Source >>><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWorking to change the story one social enterprise at a time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Brigit](\"https:\/\/747469.smushcdn.com\/2463591\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/avatar_user_7856_1632151959-100x100.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nBrigit Helms<\/a>-January 19, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n- Share on LinkedIn<\/a><\/li>
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![\"Brigit](\"https:\/\/747469.smushcdn.com\/2463591\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Brigit-Helms-Climate-Change-and-Water-FEATURED.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe way that climate change affects human beings is almost entirely through water, either too much or too little. The climate crisis is a water crisis at its core<\/a>.<\/em> \u2014 Tim Wainwright, chief executive of WaterAid<\/p>\n\n\n\nClimate change is triggering dramatic extremes in the global water cycle, which we\u2019re experiencing more and more directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here in the Western United States the issue is too little water, with a historic drought drying up trusted lakes, streams, and wells, and contributing to the intense wildfires that increasingly blanket our region in smoke for some months each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Environmental Defense Fund summarizes scientific studies of how climate change is worsening drought<\/a> worldwide, citing greater drought severity in the Mediterranean, Western Amazon, South Africa, Russia, India, Australia, and southern Europe. Human-caused climate change triggers droughts in at least three ways: Increasing temperatures cause more evaporation, drying out soils and vegetation; changing circulation patterns alter where storms develop and the path they follow; and increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns reduce snowpack volumes and lead to earlier, faster snowmelt, which reduces streamflow and the amount and quality of water available when it\u2019s needed for vegetation, farming, and fishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn other regions, the problem is too much water, with heavier and more frequent storms causing flooding that can damage infrastructure and buildings and contaminate fresh water sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The UN Environment Programme describes how climate change is making record-breaking floods the new normal<\/a>. For example, in late 2019 a series of storms in the UK dropped the equivalent of one month\u2019s worth of rain in 48 hours in some locations. In July 2021, the eight inches of rain that fell in less than 24 hours in western and southern Germany flooded communities and caused more than 200 deaths. And in August 2021, areas in the U.S. state of Tennessee recorded more than 17 inches of rain \u2014 one-third of the region\u2019s typical annual rainfall \u2014 in just 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhile the world\u2019s governments try to address these issues from a top-down perspective, many communities \u2014 especially those living at or below poverty levels \u2014 are already suffering the effects of climate change-exacerbated water issues. In response, a number of social enterprises are stepping up to provide localized solutions to specific communities\u2019 water-related issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A number of social enterprises are stepping up to provide localized solutions to specific communities\u2019 water-related issues<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
At Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, we\u2019re granted a front-row view of people and organizations dedicated to changing the story around climate change and water \u2014 from one of water excess or scarcity to one of resilience and hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are a few of their stories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ECOSOFTT: Addressing communities\u2019 total water management needs<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Founded in Singapore in 2012, ECOSOFTT<\/a> (ECO Solutions for Tomorrow Today) takes a long-term view of water sustainability, not only providing clean drinking water but also working on wastewater recovery, rainwater harvesting, protection of rivers and lakes, and solid waste management.![\"Ecosoftt](\"https:\/\/747469.smushcdn.com\/2463591\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Brigit-Helms-Climate-Change-and-Water-03.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\nECOSOFTT is pioneering solutions for effective water management in Southern and Southeast Asia (Photo Credit: ECOSOFTT)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To date, ECOSOFTT has implemented 70 projects in five countries \u2014 Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia \u2014 with a 100% success rate. Collectively, their solutions treat and recycle 50 million litres of water a day, providing 300,000 people with improved access to water and sanitation systems, including 50,000 in India and Indonesia at the Bottom of the Pyramid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe effects of climate change are manifested through water, such as rising sea levels, prolonged droughts, and floods,\u201d said Stanley Samuel, co-founder of ECOSOFTT along with Marcus Lim. \u201cEffective water management is thus key to mitigate the effects of climate change and achieve greater resiliency.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nazava: Water filtration<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Headquartered in Indonesia, with operations in Kenya and Ethiopia, Nazava<\/a> water filters provide access to safe, affordable drinking water. Established in 2009, Nazava aims to be the world\u2019s premier water filter company and has impacted more than 600,000 people in 30 countries.![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/747469.smushcdn.com\/2463591\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Brigit-Helms-Climate-Change-and-Water-01.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\nNazava filters provides safe, affordable drinking water with no boiling for more than 450,000 households in Indonesia (Photo Credit: Nazava)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nazava is the only company globally providing WHO-certified household water filters targeting low-income rural households living on less than US$7 per day. By charging customers for the water filters \u2014 including through partnerships with microcredit organizations that ensure affordability by enabling payment in up to 50 installments \u2014 Nazava ensures its own business sustainability. Marketing is done through healthcare workers and midwives, and sales meetings include community training on hygiene, water treatment, and waterborne diseases. \u201cNazava water filters help households become more resilient to climate change by expanding the range of potable water sources, providing alternatives to dried-up sources \u2014 even floodwater can be filtered and made safe for drinking \u2014 and by eliminating the need to gather wood, coal, or other fuels to boil water,\u201d said Guido van Hofwegen, co-founder and co-director of Nazava, along with Lieselotte Heederik. \u201cWith Nazava, our customers can filter their own tap, well, river, or rainwater \u2014 without the need to boil the water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jibu: An entrepreneurial, franchise-based approach to safe drinking water<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Galen Welsch and his father, Randy, co-founded Jibu<\/a> \u2014 a word meaning \u201canswer\u201d or \u201csolution\u201d in Swahili \u2014 in 2012 to create an entrepreneurship opportunity engine for emerging market entrepreneurs. Jibu builds networks of locally owned, financially independent, and self-sustaining franchises, including ones that provide safe drinking water \u2014 having distributed more than 174 million liters of water to millions of customers across seven African countries.![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/747469.smushcdn.com\/2463591\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Brigit-Helms-Climate-Change-and-Water-04.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\nJibu\u2019s franchise model equips local entrepreneurs to provide safe drinking water to millions in Africa (Photo Credit: Jibu)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently, Jibu supports more than 2,830 full-time-equivalent jobs through its franchise network, almost half of which are youth. More than half of Jibu\u2019s franchise owners in Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, and Zambia are women. \u201cJibu has the potential to eradicate single-use plastic bottles and to transform the energy efficiency of the water treatment technology landscape,\u201d said Galen Welsch. \u201cJibu\u2019s water purification system is energy efficient and designed to ensure low water waste and cost-effective production, which enables attractive pricing to the subscribers to our solution, who no longer need to rely on home boiling and the associated carbon emissions. Plus, returning and reusing our bottles significantly reduces pollution, and our decentralized production leads to fewer distribution-related emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banka BioLoo: Transforming toilets and sanitation in India<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Banka BioLoo<\/a> began in 2008 when Namita Banka, in a meeting with Indian Railways officers as potential clients for her printer cartridge refilling business, heard complaints of non-functioning technology-enabled toilet systems installed on a few trains. She founded Banka BioLoo to provide improved sanitation solutions to the railways, and beyond. Joined a few years later by her husband, Sanjay Banka, as executive chairman, Namita serves as managing director for the social enterprise.![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/747469.smushcdn.com\/2463591\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Brigit-Helms-Climate-Change-and-Water-05-736x600.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\nNamita Banka\u2019s Banka BioLoo improves health outcomes for underserved communities across India (Photo Credit: Banka BioLoo)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To date, Banka BioLoo has installed more than 12,000 environmentally friendly toilet systems across India; sanitized more than 1,000 schools; served millions of rail passengers; and provided thousands of workers with access to sanitation at their workplaces. Their cost-effective, long-lasting, \u201cfit-and-forget\u201d bioloos serve marginalized and low-income populations, sold directly to consumers as well as through partnerships with governments, corporations, and philanthropies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur climate-complementing bioloos contribute to climate resilience in a number of ways,\u201d said Sanjay Banka. \u201cThey require no external infrastructure for fecal waste treatment, they use no energy, and they produce reusable water and biogas as byproducts \u2014 thus actually generating more water and energy sources than they consume.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What they have in common are the hallmarks of social entrepreneurship: recognition of a local challenge, creation of an innovative solution to address that challenge, and delivery of a solution that can then be scaled and replicated elsewhere.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Building on These Social Enterprise Success Stories<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
These four examples are just a few that I could share. What they have in common are the hallmarks of social entrepreneurship: recognition of a local challenge, creation of an innovative solution to address that challenge, and delivery of a solution that can then be scaled and replicated elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The social entrepreneurship approach not only supports economically sustainable businesses, but also benefits the social enterprise\u2019s customers and the local community on multiple levels: greater climate resilience, better health, personal and household financial gains, and the promise of improved opportunity and dignity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re interested in learning more about how social enterprises are improving the climate resilience of the world\u2019s most vulnerable populations, I invite you to visit the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship website<\/a>. And if you\u2019re an investor looking to have a more meaningful impact in addressing the climate crisis for people living in poverty, please contact me directly (bhelms [at] scu [dot] edu).<\/p>\n\n\n\nTogether, we must work to rewrite the global story of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Brigit](\"https:\/\/747469.smushcdn.com\/2463591\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/avatar_user_7856_1632151959-170x170.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nBrigit Helms<\/a> Brigit Helms is Executive Director, Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, the premier university-based social enterprise accelerator dedicated to eliminating poverty. For 30 years, Helms has created and delivered solutions to social and environmental challenges in 45 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, in both the private and public sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n- <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
This article was produced in collaboration with the Magazine\u2019s Content Partners.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Become a Content Partner<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"24 JANUARY 2022 : 1H7TJ Source >>> Working to change the story one social enterprise at a …
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nBrigit Helms<\/a>-January 19, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n The way that climate change affects human beings is almost entirely through water, either too much or too little. The climate crisis is a water crisis at its core<\/a>.<\/em> \u2014 Tim Wainwright, chief executive of WaterAid<\/p>\n\n\n\n Climate change is triggering dramatic extremes in the global water cycle, which we\u2019re experiencing more and more directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here in the Western United States the issue is too little water, with a historic drought drying up trusted lakes, streams, and wells, and contributing to the intense wildfires that increasingly blanket our region in smoke for some months each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Environmental Defense Fund summarizes scientific studies of how climate change is worsening drought<\/a> worldwide, citing greater drought severity in the Mediterranean, Western Amazon, South Africa, Russia, India, Australia, and southern Europe. Human-caused climate change triggers droughts in at least three ways: Increasing temperatures cause more evaporation, drying out soils and vegetation; changing circulation patterns alter where storms develop and the path they follow; and increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns reduce snowpack volumes and lead to earlier, faster snowmelt, which reduces streamflow and the amount and quality of water available when it\u2019s needed for vegetation, farming, and fishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other regions, the problem is too much water, with heavier and more frequent storms causing flooding that can damage infrastructure and buildings and contaminate fresh water sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The UN Environment Programme describes how climate change is making record-breaking floods the new normal<\/a>. For example, in late 2019 a series of storms in the UK dropped the equivalent of one month\u2019s worth of rain in 48 hours in some locations. In July 2021, the eight inches of rain that fell in less than 24 hours in western and southern Germany flooded communities and caused more than 200 deaths. And in August 2021, areas in the U.S. state of Tennessee recorded more than 17 inches of rain \u2014 one-third of the region\u2019s typical annual rainfall \u2014 in just 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the world\u2019s governments try to address these issues from a top-down perspective, many communities \u2014 especially those living at or below poverty levels \u2014 are already suffering the effects of climate change-exacerbated water issues. In response, a number of social enterprises are stepping up to provide localized solutions to specific communities\u2019 water-related issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A number of social enterprises are stepping up to provide localized solutions to specific communities\u2019 water-related issues<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n At Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, we\u2019re granted a front-row view of people and organizations dedicated to changing the story around climate change and water \u2014 from one of water excess or scarcity to one of resilience and hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are a few of their stories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Founded in Singapore in 2012, ECOSOFTT<\/a> (ECO Solutions for Tomorrow Today) takes a long-term view of water sustainability, not only providing clean drinking water but also working on wastewater recovery, rainwater harvesting, protection of rivers and lakes, and solid waste management. ECOSOFTT is pioneering solutions for effective water management in Southern and Southeast Asia (Photo Credit: ECOSOFTT)<\/p>\n\n\n\n To date, ECOSOFTT has implemented 70 projects in five countries \u2014 Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia \u2014 with a 100% success rate. Collectively, their solutions treat and recycle 50 million litres of water a day, providing 300,000 people with improved access to water and sanitation systems, including 50,000 in India and Indonesia at the Bottom of the Pyramid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe effects of climate change are manifested through water, such as rising sea levels, prolonged droughts, and floods,\u201d said Stanley Samuel, co-founder of ECOSOFTT along with Marcus Lim. \u201cEffective water management is thus key to mitigate the effects of climate change and achieve greater resiliency.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Headquartered in Indonesia, with operations in Kenya and Ethiopia, Nazava<\/a> water filters provide access to safe, affordable drinking water. Established in 2009, Nazava aims to be the world\u2019s premier water filter company and has impacted more than 600,000 people in 30 countries. Nazava filters provides safe, affordable drinking water with no boiling for more than 450,000 households in Indonesia (Photo Credit: Nazava)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nazava is the only company globally providing WHO-certified household water filters targeting low-income rural households living on less than US$7 per day. By charging customers for the water filters \u2014 including through partnerships with microcredit organizations that ensure affordability by enabling payment in up to 50 installments \u2014 Nazava ensures its own business sustainability. Marketing is done through healthcare workers and midwives, and sales meetings include community training on hygiene, water treatment, and waterborne diseases. \u201cNazava water filters help households become more resilient to climate change by expanding the range of potable water sources, providing alternatives to dried-up sources \u2014 even floodwater can be filtered and made safe for drinking \u2014 and by eliminating the need to gather wood, coal, or other fuels to boil water,\u201d said Guido van Hofwegen, co-founder and co-director of Nazava, along with Lieselotte Heederik. \u201cWith Nazava, our customers can filter their own tap, well, river, or rainwater \u2014 without the need to boil the water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Galen Welsch and his father, Randy, co-founded Jibu<\/a> \u2014 a word meaning \u201canswer\u201d or \u201csolution\u201d in Swahili \u2014 in 2012 to create an entrepreneurship opportunity engine for emerging market entrepreneurs. Jibu builds networks of locally owned, financially independent, and self-sustaining franchises, including ones that provide safe drinking water \u2014 having distributed more than 174 million liters of water to millions of customers across seven African countries. Jibu\u2019s franchise model equips local entrepreneurs to provide safe drinking water to millions in Africa (Photo Credit: Jibu)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Currently, Jibu supports more than 2,830 full-time-equivalent jobs through its franchise network, almost half of which are youth. More than half of Jibu\u2019s franchise owners in Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, and Zambia are women. \u201cJibu has the potential to eradicate single-use plastic bottles and to transform the energy efficiency of the water treatment technology landscape,\u201d said Galen Welsch. \u201cJibu\u2019s water purification system is energy efficient and designed to ensure low water waste and cost-effective production, which enables attractive pricing to the subscribers to our solution, who no longer need to rely on home boiling and the associated carbon emissions. Plus, returning and reusing our bottles significantly reduces pollution, and our decentralized production leads to fewer distribution-related emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Banka BioLoo<\/a> began in 2008 when Namita Banka, in a meeting with Indian Railways officers as potential clients for her printer cartridge refilling business, heard complaints of non-functioning technology-enabled toilet systems installed on a few trains. She founded Banka BioLoo to provide improved sanitation solutions to the railways, and beyond. Joined a few years later by her husband, Sanjay Banka, as executive chairman, Namita serves as managing director for the social enterprise. Namita Banka\u2019s Banka BioLoo improves health outcomes for underserved communities across India (Photo Credit: Banka BioLoo)<\/p>\n\n\n\n To date, Banka BioLoo has installed more than 12,000 environmentally friendly toilet systems across India; sanitized more than 1,000 schools; served millions of rail passengers; and provided thousands of workers with access to sanitation at their workplaces. Their cost-effective, long-lasting, \u201cfit-and-forget\u201d bioloos serve marginalized and low-income populations, sold directly to consumers as well as through partnerships with governments, corporations, and philanthropies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur climate-complementing bioloos contribute to climate resilience in a number of ways,\u201d said Sanjay Banka. \u201cThey require no external infrastructure for fecal waste treatment, they use no energy, and they produce reusable water and biogas as byproducts \u2014 thus actually generating more water and energy sources than they consume.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What they have in common are the hallmarks of social entrepreneurship: recognition of a local challenge, creation of an innovative solution to address that challenge, and delivery of a solution that can then be scaled and replicated elsewhere.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n These four examples are just a few that I could share. What they have in common are the hallmarks of social entrepreneurship: recognition of a local challenge, creation of an innovative solution to address that challenge, and delivery of a solution that can then be scaled and replicated elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The social entrepreneurship approach not only supports economically sustainable businesses, but also benefits the social enterprise\u2019s customers and the local community on multiple levels: greater climate resilience, better health, personal and household financial gains, and the promise of improved opportunity and dignity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re interested in learning more about how social enterprises are improving the climate resilience of the world\u2019s most vulnerable populations, I invite you to visit the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship website<\/a>. And if you\u2019re an investor looking to have a more meaningful impact in addressing the climate crisis for people living in poverty, please contact me directly (bhelms [at] scu [dot] edu).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Together, we must work to rewrite the global story of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brigit Helms<\/a> Brigit Helms is Executive Director, Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, the premier university-based social enterprise accelerator dedicated to eliminating poverty. For 30 years, Helms has created and delivered solutions to social and environmental challenges in 45 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, in both the private and public sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Become a Content Partner<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 24 JANUARY 2022 : 1H7TJ Source >>> Working to change the story one social enterprise at a … <\/figure>\n\n\n\nECOSOFTT: Addressing communities\u2019 total water management needs<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nNazava: Water filtration<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nJibu: An entrepreneurial, franchise-based approach to safe drinking water<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nBanka BioLoo: Transforming toilets and sanitation in India<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nBuilding on These Social Enterprise Success Stories<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis article was produced in collaboration with the Magazine\u2019s Content Partners.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n