accessible to spice farmers, while Asha drew on her training to become a water-focused journalist. Everywhere you look, Malkia Maji alumnae have channeled the skills they learned into burgeoning careers in the water space.

These stories are a reminder that transformative change often begins at the community level. Large-scale strategies and investments are essential, but their success depends on how well they connect with the realities on the ground, and on who is empowered to carry them forward.

What makes this work particularly powerful is how naturally it aligns with a broader vision for the future of water — one in which water is recognized as central to people, food systems, and the health of our planet.

In Tanzania, I see the impact we’re making every day — in a young woman confidently leading a community meeting, in a restored water source that once ran dry, in a farmer adopting new practices to conserve water. These are not isolated successes; they are building blocks of a more water-secure future.

Water is many things: a bringer of life, a bringer of opportunity, and, it bears repeating, a bringer of freedom. When we invite the most affected to the table and give them the tools they need to make a difference, we do more than solve water challenges. We create leaders, generate jobs, and build resilient communities capable of shaping their own futures. We create the freedom for people to live full and happy lives. 

This is part of a series that showcases how our partners are advancing shared priorities by contributing to global knowledge, generating jobs, empowering communities, and driving development forward where it matters most. Progress happens when diverse voices—from civil society, academia, think tanks, and beyond—come together with purpose to unlock lasting solutions.