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Happy World Water Day!

March 21, 2017

In honor of World Water Day, we’re celebrating a fantastic Field Partner who provides access to clean water, Nazava Water Filters!
In Indonesia, communities are unable to have a reliable and affordable source for their drinking water. This makes it difficult for families to stay healthy. Nazava Water Filters is one excellent social enterprise that aims to provide clean drinking water for all!
Nazava water filters are providing safe, clean drinking water to students at schools in Bali (photo: Kopernik)

Before use, Indonesian tap water must be boiled to eliminate any water-borne diseases. Unfortunately, boiling water is time consuming, costly to continually purchase wood or gas for the stove and, potentially, still unsafe to drink. Moreover, boiling water is not an environmentally sustainable practice as it releases carbon-dioxide into the air and contributes to deforestation. Alternatively, people can buy pre-filtered water from stores, although this option is expensive.
To combat inadequate water services, Nazava Water Filters supplies in-home water filters as a helpful solution. While the in-home water filter has a higher initial cost, Nazava offers loans at 0% interest to help families of all economic statuses easily access safe drinking water. This self-filtering water system is three times less expensive than boiling and nine times less expensive than buying pre-filtered water, allowing the individual to pay back the loan.
Kiva loans help Nazava customers take control of their water and focus on their family. Because of the widespread success of personal water filters, some borrowers become resellers to their community, increasing access to clean water. By utilizing community members rather than traditional third-party suppliers, Nazava is able to keep their water filter costs low while also employing community members.