Christelle Kwizera, a young Rwandan entrepreneur, aims to supply 30 districts in Rwanda with drinking water by 2022, through her start-up Water Access Rwanda created in 2014. To achieve the goal, the young company will install water filtering devices in several localities in the country.
Clean water for consumption could be available in 30 districts of Rwanda within two years. Christelle Kwizera, a young Rwandan entrepreneur, plans to equip the administrative divisions with water filtering devices (kiosks, filters and pumps) through her start-up Water Access Rwanda created in 2014. According to the young entrepreneur, her project is aimed at areas affected by the lack of drinking water in Rwanda. “A single kiosk can provide a community of 2,000 inhabitants with drinking water at a lower price than other water vendors,” explains Christelle Kwizera, founder of Water Access Rwanda.
Today, installations by the start-up Water Access Rwanda provide 47,612 people with access to drinking water via 86 mini-networks installed in several localities across the country.
The origin of Water Access Rwanda
In Rwanda, several communities get their water from the Nyabarongo, one of the country’s largest rivers. But the water drawn from the river is not drinkable; a situation which is at the root of diseases such as cholera. It is because of this problem that Christelle Kwizera decided, after graduating in mechanics, to set up the Water Access Rwanda project. “I don’t plan to stop in Rwanda. My goal is to provide clean drinking water to the whole of sub-Saharan Africa,” says Kwizera. In addition to the continuous supply of drinking water, the start-up Water Access Rwanda is a potential job niche. “The young Rwandans I employ are tasked with drilling for water and delivering it to distribution points,” says Kwizera.
The drinking water project initiated by Christelle Kwizera fits well with the country’s ambitions. The Government of Rwanda has set a priority objective: to provide drinking water to the entire population by 2024.
Inès Magoum
