Basic Water Needs
Basic Water Needs
Expanding access to safe drinking water for the base of the pyramid customers.
BCTA MEMBERSHIP STATUS
Alumni
SECTOR
Water, Sanitation & Waste Management
HEADQUARTERS
Netherlands
REGION OF INITIATIVE
Africa
SDG CONTRIBUTION
Basic Water Needs, a Dutch manufacturer and marketer of household water treatment and safe storage products, is promoting sustained usage of household water treatment products. Their inclusive business initiative Safe water for coffee farmers in Tanzania reaches coffee farmers and their families who lack access to safe drinking water.
The model focuses on creating a sustainable supply chain for a household water filter where the filters are sold through local retailers and sales agents. Basic Water Needs engages BoP populations as sales agents providing them with training and livelihood opportunities as well as supports local micro-businesses as part of the value chain.
Farmers who use water filters consume clean water while also learning to store it safely to avoid contamination with waterborne diseases. The project aims to have water filters in use by 4,000 farmer families in the Kagera region in Tanzania by the end of 2018, and reach commercial scale of the filter distribution to 100,000 customers in the coming years. Additionally, the model is set to generate carbon credits from the reduced emissions of burning wood.