Because of your important donation, the villagers of Pochampalli and Katrapalli continue to benefit from safe, affordable water. Safe Water Network continues to work with these communities so that they will successfully own and operate their system for generations to come.
Reliable access to safe water means no longer drinking from contaminated sources like local bore wells. As a result, the people of Pochampalli and Katrapalli are healthier and living more productive lives. Using safe water generates positive health impacts including a substantial decrease in diarrhea (a leading contributor to school absenteeism and child mortality) and reduced levels of fluoride, (which causes fluorosis, a debilitating disease common throughout the region). Children are no longer sick and missing school and adults now have more time to pursue work.
Water from these Safe Water Stations is provided in 20 liter iJal (meaning “my water”) branded containers. The jerry cans are specially designed for ease of carrying and also to eliminate recontamination.
Nearly 80% of all households in Pochampalli and 73% in Katrapalli regularly visit their respective Safe Water Stations. This is important for both people’s health and for the sustainability of the Station. Each station must generate sufficient revenue to cover their operating cost, while at the same time keeping the price of the water low enough so that everyone in the village can afford it.
Safe Water Network has launched 22 systems across three states in India and reached over 125,000 people. In Ghana we have 5 systems (with two more launching this month!) reaching 45,000 people. But our work goes well beyond simply building Safe Water Stations. In 2013 we continue to drive towards achieving local sustainability by focusing on the following:
With the support of Global Giving, Safe Water Network has raised $7,290 to improve water access and reduce the impact of water-borne diseases in Pochampalli and Katrapalli, two remote villages in India. We install and operate sustainable community water purification systems, namely Safe Water Stations, and promote hand washing to improve health and hygiene indicators.
In all our initiatives in India, we aim to establish access that is equitable and fair, ensuring the Stations will be sustainable over time. We train local operators, educate the community on the safe handling of water, and facilitate funding to advance local ownership, so that the community is fully invested in their success.
Update: Merck Fellows have officially joined Safe Water Network for a three-month in-the-field engagement as part of our three-year India initiative announced earlier this year.
Safe Water Network's partnership with Merck includes adding a dozen sites to existing field projects in Andhra Pradesh, India, where Safe Water Network already provides nearly 50,000 people access to clean water. The additional systems will make safe water access available to another 20,000 - 30,000 people. The joint initiative will draw on Merck's consumer marketing, operational and health expertise to establish a fact-based approach to improving demand generation programs. The objective is to accelerate adoption rates and increase daily customer counts and household consumption levels by improving awareness of the importance of clean water and hygiene. We will test and refine messaging to optimize communication. Merck Fellows play an essential role in these efforts.
The Merck Fellowship program provides Merck employees the opportunity to utilize their expertise and make an impact at the local level. It is also an important career development opportunity, providing valuable experience for the participants.
With the support of GlobalGiving, Safe Water Network has raised $7,245 to improve water access and reduce the impact of water-borne diseases in Pochampalli and Katrapalli, two remote villages in India. We install and operate sustainable community water purification systems, namely Safe Water Stations, and promote hand washing to improve health and hygiene indicators.
In all our initiatives in India, we aim to establish access that is equitable and fair, ensuring the Stations will be sustainable over time. We train local operators, educate the community on the safe handling of water, and facilitate funding to advance local ownership, so that the community is fully invested in their success.
Update: Safe Water Network and Merck launch a 3-year partnership to increase awareness of the importance of safe water and hygiene to drive behavior change in India
Earlier this year, on World Water Day 2012, Safe Water Network and Merck announced a 3-year, $1.5 million collaboration to address India’s current safe water and sanitation challenges. The join effort will draw on Safe Water Network’s field experience in India, which already provides nearly 40,000 people with access to clean water. We will implement 8-12 new Stations and launch Demand Generation packages, which are designed to accelerate healthy behavior change and increase uptake of our services. The packages will be evaluated for effectiveness in increasing safe water adoption and potential to be replicated. In general, our initiatives will be measured for cost-effectiveness and health impact in the community, to identify the most beneficial package. In addition, we will be welcoming 4-5 new Merck employee volunteers, or Fellows, who will bring significant expertise in health, research design, and demand generation to the table.
Our recent findings from the field show that all 16 of our operating Stations in India are successfully generating enough revenue to meet operating costs. They are also recovering capital costs, but each at a different pace and sometimes in an irregular pattern. Our intention with these demand generation packages and evaluations is to increase adoption and utilization by household, thereby improving sustainability and financial viability of the Stations.
