Water is one of the resources vital to the survival of humanity, and access to it is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. Yet nearly 800m people around the world--half of them in Africa--still do not have access to a source of drinking water close to their homes. Faced with this humanitarian crisis, Gwen Tchoungui, Louis Haas and Flavie Rougier founded the What Water association three years ago, with the mission of guaranteeing sustainable access to drinking water for the most vulnerable communities on the African continent.
To achieve this, What Water relies on a team of around 15 volunteers, aged between 25 and 40, based in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Luxembourg, where the organisation was founded. In Luxembourg, Maritime Cluster manager Axelle Salvage oversees local operations. “I was looking for something to do with my free time,” she says. “I joined the association because water is an issue that particularly affects me, in connection with my job in the blue economy, but also for its artistic aspect, as I am passionate about painting.”
To fund its projects, What Water has developed a model combining individual donations, sponsorships with companies such as KPMG, A&O Shearman and Now Partners, and the sale of works of art. Art sales account for 30% of the organisation’s income. What Water raises funds at gala events, which are then shared equally: 50% for the artists and 50% to fund projects in the field. The latest gala, held on 21 September in Atlanta, raised $300,000.
Nine water points that serve 10,000 people per day
Thanks to this funding, the organisation has been able to install nine water points in Cameroon since it was founded, providing 260,000 people with access to drinking water. “Access to water is a major challenge for the whole of Central and West Africa,” says the director. But why choose Cameroon as a starting point? “We had to start somewhere. As our chairman is Franco-Cameroonian, we chose to start where we had the best local connections,” she explains.
One of the flagship projects is in Mengueme, where a water tower has been installed at the village school. “Hundreds of children can now access water directly in the playground, whereas before they had to walk 20 to 30 minutes to get it,” says Salvage. “Seeing the smiles on these children’s faces motivates us to do even more.”
In Foumban, What Water has innovated by equipping a communal cultural centre with an infrastructure integrated into the building, thus avoiding the construction of a water tower. Taps have also been installed in the courtyard so that the population has access and can come and draw water. “This is the first time we’ve designed a structure of this type,” explains the volunteer.
Each project carried out by What Water is financed equally by the association and the beneficiary municipalities. Thanks to the signing of an agreement with the Fonds spécial d’équipement et d’intervention intercommunal (Feicom) in September, municipalities can benefit from an 85% subsidy for any solar-powered water tower project carried out with the Luxembourg organisation.
8m people by 2030
At the same time, What Water is raising public awareness of water issues. The group is currently working with around a hundred pupils from the European School as part of their art classes. Luxembourg artists are taking part in these workshops to raise awareness among the younger generation. “We’re delighted with this local partnership, as it’s essential for us to tackle this subject here, given that we’re a Luxembourg organisation,” says the director.
Over the next 12 months, What Water plans to build ten new water towers and expand its activities in Gabon. “Of course, we hope to go further,” says the 20-year-old. The association also wants to digitise its infrastructure to ensure that it lasts. “We are working with Koosmik, a Luxembourg-based company, to digitise our water towers so that they can be maintained over the long term,” explains Salvage. Digitalisation is essential to prevent these installations from becoming obsolete through lack of maintenance.
Already recognised as a public utility in Switzerland, What Water hopes to obtain NGO status in Luxembourg by mid-2025. In the longer term, this young philanthropic startup--as they like to call it--hopes to provide access to drinking water for 8m people in Africa, i.e., 1% of the 800m people who still do not have access to a source of drinking water.
This article was originally published in .