GOLD SPONSOR

BRONZE SPONSOR

SEQUENCE AND ORGANIZATION

The format of the event was a marketplace forum accommodating 160+ people. The setup was dynamic enough to foster meaningful interactions between participants. There was mainly be short pitches and networking discussions.

• The forum featured selected organisations working in the WASH sector, impact investing, social entrepreneurship and UN agencies. A large segment of the forum was dedicated to organizations presenting their water technology needs to potential providers, partners and investors.

• There was several sessions covering relevant topics in an interactive format composed of two elements:

  • Public and private organisations pitching their needs and/or projects (5 min / pitches)

  • Networking & B2B sessions
     

• Facilitated discussions around specific themes explored pain points, synergies and facilitate connections between entrepreneurs with innovative WASH technologies, investors and other key stakeholders.

WHERE

Acacia Hotel

Achieng' Oneko Road, Kisumu, Kenya

WHAT & WHY

"Innovate 4 Water" Kenya 2019 - Kisumu

The proposed I4W Kisumu is a ‘homegrown’ initiative that seeks to build on lessons learned from the I4W Nairobi forum to provide a sustainable approach to addressing the need for innovation in the water and sanitation sector not only in Kenya but the region as well through private sector engagement.

Technology and innovation have been prescribed as the strategy to deliver this aspiration as an enabler to efficient water use, which thereby reduces the strain on the utility companies in the country. Use of sustainable technologies and solutions is also recommended as a very good approach into which communities, urban centres, and governments can deal with the issues related to sanitation this include, collection, transportation. There is also a need to develop and integrate innovative technologies which can address non-revenue water in small towns and peri-urban centres. These include technical and commercial and water quality and adaptive management through real-time data collection and management.

Showcase the various innovations in the Eastern African Region market and the value they create within the water and sanitation sector.

• Facilitate an exchange between the sources and seekers of capital by inviting organizations the opportunity to present, in time-limited segments, their mission, their value proposition, and other relevant information

• Create awareness in companies and private operators, through a half-day workshop, on the most effective ways to articulate their corporate vision in a way that is standardized and easy for sources of finance to quickly assess through typical due diligence processes

•  Inform the various of finance on the types of projects that are likely to be seeking finance and encourage the streamlining of their due diligence to enable seekers of finance to put their applications in front of a larger audience

•  Demonstrate the role of the private sector in achieving water security providing a new thinking and new ways for stakeholders to work together toward water security, bringing many of them out of their comfort zones in the process.

WHO

Audience:

• SMEs and multinational companies with interest in the WASH sector

• Utilities or civil engineering

• Investors (banking, asset management, private banking, corporates, venture capital, private equity)

• WASH institutions (foundations, coalitions, associations)

• Non-government and governmental organisations, national and local

• Universities / incubators / research institutions

Participants pitched about:

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• Market based solutions

• Social entrepreneurship

• Impact investing

• Water, sanitation and related development issues, with a focus on the Eastern African region

• Sustainable Development Goals

• Access to basic services for low income populations

• Business and human rights

• Blended finance

• Circular economy

• Decentralized business models

ABOUT KISUMU

Kisumu city is believed to be one of the oldest settlements in Kenya. Historical records indicate that Kisumu has been dominated by diverse communities at different times long before Europeans arrived. The people from the Nandi, Kalenjin, Kisii, Maasai, Luo and Luhyacommunities converged at the tip of Lake Victoria and called the place "sumo" which literally means a place of barter trade. Each community called it different names, for instance:

1. The Luo called it "Kisumo" meaning "a place to look for food" such that the Luo would say "I am going Kisuma" to mean "I am going to look for food".

2. The Abaluhya called it "Abhasuma" which means "a place to borrow food" such that the luhya would say "I am going Khusuma" to mean "I am going to borrow food".

3. The Abagusii called it "egesumu" meaning "a structure for keeping/rearing chicken". It is believed the Abagusii were in Kisumu but found Kisumu was not good for crop husbandry and agriculture.

4. The Nandi called it "Kisumett" which means a place where food was found during times of scarcity and exchange, which cannot be attacked by Nandi and Terik irrespective of any issue.

Kisumu is one of the underserved urban areas in Kenya in which lower income residents often lack access to basic needs such as access to safe water and sanitation. While Kisumu has made considerable progress in recent years, problems persist. Sadly, water-borne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid contribute to numerous deaths every year. Kisumu’s water production is not keeping pace with its rapid population growth, while the existing infrastructure is operating at between 85 and 93% of its design capacity.

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The greatest challenges lie in the peri-urban areas and informal settlements, where the water source is often unreliable and sanitation systems are insufficient. To make matters worse, water prices in those areas tend to be beyond reach, since vendors typically charge rates 50% higher than those offered by the utility company. As a result, residents often rely on shallow wells and boreholes, where the chances of cross-contamination are high. In addition, sewer bursts and blockages – a major source of groundwater contamination, waterborne diseases and environmental pollution – are common in Kisumu.

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Number areas for improvement exist, such as increasing water production and revenue collection, making it possible to provide quality water to low-income residents; rehabilitating sewers and related infrastructure; and developing recycling and other low-cost, environmentally friendly sanitation options. Recommended solutions include a simplified sewerage system for informal settlements, composting toilets for peri-urban areas, and collection and processing centers that can turn waste into biomethane and fertilizer. Many of these solutions and others will be presented and discussed during "Innovate 4 Water".

Quercus Group is a niche strategic and hands-on advisory firm specialized in sustainable development through project and partnerships development, strategic consulting and capacity building.

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Quercus Group works with clients and supports them in forming partnerships and developing business cases and collaborative platforms that help them realize their green growth and agribusiness potential. The company is one of the few consulting firms who not only provide analysis and advice but also act as partners in the practical implementation of projects and internationalization activities within cleantech, sustainable water solutions, agribusiness, and smart cities. 

Waterpreneurs is a global “for-impact organization” supporting the scaling-up of impact investments financing the growth of water and sanitation (WASH) enterprises operating in developing countries, and respecting human rights. 

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Waterpreneurs fosters interactions between global players from the private sector, the public sector and from civil society to direct finance toward impact projects in the communities, with the main objective to foster local ecosystem consolidation. Waterpreneurs has created the Marketplace forum “Innovate 4 Water” which is not a conference. It is a dynamic and interactive Marketplace forum where entrepreneurs, investors and enablers meet and thrive. 

Mariam Njoroge

Quercus Group

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mariam@quercus-group.com

Franck Barroso

Waterpreneurs

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franck.barroso@waterpreneurs.net