Riva Global

Tettje van Daalen is a managing editor and communications professional who helps teams turn complex text into accessible language and clear, credible stories that people can act on. She believes that good writing is not decoration; it is a service. It makes decisions transparent, helps partners align, and ensures public commitments can be understood — and therefore held.

In the global effort to provide sustainable and universal water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, one truth is clear: infrastructure alone is not enough. Functioning and resilient services are delivered by systems that are made up of capable people, responsive institutions, and effective collaboration between all actors involved. 

A researcher at heart, Marieke loves working with local and national governments, non-governmental organisations, private sector and academic institutions on identifying and addressing challenges related to the provision of public services, especially water supply and sanitation. The practical application and use of research findings, information and data is central to Marieke’s work. She has supported local governments and their partners in Ghana, Ethiopia and Rwanda, in using data to develop and implement robust master plans.

Born in the leprosy mission ALERT in Ethiopia, where my father served as a doctor, I drank water with excessive levels of fluoride in my younger years — enough to leave my teeth brown and brittle, hard on the outside, soft and fragile within. This daily reminder while brushing my teeth is one of my drivers to change the system. Providing good basic services such as safe water, decent sanitation and good hygiene secures a more dignified life with white smiles and less leprosy. After all, prevention is better than a cure (apologies Dad, for not becoming a doctor!).