Tulip water filter in Tamale
The project Scaling up HWTS in Ghana with an innovative Try and Buy approach is coming near its end. WIth 3 partners in Ghana and 1 partner in the Netherlands we have worked hard in the last 7 months to start a supply chain for household water filters in Ghana. We feel the pilot with an innovative 'Try and Buy' approach was successful. 600 families have been reached and more than 40 sales agents and women leaders have been trained in technical and marketing skills to supply the Tulip filters in their communities in and around Accra, Tamale and Wale Wale. The Try and Buy approach has facilitated households to get to know the principle of using a water filter in a respectful and affordable way. We have seen that successful adaptation takes place when (1) the filter can be demonstrated by a person who is fully trusted by the people, (2) when people can pay in installments, (3) when there are testimonials about the use of the filter / people who testify that the filter is working well and (4) when the filters are offered in the right season. The exact approach depends a.o. on the region, the organization and the customer segment.
Hi --
This is really interesting. The company I work for is trialing a for-profit, decentralized filtration system in Senegal allowing people to refill receptacles with filtered, affordable water from local corner stores.
We explored household filtration systems but found that a combination of sales, maintenance and customer knowledge made it difficult to ensure a viable business case + high water quality over time.
Out of curiosity, would you be willing to share:
a. Sale price of the Tulip
b. the vision for ensuring that the filter remains high quality over time ?
Many thanks in advance & congratulations !
Adam