SAHA Global
Saha Global works to provide access to safe drinking water for rural communities in Ghana who are not served by traditional utilities. Saha Global collects and treats surface water to make it safe for consumption and sells it to local people at a price they can afford. Where communities instead rely on boreholes, Saha Global takes care of their maintenance to ensure that safe drinking water remains consistently available.
sahaglobal.org | Partner since 2019
Challenge
Four million people in rural Ghanaian communities lack reliable access to safe drinking water, leading to a high prevalence of deadly waterborne diseases. These communities rely on untreated, unsanitary surface water or mechanical boreholes which are not adequately maintained and often break down.
Response
Saha Global (Saha) operates a water utility-style model that ensures last mile communities gain consistent access to safe drinking water at a low price point.
In communities that rely on surface water or ponds, Saha recruits, trains and employs women to collect, decant and treat the surface water with chlorine following strict protocols that include water quality monitoring. Where ponds are located far from a community, the water is transported by contracted water-taxis. The treated drinking water is then sold in bulk in the village every day for USD0.02 per 20L.
In communities that rely on boreholes, Saha enters into maintenance agreements that keep the boreholes working throughout the year. Its teams repair broken pumps and provide preventative maintenance. A flat fee collected by salaried women at community level covers these maintenance costs.
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