Our mission @ RAWDP is to make safe drinking water and sanitation available to marginalized households in environmentally ravaged communities in Africa. Our project drives equilibrium change by widening the distribution and accessibility of our clean water filters within record time through the training and engagement of filter entrepreneurs; all of us working together to assist households in oil producing communities in Nigeria to maximize the quality of their drinking water supplies and freeing them from the burdens of ill-health caused by human (sanitation, agriculture etc.) and industrial pollution. To effectively consolidate on the gains already made, filter artisans and micro-entrepreneurs affiliated with the project have developed a 2012 milestone that will facilitate the delivery of the target 78,000 filters by 2012 aimed at reaching unreached critical areas and achieve sustainability. In 2008 we developed the operational strategy of: “Project 78 for 78,000 filters in 2012”. This entailed the setting up of 78 local filter factories, in 78 different and well dispersed rural communities, each being headed by each of the trained 78 entrepreneurs. Each of these factories was to manufacture at least 1000 filters by the end of the set milestone end date. Under this arrangement, the 78 trained personnel were supported with already purchased tools and materials required to set up the filter factory and conveniently produce the filters in the remote rural communities. They received filter steel mold, tool box and other relevant materials in addition to other support from us, including quality standards checks that support them work over the long term. Today, with just less than 12 months to this target most of the artisans have aggressively realized an average of 50 – 60% of the target. Meeting the target balance is a challenge for the next 12 months and greatly depends on the immense generosity of our donors - kind hearted people like you.

Central in the promotion and adoption strategies is the optimization of relevant tools and approaches in community participation to engage the communities, promote household hygiene and achieve sustainability in filter use and efficiency. By doing this, we are not only achieving a sustainable cost structure but courageously capturing and managing the huge clean water needs of thousands of locals. Other key operational activities being developed for region-wide impact includes; the appointment of filter distributors in parts of the urban areas; capacity building initiatives; community participation strategies and the direct engagement and involvement of households, new partners and volunteers. The main source of financial support over this period has come from donations but possibly beyond 2012, this would come primarily from filter sales. This will be leveraged by a micro-credit scheme we are about setting up at the close of 2012. This is desired to assist our afar entrepreneurs enhance productivity in their various catchments communities. The Model is designed to safeguard the funds and revolve its reach into new areas as the project expands in the region.

Through this, these entrepreneurs  will work on targets that aims to generate reasonable incomes especially from filter sales and other related services which are vital in sustaining our ‘’burn rate’’ and aid the filter manufacturing business to flourish and achieve its optimum objective.  By so doing we hope to expand the impact of the project as well as tremendously energizing the local economy through job creation. Households give ultimate meaning to these efforts through their purchase and sustained use of the filters. The impact is enormous as it is helping thousands of households to access clean drinking water at minimal costs, and reducing cases of water borne pathogens.

http://esango.un.org/irene/?page=viewContent&nr=359&type=2&section=2

Links:

• Project on UN Best practice report page

• RAWDP artisans and enterpreneuers (DOCX)
• RAWDP team driving equilibrium change (DOCX)