How Healing Waters is Bringing Clean Water to People Around The World

With her hope to empower women and her passion to impact the world, Kayla Fruchtman is no stranger to helping others on a global scale — and has even created an entire career around it. As the Director of Development and Marketing for Healing Waters International and the campaign founder of The Her Initiative, Kayla works to end the Global Water Crisis by encouraging communities to make sustainable solutions and informing the people most affected by dirty water — women and children.

What did you study in college, and how has that impacted where you are right now?

I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Religion and Psychology. While studying both of these subjects, I was exposed to a lot of social justice issues and found myself really interested in why there is such injustice in the world in all forms (lack of basic human rights, sex trafficking, refugee crises) and what causes people like you and I to react to them — psychologically, spiritually, emotionally. If you can educate people on global issues in a way that both evokes empathy but also empowers them to do something about it, true change can come.

Since I was both exposed to many of these issues and also wanted to be a part of the change, I realized that I could use my voice to teach others and inspire them be a part of ending the Global Water Crisis! I have zero educational background in marketing but was passionate about a cause and realized I could use the skills I had to help more people understand the work that we do and how they can be a part of it.

Speaking of career, you’re currently the Director of Development and Marketing for Healing Waters International. Can you explain the purpose of your company?

Healing Waters International’s purpose is to end the Global Water Crisis through a holistic model that not only empowers a community but also creates a sustainable solution and brings dignity to women and children. Our water purification system can go anywhere in the world and will fit the needs of whatever community it’s serving. Each system is set up as a micro-business, and the local leaders receive business and administrative training to operate the system and build a small revenue that can go into other community-led projects. Lastly, health and hygiene education taught by local women teaches women and children (the two most vulnerable groups when it comes to any social justice issue!) basic hygiene like washing fruits and vegetables with clean water and proper handwashing. When a community is given the tools and resources they need, they are the ones who implement true, long-lasting change.

If you can educate people on global issues in a way that both evokes empathy but also empowers them to do something about it, true change can come.

What inspired you to create your campaign, The Her Initiative, and why do you believe it benefits Healing Waters International?

When I first came on board at Healing Waters, they asked me to consider how I could use my background in women’s empowerment to create something that would inspire women here to be involved. After learning more and more about how women and girls are disproportionately affected by dirty water, I knew I needed to create a campaign specifically around this subject. The Her Initiative did something no other non-profit was doing yet — creating something beautiful that women just like you and I would love to be a part of — knowing they are directly impacting the lives of thousands of other women. Over the last two years, The Her Initiative has brought in hundreds of new supporters and partners and helped us build a large following of women here supporting women there.

Tell us what a typical day at the office looks like.

My days typically look quite different depending on the day, but a normal week consists of in-office meetings with my team or my boss, our CEO Rob Anthony, face-to-face meetings with current and potential supporters, and working with Jessie on developing new campaigns and events for both Healing Waters and The Her Initiative. We’re often working on our traveling plans as well — I travel internationally to our project sites multiple times a year and around the country quite a bit meeting with our partners. The very best part of my job is that relationships are the number one priority. Spending time with the people who support our mission or building new relationships with those who want to be a part of what we are doing is so rewarding.

Women are the leaders of their communities. They bear and raise the children, care for the home, and work outside the home to provide for their families. In developing countries the water they drink is often unsafe, containing bacteria and parasites that cause constant illness. The lack of safe water has locked many women into a cycle of poverty.

What is one fact you wish more people knew about the importance of clean water?

That water truly makes or breaks a girl’s ability to live a life full of dignity and hope for her future. Girls often have to drop out of school because they are required to walk long distances to go get water. If they have the luxury to attend school, they will drop out once puberty starts because of a lack of sanitation. There are even correlations between how clean water in a community keeps issues like trafficking and child exploitation down because children aren’t left at home by themselves sick or walking long distances by themselves to fetch water — they are in a school, learning and growing and dreaming about a thriving future.

As an advocate for empowering women and with a passion for non-profit companies, how do you remain inspired?

I’m constantly inspired by the women all around the country and world who have joined our cause. From big-time influencers on social media to women who want to host a Party for Her and encourage their network of close friends to give back, these women are doing what we do best — running the world and changing it for good! We’ve seen the most creative and fun things happen — like our Fit for Her events that have popped up all over the country — raising thousands of dollars by getting a good workout in.

When things feel hard or aren’t going the way I want them to, I sometimes have to flip through photos from a recent trip and see the beautiful faces of the people we get the privilege to work with — people whose lives are now forever changed because of safe water!

When things feel hard or aren’t going the way I want them to, I sometimes have to flip through photos from a recent trip and see the beautiful faces of the people we get the privilege to work with — people whose lives are now forever changed because of safe water!

What is your favorite aspect of the neighborhood your office is located in?

Our office is located in Golden, Colorado — a suburb west of Denver. My favorite thing about the neighborhood is that it sits right at the beginning of the foothills, so you’re just five minutes away from a great after-work hike! The historic downtown of Golden is a few minutes away and feels like you’ve stepped into an old western movie. There are also some amazing breweries nearby — a Colorado favorite!

Did your career play any influence on your decision for the layout?

Yes, definitely! As far as the aesthetic and style — I wanted to feel like our offices reflected the work we did in a very inviting and sophisticated way. The incredible Gina Rachelle Design worked on this project pro-bono for us and came up with a really perfect “global-chic” plan for both the design and layout. I wanted my office to reflect The Her Initiative brand and also have enough space to let people come in to meet without feeling like they were sitting in a stuffy office.

How would you describe your design style and how is it reflected in your office?

My design style is typically more minimalistic, but that is more difficult to do in an office that needs to be worked in! I love light and bright offices, so I went with white walls and a white desk to keep it fresh. I always pick up different items from the travels I do, so I wanted to include pieces from my different travels to keep me inspired. Gina did an amazing job of helping us mix pieces from our travels with other items that some great brands donated for the space.

What tips would you give anyone who wants to style their office?

Get help! I consider myself to be somewhat good at design and styling, but having a true professional help us was a game changer. Gina and her team were so great at casting a vision, finding brands to donate product and furniture, and giving us very specific styling instructions. Her team is based in San Francisco, so everything we did together was over the phone or email and it was really fun. Gina is already a big supporter of The Her Initiative, so it was great to have one of our partners help us in another way that used their talents for good.

You must have some favorite pieces in your office. Tell us some of them and why.

Oh man, there are so many! My very favorite is a painting that my mom actually did — it’s the iconic photo from The Her Initiative website where myself and three other influencers were doing a “water walk” for the first time in the Dominican Republic. A few other favorite pieces are pillows from Alison Kent HOME — a textile designer who has a line of pillows that give back to us; hanging planters from Ten Thousand Villages, and an amazing leather chair from The Citizenry.

Do you feel like the space is finished? If not, what’s in store for the future?

I think my office will always be evolving. As someone who always likes to move things around and redecorate, I am having to make myself chill out and enjoy it for what it is. It isn’t always going to feel perfect, but it looks so much better than it did before our office makeover. I still want to paint a big piece of furniture and hang some stuff on the walls, but besides that, I love the space!

What advice would you give to your 21-year-old self?

Keep trusting your gut. I think that’s a very undervalued sentiment. The more I’ve gone with my gut, the more proud I’ve been about the decisions I’ve made.

SHOP THE HEALING WATERS’ OFFICE // PRODUCT SOURCES

Office
Ten Thousand Villages
The Citizenry
DENY Designs
Framebridge
Wayfaren
Loloi Rugs
Alison Kent HOME
Cor Signatures
Jennie Lou Art
John Azoni Art
Ramie Frantz Art

Empowering Women: How Healing Waters is Bringing Clean Water to People Around The World