Global Social Impact Initiative
Viva con Agua is a Germany rooted network of social enterprise and NGOs, active in the field of providing safe drinking water and sanitation projects in Africa and Asia. It has won a price at the "German Sustainability Award 2023". The following answers have been gathered through an interview with Co-Founder Michael Fritz.
1. What problem do you tackle?
More than 700 million people do not have access to clean drinking water. But water is life, therefor every person on this planet should have access to it. To provide “Water for all” we also have to support sanitation and hygiene issues. With regards to sanitation, around 1,5 billion people do not have access to sanitation, nearly 2 billion people lack access to hygiene facilities.
2. What is your approach?
Viva con Agua is a diverse network of NGOs and social enterprises, providing safe drinking water to people in Africa and Asia. In more than 10 countries we team up with other organizations and initiate water projects such as the construction of wells, using fog nets and supporting sanitation. Furthermore, we provide training and education with regards to water, sanitation and hygiene. To make all this happen, we are not only reliant on donations but also seek new ways to raise funds for social impact. For example, we use our Viva con Agua mineral water in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to gain money for our projects.
3. How many people do you employ?
We are a big family with teams in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Uganda, South Africa. For example, there are around 20 people working for Viva con Agua Uganda.
4. How much money do you need to solve the problem in the country you operate? (estimate)
We are active in several countries. In Uganda, we have 45 million inhabitants with about 60% lacking access to save drinking water. In Northern Uganda, we reach around 45.000 people with our “One WASH” project and fund the project with at least 1,4 million Euro. The construction of one well costs about 1.000 Euros and serves water for about 10.000 people, thus to scale up nationally would require a funding of roughly 270 million euros.
5. How much time would it take and what other ressources would be required?
To build up an infrastructure of wells in Uganda would mean enormous efforts and it is hard to quantify how much time this would take. We firmly believe, it’s possible to live in a world with everyone having access to clean drinking water. Because water is a human right. At the same time, climate change is challenging the progress already being made. Providing water for everyone is part of the Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations want to reach until 2030. But we need to double the effort to make “Water is a human right” become reality.
6. What would be the next steps, if you got the money for solving it nationally?
We would construct the wells as quickly as possible. Water is a global issue. We are following the idea of “Leave no one behind”. Therefor we focus on providing clean drinking water in regions where it is much needed. At the same time, water needs climate protection to be sustainably accessible on a long term basis.
7. Contact information:
Michael Fritz: m.fritz@vivaconagua.org
Website: https://www.vivaconagua.org/en/
1. What problem do you tackle?
More than 700 million people do not have access to clean drinking water. But water is life, therefor every person on this planet should have access to it. To provide “Water for all” we also have to support sanitation and hygiene issues. With regards to sanitation, around 1,5 billion people do not have access to sanitation, nearly 2 billion people lack access to hygiene facilities.
2. What is your approach?
Viva con Agua is a diverse network of NGOs and social enterprises, providing safe drinking water to people in Africa and Asia. In more than 10 countries we team up with other organizations and initiate water projects such as the construction of wells, using fog nets and supporting sanitation. Furthermore, we provide training and education with regards to water, sanitation and hygiene. To make all this happen, we are not only reliant on donations but also seek new ways to raise funds for social impact. For example, we use our Viva con Agua mineral water in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to gain money for our projects.
3. How many people do you employ?
We are a big family with teams in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Uganda, South Africa. For example, there are around 20 people working for Viva con Agua Uganda.
4. How much money do you need to solve the problem in the country you operate? (estimate)
We are active in several countries. In Uganda, we have 45 million inhabitants with about 60% lacking access to save drinking water. In Northern Uganda, we reach around 45.000 people with our “One WASH” project and fund the project with at least 1,4 million Euro. The construction of one well costs about 1.000 Euros and serves water for about 10.000 people, thus to scale up nationally would require a funding of roughly 270 million euros.
5. How much time would it take and what other ressources would be required?
To build up an infrastructure of wells in Uganda would mean enormous efforts and it is hard to quantify how much time this would take. We firmly believe, it’s possible to live in a world with everyone having access to clean drinking water. Because water is a human right. At the same time, climate change is challenging the progress already being made. Providing water for everyone is part of the Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations want to reach until 2030. But we need to double the effort to make “Water is a human right” become reality.
6. What would be the next steps, if you got the money for solving it nationally?
We would construct the wells as quickly as possible. Water is a global issue. We are following the idea of “Leave no one behind”. Therefor we focus on providing clean drinking water in regions where it is much needed. At the same time, water needs climate protection to be sustainably accessible on a long term basis.
7. Contact information:
Michael Fritz: m.fritz@vivaconagua.org
Website: https://www.vivaconagua.org/en/
