Safe Water for the "Other Half"

Waiting on Mobile Money Transfer in Congo

Our Congo Water projects are depending upon mobile money transfer in Congo.  Initially, we plan to offer water filters, Life Straw Family and Bio-Sand, under a microcredit plan via mobile money transfer.  In the end, we would like to offer Grundfos LIFELINK or a microcredit version.

We are waiting on M-PESA to come to Congo.  Hopefully, the owners of Vodacom Congo can reach agreement soon.  If not, we hope the Vodacom Group buys out Congo Wireless Network.

Therefore, we are betting that mobile money can transform Congo!

Sustainability

How do you make a water project sustainability?

One, you have to emphasize sustainabilty from the start.  That is, design the project to be maintainable and sustainable.  Train staff members to repair project components.

Two, you have to make sustainability profitable.  That is, plan a maintenance phase for the project. Program funds for maintenance from the beginning through withholding a sustainability and maintenance fund.  And get the users paying early. 

via www.rotary.org

Sustainability is critical to a successful water project. 

Ron Denham, chair of the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group, says the nonprofit world is becoming more aware of that fact. Sustainability means not only securing local support for a water project but also making sure the community can keep it going, he explains.

"The number of nonfunctioning wells in the world is mind-boggling," says Denham. "Rotarians and water agencies are becoming increasingly sensitive to local needs, local capacity, and the local ability to make things happen."