Examining the current model of providing water to the poor reveals several challenges:
- Outdated hand pumps that break quickly
- Lack of maintenance due to a focus on installation rather than upkeep
- Minimal water filtration (bacteria, toxins, heavy metals)
- Focus on short-term solutions, providing water but not necessarily clean water
- No comprehensive strategy, just temporary fixes
- No change in the situation – continuous dependence
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. These can be set up in under 10 minutes on-site using any existing water source. They offer complete filtration tailored to the water source, with an expected lifespan of over 25 years.
BES is now establishing scalable water plants nationwide to sell bottled water, using the profits to provide water boxes to villages that cannot afford them. Charities investing in these areas will receive a 10% annual return on their investment. BES will use these funds to build water plants, creating a source of recurring income.
Charities benefit by not spending funds on water and receiving a 10% return to support their other activities. BES gains capital to construct water plants. Residents help those in need by purchasing BES water bottles. Profits from the water plants support operations and provide for villages unable to afford water. This creates a scalable solution, as it can be expanded from city to regional levels using existing resources.
