We Make Impact water solution is currently benefiting over 5,000 Kenyans along the Kenyan coastal region. The project which is based in Malindi along the Galana Sabaki river has resulted in the world’s cheapest water solution for only 55 Kenyan shillings (roughly $0.55), we can get one person access to clean water for over 30 years. This is made possible by combining a few different technologies the first of which is bio sand filters which use sand and gravel to form a biological layer which is like a living organism that eats up to 99% of the bacteria that comes inside the bio sand filter.
The whole process which is done on a large scale is comprises of two underground 18,000 litre tanks which allow in creating a natural reinforcement; instead of having expensive metallic reinforcement we have a natural enforcement of the dirt all around the bio sand filter water tanks. Afterwards, the water goes through Micron filters that eliminate the viruses from the water.
“Our mission is to empower others to maximise their positive impact and as a result, we have developed what we believe is really the world’s cheapest water solution,” said Jimi Cohen, We Make Impact President.
This whole process happens in Burangi along the Sabaki river which has one of the highest cases of cholera and bilharzia in the country. Through these very cost-effective solutions, we are looking forward to scale up the process in other parts of the country so everyone gets access to cheap and clean drinking water.
In case of salty water, the water undergoes an eight-stage filtration process through micron filters which use the reverse osmosis process which includes UV light to eliminate different water contaminants.
Another reason why We Make Impact has developed the world’s cheapest water solution is because we don’t actually have administrative operational costs that are taken from donations so when someone donates, emphatically 100% of that goes directly towards the project costs themselves. In addition, we have Many Mangoes, a social enterprise nonprofit which does data, marketing and sales where by all the profits are channeled towards social impact charities.
The filters can boost water for around a dozen people (10-14 people) and they work quite well in the household level. However, we have decided to move towards community projects. We are teaching bio sand infiltration to a lot of schools on how to build these bio sand filters to really give them the skills which in turn can result to a business of producing and selling water filters.
