IWA Podcast

This October, the global water community gathered in Glasgow for the IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition, held from the 4th to the 8th. Amid the talks and the crowds, it also created an opportunity for IWA Executive Director Kala Vairavmoorthy and EVP and COO at Grundfos, Ulrik Gernow to sit down together and share their thoughts on what the IWA & Grundfos Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship means for both organisations Established in 2022, the Fellowship supports young water professionals to strengthen their leadership, build their professional capabilities and contribute to global water challenges.

WWCE 2026: Meet Kes Juskowiak, Operations Director, RSE by IWA

WWCE 2026: Meet Hadi Mokarizadeh, Chair, Young Water Professionals Canada Chapter by IWA

WWCE 2026: Meet Andy Webb, Andy Webb, UK Strategy Director , The Workdry Group by IWA

WWCE 2026: Meet Faustina Boachie IWA Gender, Diversity and Water Award Winner by IWA

WWCE 2026: Meet Valerie Naidoo, Executive Manager of Business Development and Innovations, Water Research Commission by IWA

WWCE 2026: Meet Abhishek Narayan, Young Leadership Award Winner by IWA

WWCE 2026: Meet Clarissa Brocklehurst, Global Water Award Winner by IWA

WWCE 2026: Meet Silver Mugisha, Managing Director, NWSC by IWA

IWA Youth Voices Podcast | Strengthening WASH Through Education, Innovation and Youth Leadership How do we move beyond awareness campaigns to create lasting behaviour change in WASH? In this episode of the IWA Youth Voices Podcast, host Natasha Mumba, Vice Chair of the IWA Young Water Professionals Steering Committee, speaks with Thomas DeJose, a participant in the second cohort of the IWA and Grundfos Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship and founder of WashEd. Thomas shares how the fellowship helped shape his approach to WASH education by placing local context, community ownership and youth leadership at the centre of innovation. Drawing on his work in the Philippines, he explores why sustainable behaviour change requires more than knowledge alone, highlighting the importance of enabling environments, culturally relevant education, and partnerships that empower communities. The conversation also explores the role of gamification and educational technology (EdTech) in making hygiene education engaging, memorable and scalable. Thomas discusses how WashEd combines digital learning, teacher support, locally designed infrastructure and community-centred design to help transform WASH education into lasting habits for children and families. Whether you're a young water professional, educator, researcher or practitioner, this episode offers valuable insights into designing WASH programmes that are inclusive, locally led and built for long-term impact. In this episode, you'll hear about: * Lessons from the IWA and Grundfos Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship * Why awareness alone is not enough to change hygiene behaviours * How gamification can strengthen WASH education and habit formation * The importance of community co-design and contextual solutions * What the water sector can learn from EdTech * Advice for young water professionals seeking to create lasting impact Listen now and join the conversation on how youth-led innovation is helping shape the future of water.