Hydrologic is a social enterprise who distribute effective and affordable ceramic water purifiers to rural Cambodian families. The ceramic filters are locally produced by mixing clay with rice husks that are pressed in a pot shape. After the clay is fired the rice husks burn away leaving small pores less than 0.2 µm. The filter is coated with colloidal silver. Water that is poured in the pot, is filtered and thereby removed from pathogens and turbidity. With a flow rate of 2-3 litres per hour you get clean and safe drinking water!
Most inspiring about the success story of Hydrologic is that they treat the poor as customers instead of beneficiaries. They designed an aspirational filter called the Super Rabbit, that people can afford via micro-finance. In the development sector this paradigm shift is really needed; moving from ‘heavily subsidised products for the poor’ towards ‘aspirational products that people desire’. Who wants to be labelled as poor?
Wondering Nomads 