Why we Funded Water for Good

Water for Good’s mission is to tackle water poverty in one of the world's most forgotten countries, the Central African Republic (CAR). Their goal is clean, lasting water for every man, woman, and child in CAR. They develop and incubate local private sector water service providers that can operate at scale and partner with the government and humanitarian sectors.

Water for Good has drilled over 700 new wells and rehabilitated over 900 water points in the Central African Republic. 

In addition, Water for Good's local technicians provide preventative maintenance services at scale, reaching 1,800 rural water points (handpumps) serving over 600,000 people, and covering a geographic area the size of Uganda, all monitored through electronic reporting.  Their maintenance program on average results in 90% functionality. By contrast, expected functionality in a fragile state context is typically 40-60%.  That is impressive!

They have demonstrated that maintenance is a cost-effective solution to the widescale problem of low functionality: all-in, a year of handpump maintenance costs ~$300 per pump, compared to over $15,000 for a new well with a handpump.

We like their market-based approach even if it does not cover all costs. Plus, their focus on efficiency, scale, and learning is refreshing in the NGO sector. Bertzman’s grant will provide safe water for one year to approximately 10,000 people.