Let’s examine the current model of providing water to the poor, which faces many challenges:
- Old hand pumps that break quickly
- Lack of maintenance due to focus on installation rather than upkeep
- Minimal water filtering (bacteria, toxins, heavy metals)
- Emphasis on short-term solutions, providing water but not necessarily clean water
- No comprehensive strategy, just temporary fixes
- Ongoing dependence with no change in the situation
BONDH-E-SHAMS (The Solar Water Project) – www.bondheshams.org
BES uses quickly deployable water filtration boxes that can serve a community of 5,000 to 10,000 people. They can be set up in under 10 minutes on-site and work with any existing water source. They offer full filtration tailored to that water source, with an expected lifespan of over 25 years.
BES is creating scalable water plants nationwide to sell bottled water, using profits to fund water boxes for villages that cannot afford them. Charities investing in this area receive a 10% return in a year. BES uses this investment to build water plants, generating ongoing income.
Charities benefit by not using their funds for water and gaining a 10% return for other work. BES gains capital to build water plants. Residents help by buying BES bottled water. Profits support operations and fund water for villages in need. This scalable solution can work at both city and regional levels, utilizing existing resources.
