WOW

How reliable water systems promote health, education and safety

von share
22.02.2024

Water is a fundamental right that everyone is entitled to. Yet today, one in four people live without safe drinking water. This means that more than 2 billion people worldwide do not have reliable access to sustainable water infrastructure (according to the World Health Organization, WHO, in 2022). The global community has set itself the goal of providing everyone worldwide with access to clean and affordable drinking water by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the achievement of this goal is at risk and to achieve universal access to safe drinking water by 2030, the pace of progress would need to be six times faster.

How the share principle helps

We at share are taking action against this injustice and have supported numerous drinking water projects since our founding. In these projects, we work with our partner organizations to promote the maintenance, repair and construction of wells and hand pumps. This is possible because we apply the share principle: every drink from share donates one day of access to safe drinking water and since 2023, ING's Future checking account has also been supporting our social projects, including our drinking water projects, in cooperation with share. This enables us to achieve even greater success together with our social partners. In 2023, we were able to provide an impressive 24 million days of access to safe drinking water with all of our products. This progress is only possible thanks to our committed customers, who make a valuable contribution with every purchase and every product.

One day of clean drinking water corresponds to at least 20 liters. According to the WHO, this is the minimum daily amount of water a person should have to meet basic needs such as drinking, cooking or personal hygiene.

Innovative water supply thanks to FundiFix

One of our social partners for drinking water security is FundiFix, a social enterprise from Kenya that was founded in collaboration with the University of Oxford. The FundiFix model is an innovative response to the challenge of water supply in rural areas of Kenya. One third of Kenya's population lives in absolute poverty and two thirds have no access to clean drinking water. The project supports people in the counties of Kwale and Kitui, where a total of 91 hand pumps and 24 pumping systems are maintained.

FundiFix focuses primarily on maintaining existing water infrastructure for communities, schools, clinics and other rural facilities. The infrastructure is continuously monitored to quickly resolve defects.

Innovative water supply thanks to FundiFix

Smart monitoring: water pumps with transmitter

This remote monitoring is done via transmitters attached to pump handles that monitor the movement of the pumps. The data is collected via a central server. This is crucial for detecting repairs and monitoring remote rural areas. FundiFix aims to repair any defect within three days. The average repair time is currently one day. Without the FundiFix team, the repair time can often take more than a month, if the repair is carried out at all. FundiFix's small office thus provides an important physical presence on site as a point of contact for inquiries and has many high-quality spare parts in stock. If a hand pump breaks down, any user can call the associated hotline. The FundiFix mechanics, equipped with motorcycles and tools, respond as quickly as possible to diagnose the problem and carry out the repair.

From the well to the future: How clean water strengthens communities

Clean water can make a difference to the daily lives of people in the region. Access to drinking water not only helps reduce the risk of disease, but also promotes the health and development of children. Fewer school absences are just the beginning. Reliable water access also supports the planning of agricultural activities, from livestock farming to small businesses. Women and children benefit from shorter distances to water sources by significantly reducing the time spent on their traditional tasks. This gives women the freedom to devote to other activities, while children have more time for education. The shorter distances also reduce the risk of violence on the often long distances to the nearest well. Overall, these factors significantly increase the quality of life and security in supported communities.