Source: LUCHA - Goma

Short-term goal: Kivu Purified Water (KPW) will treat Lake Kivu's fresh water and distribute it through a network of water tanks in Goma. In addition KPW will package water in 5 gallon containers to sell in Goma, Gisenyi and beyond.

Long-term objective: KPW will become a Private Utility Company that treats and supplies clean drinkable water for domestic and industrial use in Goma.

KIVU’s success will be based on three economic advantages:

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HOUSEHOLD FINANCIAL SAVINGS

Household savings will be achieved by saving money previously spent on the domestic energy required to boil water. On average a typical family of 5.0 uses about 620kgs of charcoal per year, or one bag of charcoal weighing ~50kgs per month.

For this family size, a minimum of ten litters of treated water per week is needed at a cost of .32US cents or $1.28 per month, roughly 12 percent of total annual charcoal use. Applying the savings of charcoal to the price of water at ($2) per 5-gallon container, these households would save approximately 30% on every purchase per week.

As with most domestic chores, supplying family water is a highly gendered activity. Relieving women of this responsibility will free them to contribute to the collective good.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

KPW will measure the community impact by monitoring yearly percentage reduction per household in terms of health clinic visits and school performance for children.

Increased productivity as family members would have more time for income generating activities thus creating new household economic gains. This time-saving is quantified as a measure of how much time women spend daily on water collection and many risks to their safety.

WOMEN & YOUTH EMPOWERMENT will be achieved through the following objectives:

(i) Improving human endowments – health, education, and social protection;

(ii) Priority for women to own and operate our water franchise;
(iii) Enhancing women’s ability to care for households in a sustainable way.

FOCUS ON THE CONSUMERS

KPW will eliminate existing market barriers to access clean drinking water by loaning the bottle and water dispenser [Left] at NO COST provided that customers purchase a minimum of one 5-gallon bottle per week.

Existing water companies that offer 18.9L (5-gallon packaging) all charge an average of $13 for the initial purchase and $2 for each refill. The costs to acquire the bottle and dispenser are prohibitively expensive and lack of financing for low-income households make it impossible to have access to clean drinking water.

We are doing that by providing products that are simple to use, practical and intuitive for end-users. We believe by offering customers products that offer multiple functions, is simply the right thing to do.