When we look back at 2019 and all the wonderful things we have been able to achieve, we can only say thank you to each and every one of you for the support you keep showing us. Happy New Year from all of us at Aqua Clara Kenya!
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New Year Message from the CEO
 Dear Friends,
As we start this new year, and new decade, it’s my pleasure and privilege to thank you for your support. 2019 was a fruitful year for Aqua Clara Kenya. Backed by the hard work of our staff and the steadfast support of our partners, we achieved increased sales and training, enabling us to impact more than 106,000 people in both schools and households.
In 2019, we had fantastic support from our partners Aqua Clara International (ACI), Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST), Transform International (TI), Climate Care and Connect International (CI). This support enabled us to reach new heights.
With ACI’s help, we doubled the distribution of our water filters from 2018, providing safe drinking water directly to 31,000 people. With CAWST’s support, we launched our WASHiriki Programme, training 100 Community WASH Promoters who have created groups of 1,500 community members with the potential to impact 75,000 others. With the support of TI, we now have a fantastic Aqua Clara Campus that includes office space, a training hall, factory and demonstration of various WASH technologies. Together with Climate Care, we carried out our annual Carbon Credits Evaluation, showing a reduction of 44,420 tonnes of CO2 emissions, the biggest volume processed in a single year to date. The partnership with CI enabled us to support 3,500 community members with access to safe drinking water through our subsidized water filter sales targeting low-income households. We are grateful to have these partners and excited about what we will achieve together this year and in the years to come.
As we start 2020, we are also excited to have new partnerships lined up: P&G, Basic Water Needs, Rotary International and ECLOF Kenya. There are a few others in the pipeline that I will be happy to bring to your attention at the appropriate time.
I’m also excited about the expansion of our board of directors, that includes seasoned professionals that are highly regarded in their respective fields of expertise. These new members will give us additional impetus, ideas and insights as we scale our business across East Africa.
While we are not yet where we’d like to be, I am confident that Aqua Clara Kenya is on the right track. With your continued support, we are on course to achieving Aqua Clara Kenya’s vision of an Africa where everyone has access to safe drinking water. We have a long way to go still, but our efforts together in 2020 will see us come even closer to attaining our goal.
Sincerely,
John Nyagwencha
CEO, Aqua Clara Kenya.
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Board Members Visit to
ACK Office
In December, we were privileged to host board members of Aqua Clara Kenya and representatives of Aqua Clara International (USA) at our Rigoma Office. It was a great opportunity for our staff to showcase our products, services and strategies. ACK's board was recently expanded, bringing in 6 additional members who are all individuals with exceptional qualities and Kenya's foremost voices in the fields of finance, law, academia and business. Many of them were visiting our office for the first time.
Standing from LEFT: Kapto Tomno, Ruth Kiraka, John Nyagwencha, Rosemary Githaiga, Olivia Muiru and Vandana Thottoli. Seated from LEFT: Harry Knopke, Charity Muya, Onsando Osiemo. Not in Photo: Paul Earwaker.
ACK Board Members and guests from ACI listen to a presentation from Operations Manager, Betty.
Some of the Board Members participating in a discussion during their visit to the ACK office.
ACK Board Members
Onsando Osiemo, Ph.D - Chairman of the Board, Senior Partner at Onsando, Ongonji and Tiego Advocates
Harry Knopke, Ph.D - President of Aqua Clara International.
John Nyagwencha - Chief Executive Officer at Aqua Clara Kenya & Secretary of the Board
Charity Muya - Board Member KCB Bank South Sudan, First Woman CPA in Kenya.
Kapto Tomno - Executive Director of Kurasa Registrars Limited and Senior Partner with Litoki Associates
Olivia Muiru - Executive Director, B Lab East Africa, Business Daily Kenya 40 under 40 Women (2018)
Paul Earwaker - Experienced WASH Professional with IRC, CAWST & Sanivation.
Rosemary Githaiga - Board member CIC Insurance & Cooperative Bank of Kenya and South Sudan, Managing Partner at Majala, Githaiga & Associates Law Firm.
Ruth Kiraka, Ph.D - Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Strathmore University.
Vandana Thottoli - Senior Advisor Smart Water for Agriculture Program at SNV.
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Learning Exchange for CAWST WET Centres
In November, ACK had the privilege to host a Water Expertise & Training (WET) Centre Learning Exchange with representatives from Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) and Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church Development Commission (EKHCDC).
ACK Staff Douglas explaining to Taya (CAWST), Martha, Aster and Ruhama (all from EKHCDC) how our community filter works.
It was a good opportunity to share lessons learnt in our implementation of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes in Ethiopia and Kenya. This was achieved through different classroom presentations, field visits and one on one interactions.
EKHCDC team of Ruhama and Aster showing how Ethiopian Coffee is brewed during the Coffee Ceremony.
Martha from EKHCDC showcasing her football skills against ACK Staff Daniel and Jeremiah.
The event could not be complete without some fun activities such as playing football together, enjoying Ethiopian coffee ceremony and a trip to the nearby world-famous Maasai Mara National Reserve for a game drive.
Special thanks go to our partner CAWST and its representatives (Parviz, Taya and David) who played a leading role in making this event happen. We are looking forward to the next one!
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Highlights
NEW Partnership with P&G
We are excited to announce our new partnership with P&G through the support of Transform International. In 2020, P&G and Aqua Clara Kenya will team up to provide safe drinking water to 645,000 people in households and schools. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.
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Aqua Clara Kenya Presents at the first Kenya Sanitation Conference 2019
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The Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation hosted the Kenya Sanitation Conference on 28th to 31st October 2019, at the Kenya International Conference Centre. This was the first such conference to be hosted by the ministry. Our staff Josephine Orare and Irene Murere represented ACK at the conference, with Josephine presenting on a study carried out assessing the level of sanitation and hygiene coverage in Boarabu Sub-County of Nyamira. We are grateful to Kelly James of CAWST for supporting us in preparing for this conference.
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Sales Feature
Partnership with Kenya Health Care Initiatives (KHCI) in Laikipia County
Since 2016, we've been partnering with Kenya Health Care Initiatives (KHCI) to support schools and households in Laikipia County. In 2019, KHCI supported the community in Il Ngwesi with 20 school filters and 14 Biosand Filters. The plan is to support more schools, clinics and households in 2020.
ACK staff Benson, showing teachers how to assemble and maintain a School Filter at a school in Laikipia.
Teachers and students experience a School Filter distributed at Sanga School in Laikipia County.
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Distribution of Water Filters to families displaced by floods in Migori County
  
In December with our partner Lwala Community Alliance, we supported 300 families that had been displaced by floods in Nyatike, Migori County, to acquire water filters. Access to safe drinking water is a major challenge during flooding, with waterborne diseases often resulting from poor sanitation. We are happy we could help bring some much needed Christmas cheer to these families.
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H2OPE Accelerator
Community WASH Promoters Training Narok County
WASHiriki Training for Community WASH Promoters (CWPs) in Narok County. The event was hosted by our partner Africa Hope, on 29th to 31st October 2019.
Learning Exchange in Kisumu County
In November, we conducted a Learning Exchange in Kisumu that brought together 35 stakeholders drawn form the Ministries of Health, Water, Sanitation and Irrigation and multiple NGOs and CBOs. Our staff Irene (in the photo above) was on hand to explain our WASHiriki approach.
Learning Exchange in Nyamira County
We also carried out a Learning Exchange in Nyamira County bringing together 32 participants. It took place on Thursday, 24th October 2019 at K.I.E. Hall Nyamira Town.
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Strathmore University Presentation
In November, Aqua Clara Kenya CEO John Nyagwencha was at Strathmore University presenting to MBA Alumni from Strathmore Business School and IESE on how Aqua Clara Kenya is solving inequality in access to safe drinking water through innovation. The session took a panel discussion format, moderated by Prof. Agnes Ruoro of Strathmore University and included other panellists Ngwing Kimani of B Lab East Africa and Eddah Mwakima of IDEO.
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Our Company
Aqua Clara Kenya is a Social Enterprise whose mission is to increase access to safe drinking water in Africa by building local capacity, providing effective solutions and implementing sustainable approaches.
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