© Kitty Terwolbeck

In the first months of 2016, we are already planning many visits to ‘our’ seven countries. In 2015, we decided our focus for 2016 should be on filling our pipeline with more and higher quality proposals. In some countries, this means we have to step up our presence and our support.
Want to know where to find us in the coming months? Check out our schedule below. If you would like more information about our visits, or would like to schedule an appointment while we are there, email us at info@viawater.nl

The first visit that has been scheduled is actually happening right now, in Benin. Titia Wouters, VIA Water’s Programme Manager, is there to introduce the programme to those who might not know us yet, and to renew old contacts. This event can be seen as the start of a series: those who already have an idea can submit their teaser to us before March 14th. Their ideas will be reviewed, and the brightest ones will be invited to join an accelerator in April. Please read the PDF announcement below (in French) for more information about the conditions, and on how to apply.

In Mali, our last visit in September already resulted in a dozen teasers. Here as well, we are striving towards organising an accelerator around April, with the same kind of outline as our Benin accelerator. More information will follow.

Also in February, Fund Manager Dick Bouman will be travelling to Kenya to be present at the AFWA and Sankalp conferences. He will also try to squeeze in some project visits in his tight schedule.

In March, Programme Coordinator and Knowledge Manager Willemijn Nagel will be visiting Mozambique. In December, a Mozambique Knock Out Competition started, in which participants work on improving their own ideas in a series of workshops. In March, the final workshop – and XXL version – will be held, in which the best proposals left will finalise their ideas. Hopefully all of which will be leading towards actual projects! You can read about the previous workshop in this blog by Návia Matsinhe of SNV.

Willemijn will also be travelling to Ghana, in April. Barnabas Apom, newly appointed water liaison at the Ghana Netherlands Business and Culture Council (GNBCC) will be coordinating her visit, which will be focused on introducing the programme to even more people, and on renewing contact with people that we have already met and/or have already sent in proposals.

For the rest of the year, we have already made plans to visit Mozambique and Ghana in the summer months, we are planning on hosting larger events for East and West Africa in the fall, and we are also thinking about a second Online Innovation Challenge. Hopefully we will see many of you during one of these events!