15 years transforming territories through water, education and partnerships
Water for Education, Education for Water: a commitment to the sustainable development of rural communities in Colombia
By Fundación Grupo EPM, member of Latimpacto
In Latin America, access to clean water continues to be one of the most critical challenges to human development. In rural areas, this gap directly impacts the health, education, food security, and development opportunities of millions of people. Faced with this reality, EPM Group Foundation It has demonstrated over the past 15 years that it is possible to generate sustainable transformations when infrastructure is aligned with education, community participation, and strategic partnerships.
Since its creation in 2011, the program Water for Education, Education for Water It works to enable access to clean water in rural educational institutions through a comprehensive intervention that combines water purification solutions, environmental education, strengthening local capacities, and water governance. Alongside the installation of the infrastructure, the program promotes the social ownership of the solutions and strengthens the communities’ capacities to autonomously manage an essential resource for their well-being and development.
The results demonstrate the scope and sustainability of this commitment. In these 15 years, installations have been made 980 water treatment solutions, benefiting more than 106,000 people among students, teachers and neighboring communities, in 160 municipalities in 11 departments of Colombia. Additionally, thousands of people have been trained in the operation and maintenance of the systems, strengthening the sustainability of the solutions in the long term.
The model has shown that access to clean water can become a catalyst for territorial development. Through the educational strategy The Adventures of the Water Guardian, The program promotes healthy lifestyle habits, environmental conservation, climate risk management, and food security, contributing to the strengthening of school environmental projects and the care of water sources. In this way, water becomes an opportunity to improve the quality of life of rural educational communities and strengthen their resilience to current environmental challenges.
The ability to generate alliances has been another key factor in its success. A recent example is the agreement signed in 2025 between the Department of Antioquia and the Grupo EPM Foundation, which will allow bringing drinking water access solutions to 104 rural educational institutions in the department, contributing also to the improvement of food and nutritional security for thousands of students. This initiative demonstrates how the collaboration between the public sector, foundations, and territories allows multiplying results and accelerating the closure of social gaps.
After 15 years of experience, national and international recognitions, and a consolidated presence in multiple regions of the country, Water for Education, Education for Water It is projected to be a high-potential model for Latin America. Its approach integrates access to clean water, community empowerment, climate adaptation, and sustainable development, elements increasingly relevant for organizations that mobilize capital with purpose.
Today, the main challenge is to expand the scope of this solution. The magnitude of the needs in rural territories requires adding capacity, knowledge, innovation, and resources. For this reason, the Grupo EPM Foundation seeks to join forces with actors committed to generating social and environmental value, in order to expand the scope of this initiative, scale its impact, and multiply the opportunities for well-being, education, and development that access to clean water creates for rural communities.
For 15 years, the program has demonstrated that access to clean water is a fundamental factor in improving the quality of life, strengthening communities, and promoting more equitable and sustainable development in rural areas.