Netcentric Campaigns Fellowship Spotlight: Ben Agbemor’s Journey to Community-Centered WASH Sustainability

At Netcentric Campaigns, we believe that meaningful change happens through strong networks, local leadership, and sustained engagement. That’s why our fellowship program invests in individuals who are not only committed to their causes, but also open to exploring new ways of thinking, connecting, and working across systems. In this spotlight series, we’re highlighting the journeys of our fellows—emerging leaders who are applying network-based strategies to advance impact in their communities.

Today, we’re proud to shine a light on Ben Agbemor, one of our fellows whose work in the WASH sector (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) has been both reflective and forward-thinking. Through his time in the fellowship, he discovered new approaches to network-building and problem-solving that challenged some of the sector’s long-held assumptions. Below, he reflects on how this experience helped reshape his thinking and practice.

Rethinking Sustainability with a Customer Service Mindset

I’m Ben Agbemor, a Netcentric Campaigns Fellow.

For much of my professional life, I have worked within the water and sanitation sector, which clearly values sustainability. We talk about the importance of systems thinking and life-cycle approaches. We emphasize the need for post-construction support. We expect Facility Management Plans from communities. We acknowledge that infrastructure will age, but these should not necessarily affect functionality if we follow the required operations, maintenance, and replacement protocols. We hope our WASH facilities deliver services that last.

But in practice, these principles and expectations are often diluted and applied unevenly. This is not due to a lack of knowledge about the end goal, but rather a gap in how to achieve it.

Typically, once a facility is commissioned, responsibility for operations and maintenance falls on community-based groups with support from local governments. There is an unspoken assumption that the facilities will become sustainable because they are community-owned and operated. As practitioners, we often disengage after commissioning and the completion of project reports. We rarely test the robustness of ongoing support systems or sufficiently equip service users with knowledge of what to do when things go wrong. Post-construction support and accountability mechanisms are typically effective immediately after commissioning but frequently deteriorate as funding priorities shift and staff turnover occurs. This has been a longstanding pattern in development practice. WASH systems with a design lifespan of decades often stop working just a few years after completion. In response, we conduct diagnostic surveys, appeal to donors, and bundle new rounds of funding into big-budget rehabilitation efforts. Communities experience short-term relief, but the same breakdowns reoccur. Too often, we’re addressing failure with the same mindset that created the problem.

My fellowship with Netcentric Campaigns has given me a new perspective about the sustainability of WASH services in developing countries. Many of the communal WASH systems that fail could have been quickly fixed, and at a lower cost, if we had a functional customer service system. What stood out to me most was the way Netcentric Campaigns approached this challenge—not just as a technical fix, but as an ongoing network-building strategy. The WashDesk model isn’t about installing hardware; it’s about creating infrastructure for communication, accountability, and shared power between communities and service providers. That shift, from delivering WASH facilities to enabling the connections that deliver reliable services, was transformative.

The WashDesk approach developed by Netcentric Campaigns completes the WASH delivery cycle by transforming one-time projects into sustainable service relationships. As part of my fellowship, I worked with local service providers in Ghana to bring this model to life. I contributed to setting up a region-wide toll-free number and SMS short code system that enables communities to communicate with their service authorities in real-time. I worked with local government staff at the district, municipal, and regional levels to plan outreach programs, recruit network members, and provide training on WashDesk and networked customer services. I worked with colleagues and other partners to review WASH complaints, track their resolutions, and build capacities in areas where improvements were needed. We observed with interest as our WASH literacy campaigns, including radio broadcasts and community engagement, began to yield dividends. Community members were not only gaining confidence to call and report issues, but they were also starting to demand accountability about how their water user fees were being managed. Some even began asking specific questions about proper water storage and treatment practices.

There are many points of reflection during my fellowship with Netcentric Campaigns. The first is how we speak the language of sustainability, but without a clear service mindset and structures to achieve it. Communities may not know who to call when they have problems. They often have little faith that anyone would respond even if they did complain. As a result, minor problems become big issues. Communities go silent because they no longer believe solutions can be just a phone call away. The WashDesk approach creates a system that addresses this challenge. It maintains a process that keeps affected communities and potential problem-solvers engaged. It helps restore trust and encourages ongoing participation. These are essential ingredients in any sustainable solution.

For too long, I have been part of a sector that celebrates project completion outputs. We count success in the number of boreholes drilled, the kilometers of pipe laid, and the overall coverage of our WASH systems based on design standards. Despite our growing rhetoric about sustainability as a sector, our actual track record of maintaining functional systems over time remains dismally poor. After experiencing how Netcentric Campaigns supports local leaders and strengthens communication loops through networked approaches, I see my role as a steward of systems and a champion of WASH customer services. I see myself as someone who must stay connected, support feedback loops, and help communities feel heard. What if we revolutionized our definition of success in the WASH sector? I keep asking myself.

Another valuable lesson was seeing how the WashDesk model works within local government structures in the Ahafo Region of Ghana. Instead of creating parallel systems, Netcentric Campaigns aligns its work with district WASH teams. It supports local planning and builds capacity from the inside.

The fellowship didn’t change what I believe about the importance of systems thinking in sustainable WASH delivery. Instead, it gave me the tools and mindset to act more effectively on those beliefs. Sustainability isn’t just about building structures; it’s about maintaining relationships—with communities, service users, and service authorities. In the WASH sector, this can start with approaching projects through a customer service lens.

Participating in this fellowship gave me new clarity about the kind of advocate I want to be. It was a valuable experience, and I would encourage others in the development space to explore the power of networks and stay open to rethinking old assumptions.

Ben’s reflections highlight the importance of staying connected to the communities we serve and being willing to rethink how impact is sustained over time. His story is a reminder that when local voices are heard—and supported—real, lasting solutions can take root. At Netcentric Campaigns, we are proud to support leaders like Ben who are reimagining their roles and working alongside communities to build stronger, more resilient systems.

If you’re curious about the Netcentric Campaigns Fellowship or want to learn more about our network-building approach, we invite you to explore our fellowship program or get in touch.