Abundant Water empowers individuals and communities in Laos, Timor Leste, and the Philippines, to secure their own sustainable access to safe water using filter systems. Working in remote rural areas, they train locals and vendors to launch scalable micro-businesses as part of their social business model, ensuring communities have a clean water supply into the future.
Background
Abundant Water pride themselves as leaders in WASH social business programs. They bring years of experience in designing and implementing WASH programs. First constituted in 2009, they started their work in Laos. In 2018 the organisation instituted in Timor-Leste. Their third program in the Philippines will be operational by the end of 2022.
Their Mission
Abundant Water delivers health and hygiene benefits by using the power of social business to design and develop sustainable and scalable clean drinking water projects.
They empower individuals and communities to secure their own sustainable access to safe water. Working in remote rural areas, they train local potters and vendors to launch scalable micro-businesses as part of their social business model, with the aim of ensuring their communities have a supply of clean water into the future. Their vision is for a global network of sustainable social businesses effecting change by providing clean water to remote communities.
Context
According to the World Health Organisation, 844 million people globally lack a basic drinking water service, and 1.8 billion people use a contaminated water service. In the three countries of operation; Laos, Timor-Leste and the Philippines, water supply in both urban and rural areas is often unreliable, contaminated with bacteria or difficult to access.
This places an unnecessary burden on the population through poor health and malnutrition, as well as inefficient, environmentally damaging, and time-consuming purification techniques, predominately using firewood to boil water. Children are particularly vulnerable and susceptible to the waterborne illnesses associated with drinking contaminated water, whilst women bear the burden of looking after sick children,collecting firewood and purifying water, all of which significantly limits the time women have available for other activities, including income generating activities.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Throughout their work they actively focus on and support the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
5 – Gender Equality
6 -Clean Water and Sanitation
13 – Climate Action.
Through the distribution of water filters, they are providing access to safe drinking water in remote and rural areas that lack any other viable options.
The Social Business Model
The Abundant Water social business model revolves around providing cheap yet highly effective water filters through an established filter vendor network in the poorest rural and remote parts of the Asia-Pacific region.
How Does their Social Business Model Work?
1. Identifying Areas
Abundant Water staff begin by scoping out villages where there is a need for water filters and an appetite for change. They work with local partner organisations in country to approach villages and select any villagers that have a natural entrepreneurial spirit.
2. Train Vendors
With their partners, they then train the men and women to become water filter ‘vendors’ or with sales skills.
They train them in business and management so they can run their own water filter micro-businesses. The businesses then sell filters to their local communities, which are in need of safe water.
3. Vendors Sell in Their Community
These vendors buy Abundant Water filters at cost price and go out to sell them in their villages using their local connections and knowledge.
For every sale they make, the vendor takes home a commission, earning themselves an income to support their children in school, buy food, make home improvements, and invest in buying more filters to keep their business growing.
4. Vendors Develop Continuous Work
These vendors become a point of contact in their community for filter maintenance, repair and replacements, ensuring that the water filter solution is sustainable long-term, providing lasting benefits to families and communities.
STEPS TO FUNDING ABUNDANT WATER PROJECTS
If you like Abundant Water’s solutions and want to find out more about supporting these water projects:
1. Look at the Abundant Water Website to understand how their approach is unique.
2. Check the charity registration details on the Australian Charities Registration link and make sure registration is in order and up to date.
3. Check charity ABN registration and DGR tax deduction status on the Australian Taxation Office link below.
4. Contact Stuart Forsyth by telephone or email at communications@abundantwater.org and discuss the following:
4a. Mention that you found their details on this Water Charity Research website.
4b. Confirm what your donation can specifically go towards.
4c. Confirm the payment method and options. (A Bank transfer is usually the preferred method, as it elimates transfer charges)
4d. Confirm timeframe of the project.
4e. Confirm what communication you will receive at the different stages of the project.
5. Confirm that you are happy with the organisation based on our Nine Core Strengths of A Good Water Charity.
6. Organise payment.
