WaterStep Partners with John Dau Foundation & Helps Contain Cholera Outbreak in Duk County, South Sudan in Just 6 Weeks

WaterStep has restored dignity, brought hope & life-saving access to safe water to 30,000+ people in South Sudan.

LOUISVILLE, KY, UNITED STATES, May 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a region long defined by scarcity, conflict, and displacement, a historic intervention by WaterStep, a global safe water INGO, has restored dignity, brought hope and life-saving access to safe water to more than 30,000 people in the heart of South Sudan. Within six weeks, a devastating cholera outbreak was contained.

In late 2024, South Sudan experienced its worst cholera outbreak in two decades, infecting more than 70,000 people and claiming more than 800 lives. The community of Gadiang – largely composed of internally displaced women, children, and the elderly – was among the hardest hit. More than 200 cholera cases were reported in just two weeks. Children like four-year-old Akuol were some of the first to fall ill. With limited health infrastructure and no access to safe drinking water, the situation was dire.

Then WaterStep arrived.

Partnering with the John Dau Foundation, WaterStep launched a rapid and comprehensive emergency response. For the first time in Gadiang’s history, a motorized well was drilled in the center of the community, unlocking a deep and safe aquifer. Water treatment systems were deployed across seven health facilities, two broken boreholes were repaired, and community health workers were trained – many of them women – on how to produce sustainable disinfectant using WaterStep’s BleachMaker technology.

Zac Tossou, chief program officer at WaterStep, reflected on the powerful collaboration between WaterStep, the John Dau Foundation, and the local community.

“When we arrived in Gadiang, the need was urgent, but the will of the community was even stronger," Zac said. "Our role was to provide the tools and skills. They turned those tools into lasting change. We always empower communities and restore dignity.”

Ayok Khot Kuol, emergency response manager for the John Dau Foundation, said the transformation in Gadiang has been astounding. In previous disasters, improvement was gradual, but with WaterStep’s programs and equipment, the change was immediate. When the source of the infections stopped – unsafe water – the spread of the disease stopped.

“It was just like a miracle,” he said.

In fact, four-year-old Akuol is healthy now. She’s happy, playing, and back in school.

“This is not just a successful story,” Ayok said. “It is a proof that with the right support lives can be transformed. The intervention in Gadiang wasn’t just about emergency relief but about building resilience, empowering women, and creating systems that last.”

WaterStep’s approach combined immediate action with long-term vision – making it a model for scalable, community-led response. Now, children are back in school. Clinics are no longer overwhelmed. And mothers like Nyandeng Bol, whose four-year-old daughter Akuol survived cholera, now serve as hygiene promoters, spreading knowledge and strengthening their community.

WaterStep is calling on international donors and partners to recognize the urgency – and the opportunity – this success story represents. Scalable, sustainable, high impact and locally led interventions are not just possible; they’re essential. Support WaterStep to reach the next community before the next outbreak hits.

ABOUT WATERSTEP
WaterStep is a U.S.-based INGO that focuses on sustainable solutions to the world’s WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) crisis. Since 1995, WaterStep has evolved from a small service organization to a global leader in safe water technology and innovation.

WaterStep has developed simple tools, patented technology, and effective training to empower people and communities to solve their own water and sanitation needs. We provide expert solutions for places where infrastructure is fragile and execution challenges are particularly difficult, especially in slums, rural villages, and in communities responding to natural and manmade disasters. We teach people how to use salt, nearly any source of water, and a 12v power source to make safe drinking water for the long term.

WaterStep’s WASHUp program combines safe water and disinfectant technology, and health and hygiene education because safe water in a dirty cup is no longer safe, and dirty hands spread disease. Our disaster relief program offers scalable safe water and disinfectant access during disasters because no one should have to worry about whether their water is safe during an emergency.

For more information, to become a global ambassador or to get involved, visit www.waterstep.org. For interview requests or partnership opportunities contact Kristina Goetz, VP of Global Content at WaterStep, by phone on WhatsApp +1 917 684 9814 or by email at kristina.goetz@waterstep.org

###

Jennifer Carver
WaterStep
+15025835935 ext.
email us here