The Stone Family Foundation Awards Safe Water Network $1.5m Three-year Grant
The UK Charitable Trust, The Stone Family Foundation, has awarded Safe Water Network a three-year grant in support of our Ghana expansion program. The expansion program features launching an additional 36 Safe Water Stations, providing affordable safe water access for 200,000 more people.
This Ghana expansion is part of a larger ‘Pathway to Scale’ initiative which includes demonstrating the viability of our market-based model at credible scale, while at the same time, refining and standardizing the model to lower costs and simplify operations for ease of replication. The Stone Family Foundation award will also help us document this work and disseminate it through our various publications and events.
“We see Safe Water Network as a perfect fit with the Foundation’s mission to promote entrepreneurial market based approaches in WASH,” says John Stone, founder of the Foundation. “Their Safe Water Stations are exceptionally well run and we’re impressed by the commitment to learning and working with local partners to deliver long term solutions. We’re delighted to be supporting Safe Water Network to refine its model and replicate this across Ghana.”
Ghana Background
Safe Water Network’s Accra-based operations began in 2009, comprised of a strong, passionate team of health professionals, engineers, development and financial experts. The group has established productive relationships with government at the national, regional and community levels and to date has helped increase access to safe water for 44 communities and nearly 100,000 people.
Safe Water Network’s Annual ‘Beyond the Pipe’ Forum has also brought together water sector leaders from around the country to address the country’s water challenges. At last year’s event, two Public Private Partnership working groups were formed to address obstacles to local sustainability. Members include the World Bank, African Development Bank, national water agencies and the private sector.
Safe Water Network’s Ghana Sector Review, released in 2013 was the country’s first comprehensive analysis of market-based approaches to safe water provision.
The Stone Family Foundation joins an esteemed group of partners funding Safe Water Network’s Ghana programs including the Conrad N. Hilton Newman’s Own, Osprey and Vitol Foundations, Kosmos Energy, and BGI, LTD.
Ghana Expansion Objectives:
Building upon Safe Water Network’s success to date here in Ghana, we will continue to improve the design, construction, launch, training and support we provide communities so that we can accelerate the Build-Operate-Transfer process.
A number of innovations are already operational in the field including project management capabilities, remote monitoring, and consumer marketing programs. Enhancements are on-going and new initiatives are being tested including solar energy, a tablet-based assessment program, and the development of a field services entity which will carry a supply of spare parts and provide the on-going maintenance to ensure that the Safe Water Stations are cost-effectively serviced to provide affordable safe water for generations to come.
“We were very impressed with John’s insights when he visited our operations here,” says Charles Nimako, head of Safe Water Network’s African Operations. “We look forward to working together to get more people safe water faster and more efficiently.”