Start Date: 2013-08-15

Completion Date: 2014-12-31

Technology Used:

The 1001 fontaines model is based on the following cornerstones:
• Quality: producing high quality drinking water
• Accessibility: distributing the water at an affordable price
• Sustainability: ensuring the sustainability of the initiative though a social entrepreneurship model

The key characteristics of our initiative are described below:
• Focusing on the most vital need of providing clean drinking water.

Our project specifically addresses drinking water needs (2 litres a day per person) versus general water needs, which include drinking, cooking and cleaning (50 litres a day per person). We can, therefore, use small and flexible water treatment facilities instead of costly infrastructures.

• Relying on a simple and cost efficient technology: The treatment process used is a combination of sand filtration and UV radiation powered by solar energy (for more information on the treatment process, you may refer to the attachment). This environmental friendly process is particularly efficient and able to adapt easily to different sources of water. Once the water is produced, it is conditioned and sealed in 20L bottles delivered directly to the homes of the beneficiaries.

• Ensuring the quality of the water produced and monitoring it regularly. The quality of our water meets the highest World Health Organisation (WHO) standards and water quality is controlled on a frequent basis by the local teams, which support the village entrepreneurs.

• Guaranteeing accessibility. The price of the water produced is set in agreement with the beneficiary communities and monitored regularly to establish the right balance between affordability for the beneficiaries and the necessity for the entrepreneur to cover operating costs and earn a living. Special attention is also given to the most vulnerable to water-borne diseases, namely children under ten. Through our Sponsorship Programme, we provide clean drinking water free of charge every day to the primary schools in the villages, where we have installed a water production centre.

• Ensuring sustainability through a self-financing business model. Once a production site is operational, water sales provide enough revenues to cover all field expenses. These comprise the operators' salaries, as well as a monthly fee to a local technical platform in charge of maintenance and follow up (quality control, supply of spare parts and general assistance). This ensures that each production site is financially self-sufficient and that the overall solution is durable. We have recently launched a training academy in Cambodia to provide on-going training to entrepreneurs and enable us to scale up our deployment.

Phases:

The project will follow a 3 step process:

1) Selecting the site in partnership with the local authority representatives,

2) Setting up the station and training the operator and

3) Following up on the activity

Community Organization:

For each site implemented, we work closely with the local community and key opinion leaders in the village such as village chiefs, health professionals and school directors, who play a key role in encouraging behavioral changes.

Through the commune council, the local community is expected to participate actively in the project by identifying an operator for the station, setting the water selling price in collaboration with the local NGO and contributing to the initiative, generally in kind through providing a plot of land on which to install the water production unit.
In addition, the local authorities are also involved in the education and awareness campaigns which are implemented. They are particularly in charge of organizing group sessions with the women in the villages for example and generally promoting the initiative to the villagers.

Government Interaction:

1001 fontaines has built a strong partnership with the local authorities over the years, at the national level though the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), and at the local level through the decentralized units. In 2011 the MRD published its national strategy for rural water supply, sanitation and hygiene, stating the objective of providing access to an improved water supply to 50% of the rural population by 2015, and 100% by 2025.
This strategy also set a number of objectives with which 1001 fontaines’ approach is aligned, including sustainability, demand-responsive approach, community-based management, cost sharing or accountability. Provincial Departments of Rural Development actively take part in the process of selecting intervention areas. . This ensures greater ownership and appropriation of the project as well as compliance with national development policies.
The first Memorandum of Understanding between the MRD and Teuk Saat, the local NGO in charge of the implementation of the project, was signed in 2008 and renewed in 2012 and regular meetings take place between representatives of both organizations to monitor the project’s advancement.

Ancillary activities:

Several activities are undertaken in addition to the setting up of the 1001 fontaines stations.
Firstly, a vocational training program – the Academy for Social Entrepreneurs – was set up in 2012 with the support of the Accenture Foundation, to assist the operators in developing their entrepreneurial skills. Indeed, the ability of each operator to develop his/her business is key to achieving and increasing the impact of the project. This program is organized around workshops (to stimulate exchange between operators), and individual coaching sessions on site (to adapt to each operator’s learning curve). The program is now compulsory for all new operators recruited.
Secondly, sponsorship programs are set up in each village where a station is implemented. These programs aim at providing water free of charge to children at school. Launched once the operators reach the break-even point, they are entirely funded by donations and are crucial to ensuring that children, who are the most vulnerable to water-borne diseases, can drink safe water every day.

Other Issues: