Three Young Water Fellows funded to help fight COVID-19
Thanks to generous funding from the International WaterCentre Alumni Network (IWCAN), three Young Water Fellows were selected to implement projects responding to the threat of Covid-19 in their community. The Fellows selected were Everlyne Nabakka and Patricia Rhoda Nekesa from Uganda and John Tumaini from Kenya. Despite the challenging times that COVID-19 has thrown upon many enterprises, our 2019 Global Young Water Fellow Everlyne Nabakka and partner Daniel Kimbugwe turned a challenge into an opportunity. While Eve’s YWF project usually produces ecological and reusable sanitary pads, she temporarily re-purposed her workshop to produce face masks. In two months, her social enterprise EcoSanitary Uganda successfully manufactured and distributed 2,000 re-usable masks to vulnerable communities, health facilities and key local government departments whilst also contributing to improved hygiene...
COVID-19 Crowdfunding Campaign: initiatives and updates
We want to say a big thank you to the many contributors who helped us reach our goal of €6,600, great job! Special thanks go to BOSAQ and Rotary Club Wavre-Europe for their very generous donations. Through the initiatives described below, the campaign provided an opportunity for youth-led social businesses to stay operational and impactful during these difficult times. Their work has helped restrict the spread of the virus by promoting safe hygiene and supporting vulnerable communities with little or no access to handwashing facilities and protective wear. Thanks to the funds raised, four Young Water Fellows - Nuha Anfaresi (Indonesia), Jenifer Colpas (Colombia), Baseka Saidi (Burundi) and Christopher Sunday (Uganda) - have re-purposed their social...
YWF Côte d’Ivoire 2020 training in Abidjan
From 14th to 27th September 2020, ten dynamic young entrepreneurs participated in the training component of the Young Water Fellowship Côte d’Ivoire. The two-week training on social entrepreneurship in the WASH sector was delivered in partnership with cewas and Incub’Ivoir at a glorious location near Abidjan. The first week of training focused on identifying the WASH problems to be tackled, adapting the entrepreneurs’ solutions accordingly and honing their long-term business plans so as be as self-sufficient and impactful as possible. The second week of training concentrated on the financial management of their social enterprises and planning for their pilot projects. The programme concluded with a...
E-Hackathon in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Informal Settlements in Latin America and the Caribbean: updates and winners
On 11th and 12th September 2020, 120 young entrepreneurs from Latin America and the Caribbean - divided in 30 teams - participated in the E-Hackathon in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Informal Settlements in Latin America, organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), in collaboration with cewas and Young Water Solutions. During day one, the participants worked on defining the problem to be addressed, identified solutions and ideas to develop as well as their main costumer segments. The second day of the event focused on validating their ideas and assumptions with their costumer segments as learning how to effectively present the idea in a pitch. The young entrepreneurs developed with great effort and commitment different proposals that could contribute to sustainably solve water, sanitation and hygiene issues. These proposals were subsequently evaluated...
e-Hackathon en agua, saneamiento e higiene en asentamientos informales de América Latina y el Caribe
El Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID), junto a cewas y Young Water Solutions, invita a jóvenes innovadores latinoamericanos/as a participar de este e-Hackathon para generar emprendimientos que contribuyan a la solución de problemas de agua, saneamiento e higiene en asentamientos informales en América Latina y el Caribe. Este evento de dos días de duración (11 y 12 de septiembre de 2020) tiene como objetivo motivar a los jóvenes emprendedores de América Latina y el Caribe a generar con sus equipos ideas innovadoras en agua, saneamiento e higiene. Los grupos ganadores recibirán como premio su participación en la Edición Latinoamericana del Programa Young Water Fellowship 2021, que...
COVID-19 Crowdfunding campaign
Covid-19 and the lockdown measures have had a terrible impact on youth-led water and sanitation social businesses. We are supporting four of our Young Water Fellows as they restart operations with a new focus on tackling the spread of Covid-19. Your donation will enable Nuha, Jennifer, Saidi and Christopher to keep working during this difficult time and provide essential services to vulnerable communities with limited support in the battle against Covid-19 in four different countries. With €6,600 these entrepreneurs can benefit over 4000 people with handwashing & hygiene kits and protective wear in Indonesia, Colombia, Burundi and Uganda. See the campaign & Donate here We can...
YWF Côte d’Ivoire 2020 (FR)
Young Water Solutions et Incub'Ivoir sont ravis d'annoncer l'appel à candidatures pour le Young Water Fellowship Côte d'Ivoire 2020. Cette première édition nationale du YWF offre à 10 jeunes entrepreneur·e·s ivoirien·ne·s un programme d’accompagnement d'un an qui comprend du financement, deux semaines de formation et un programme de mentorat. Ces jeunes leaders acquerront les moyens de mener des initiatives dans leurs communautés et de créer des entreprises sociales qui s’attaquent aux différentes problématiques de l’eau, telles que : • Accès à l’eau potable • Accès aux services d’assainissement et d’hygiène • Limitation du taux d’infections du COVID-19 • ...
Mise à jour sur les éditions YWF 2020
Alors que nous célébrons trois ans depuis le lancement de la première édition du programme Young Water Fellowship, nous sommes ravis d'annoncer une nouvelle stratégie pour la Fellowship qui contribuera à accroître l'ampleur et l'impact de notre programme. Du mondial au local Alors que les trois premières éditions du YWF étaient d'envergure mondiale avec seulement quelques entrepreneurs de chaque continent sélectionnés pour chaque édition, nous allons maintenant nous concentrer sur la mise en œuvre du YWF aux niveaux régional et national au cours des prochaines années. Ces éditions nationales et régionales créeront non seulement des réseaux instantanés de jeunes entrepreneurs sociaux opérant dans un contexte commun...
Fellow Jacob Amengor from Ghana inaugurates water kiosk
2018 Young Water Fellow Jacob Amengor (Ghana) has recently completed and inaugurated the solar-powered water kiosk in Abutia Amesianyakope that he built as his pilot project for the Young Water Fellowship 2018 Global edition. Jacob is co founder of Givers Care Foundation and its iWASH Africa initiative, whose mission is to construct community-run integrated water and sanitation facilities in rural communities. His pilot project was funded by the Global Water Partnership through Young Water Solutions, and benefits 750 residents of Abutia Amesianyakope with its 10,000-litres/day borehole. Jacob is looking for new partnerships to mechanize the water kiosk (through a water ATM) and build new...
KA Zottegem visits our projects in Uganda
Students from partner school Koninklijk Atheneum Zottegem (Belgium), visited in February some of our projects in Uganda. Guided by our YWF East Africa coordinator Sheila Ruyondo, they visited the rain harvesting systems that KA Zottegem funded in two primary schools and a Health Centre in Hakibale in 2017. They also visited our 2019 Global Young Water Fellow Everlyne Nabakka and her Eco Sanitary business office in Mukono, where she is piloting her biodegradable pads made from banana stems, to improve access to menstrual hygiene, thanks to the support provided by Vivaqua. ...