The WaterStarters pilot, an initiative of MegaGroup and Amref, offers private operators and communities (franchisees) in Kenya the opportunity to own and manage a successful rural water business, providing them with access to funding for the initial investment. Franchisees have to contribute at least 15% of the investment upfront, increasing their ownership and commitment. At the same time, this offers impact investors and donors an attractive, sustainable initiative to invest in.
The initiative includes groundwater scans, solar energy, pre-paid water meters, a monitoring dashboard and hygiene education. Water availability is guaranteed all year round, with a borehole downtime of maximum 3 days.
WaterStarters pools its funding and creates a portfolio of smaller and larger sized water systems to spread risks and rewards. The initiative is financed through a blended model, consisting of franchisee contributions, grants and loans. It benefits from economies of scale and lower running costs, allowing them to reach those at the bottom of the pyramid.
‘Aqua for All supports initiatives that seek to maximise the viability of rural business cases. Therefore we partner with WaterStarters to pilot this innovative WASH model in three communities in Kenya, reaching about 15,000 people, prior to scaling the approach throughout Kenya’.
Marlies Batterink, Regional Programme Manager East Africa at Aqua for All
The pilot is co-financed by FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank.
Interested? Visit www.waterstarters.org