On the 26^th of March 2013 a number of Dutch WASH Alliance members from the Steering Committee, the Program Group, Country Leads, thematic partners and the WASH Management Unit (WAMU) came together in Hoofddorp for the Strategic Day. The aim of this day was to reflect on the success factors for cooperation in the WASH Alliance and to determine the added value of cooperation in the Alliance.

Apart from getting to know each other as there were some new faces, including myself, the day was a great way to reflect on the past years and to look at the challenges and opportunities the future might bring. In the morning, after an interactive DWA Bingo game, this was done with the help of three country cases, Nepal, Ghana and Ethiopia after which interesting indicators for success factors were determined and some conclusions on added value were drawn. In the afternoon, after a fun group exercise on team work and sustainability, there was a ‘World Café’ where a variety of issues ranging from upscaling to fundraising were discussed in small groups.

As a brand new intern at the WAMU this day was on the one hand perfect for me to get to know the organizations and many faces within the Dutch WASH Alliance, but also learn in a different (but fun!) way more about the work that is being done. By closely examining the issues and challenges on the road to 2015 and beyond I think I can speak for everyone that we have learnt a lot and have gained fresh insights and new energy.

Mirjam Cornelisse is intern at the Dutch WASH Alliance