“Solvatten provides more time for other things”

Unpaid labor. Ensuring everyone in the family is well, and that there is food and water to drink. Ensuring there is wood or charcoal for heating, washing, cooking, and cleaning.

These are many hours that women and children in particular—who are the ones who have traditionally carried much of that responsibility—must spend during their waking hours. With Solvatten, access to clean and hot water can also create opportunities for self-sufficiency.

In small businesses such as hair salons, food vending, and handicrafts, the water can be put to use and reduce the need for purchased fuel for water heating. The time and money saved can provide the space to develop a business and strengthen the family’s finances.

In our guide Solvatten in an Entrepreneurship Space (PDF) you will find practical examples and inspiration for users and organizations that support local entrepreneurship.

Here are some examples of how clean and hot water from Solvatten can be useful in small businesses.

In a hair salon, the water can be used for hair washing and cleaning; sometimes, even offering a hot shower can attract customers.

For those selling food, preheated water for cooking and dishwashing can reduce fuel requirements.

When baking bread, it can be used to prepare the dough and for cleaning afterward. (Chlorinated water does not allow the dough to rise).

When selling mango, baobab, or pineapple juice, clean water for the ice and the mixture, as well as for rinsing the fruit and washing utensils, creates better conditions for good hygiene. In basket weaving, hot water can soften plant materials and be used for dyeing. For milk producers, clean, lukewarm water for udder washing and hot water for cleaning equipment can facilitate daily hygiene.