We are delighted to announce that Uttaran Communities Limited (Uttaran) is the winner of our WASH Innovation Challenge for entrepreneurs in Bangladesh.
For four weeks, twelve teams received coaching and training to transform their creative and market-based solutions into a business case.
Choosing the winner was not an easy task. All teams presented innovative, affordable solutions tackling several water and sanitation challenges in the country. Besides Uttaran, the top teams will have the opportunity to apply for Aqua for All funding up to €200,000 if they meet our eligibility criteria.
The winning solution: Affordable safe water in South West Bangladesh
Uttaran supplies safe drinking water to hard-to-reach areas in Tala, Paikgachaand Dumuriau Upazila of Sakthira and Khulna District. Water is treated in an environmentally-friendly facility and sold for half the market price. Thanks to Uttaran’s delivery at doorstep system through jar water (brought by service vans) and pipeline (collection points), low-income families can access safe water. This contributes to reducing time spent by women and girls to fetch water and the need to boil water. Uttaran wants to expand pipelines to five more villages and establish water packaging plans to reach out to 65,000 of people by late 2023.
Promising water and sanitation solutions for low-income families
We also want to give special attention to the two runners-up: water service provider Her Harvest Agro Ltd. and sanitation enterprise AKYAS sanitation.
- Her Harvest AgroIndustries Ltd. offers pay-as-you-go safe drinking rain water under the brand “Raindrop” to extremely poor households in coastal areas in Bangladesh. The company distributes water through community water points that are run by female microentrepreneurs.
- AKYAS Sanitation provides a unique safe sanitation solution that is flood-proof and hygienic. The company’s portable wastewater treatment plant in a bag does not require any special infrastructure or costly, risky desludging procedures.
We want to thank all teams participating in the WASH Innovation Challenge and our partners Bopinc, YY Ventures and GSMA for facilitating the Challenge and providing guidance to the teams.
For more information, please contact us at: info@aquaforall.org