bob® gives customers access to clean water.Domestic rainwater harvesting can have a huge positive impact on people's lives. It alleviates the drudgery of collecting water from distant and often polluted sources - and in some parts of the world, rainwater harvesting may actually be the only alternative for improving water supplies.
Given the variable but ubiquitous rainfall in most of the developing world, the dispersed nature of rural settlements, and challenges of serving urban areas, domestic rainwater harvesting is an ideal way of providing access to safe water directly at people's homes. |
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Relief International / EnterpriseWorks (RI/EW), with funding from a private foundation, is undertaking a 5-year learning and pilot project to determine if rainwater harvesting could be commercially promoted on a wide-scale across Uganda and regionally across Eastern Africa. RI/EW uses an enterprise approach that works with the private sector to develop the right product at the right price point, and develops a marketing and promotional strategy that can result in a sustainable supply chain.
Meet bob®, a game changer in domestic rainwater collection. bob® holds 1400 liters of clean rainwater, weighs 3.6kgs, is about the size of a large briefcase and is 58% cheaper than competing products. The rainwater bag, bob®, has been available on the open market in Uganda in East Africa, and 2,500 units have been sold in the past 2 years. Due to its success, Gyapa Enterprises has started commercializing bob® in Ghana so Ghanaians can also benefit from clean rainwater collected right at their doorstep.
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Meet Mama Lausa, a happy bob® user
“bob® is a perfect tank for people like me who don’t have enough money to build large cement tanks for collecting a lot of water at home." Mama Lausa, as she is popularly known in Katwe, Uganda, runs a small corner store providing charcoal, firewood, home made juices and teas among other things--and during the rainy season: water. However, her only access to water was from a nearby dam. In a country where most people live on less than $1 a day, she would have to spend just less than $1 a day for unclean water. This forced her to prepare her juices and teas with unclean water, hurting sales and possibly making people sick. |
After Mama Lausa purchased bob®, the domestic rainwater harvesting bag developed by Relief International’s EnterpriseWorks division, things began to change. Not only is she now able to provide clean water for her family and her business in the convenience of her home, but the extra water that bob® provides allows her to sell the surplus as extra income.
“When we have rain at least two times a week, I sell 8 jerricans (5 gallons per jerrican) of water per day at 25 cents each, giving me a total of $2 per day. Then, when we have more than a week without rain, I stop selling the extra water but instead keep it for my business,” explains Mama Lausa.
With bob® Mama Lausa was able to gain access to clean water so that her juices and teas will now be safe for her customers to drink. Also, bob® gave her the opportunity to earn extra income to help support her family. Best of all, she purchased bob® in the local market, on her own, and at a price she can afford.
“When we have rain at least two times a week, I sell 8 jerricans (5 gallons per jerrican) of water per day at 25 cents each, giving me a total of $2 per day. Then, when we have more than a week without rain, I stop selling the extra water but instead keep it for my business,” explains Mama Lausa.
With bob® Mama Lausa was able to gain access to clean water so that her juices and teas will now be safe for her customers to drink. Also, bob® gave her the opportunity to earn extra income to help support her family. Best of all, she purchased bob® in the local market, on her own, and at a price she can afford.
