In Ethiopia’s Sidama Region, Max Foundation and the water entrepreneur Waterlife are turning broken and hand-pumped water points into solar-powered, digitally managed systems that keep running. The aim is safe drinking water for more than 80,000 people, delivered by a business built to sustain itself and scale.

In Ethiopia, only about 42% of people have access to clean drinking water, and rural communities are furthest behind. The harder problem is not only building new water points, but keeping them working. Around 40% of rural water systems stop functioning within two years, often for want of spare parts, maintenance money, or anyone clearly responsible for repairs.

When a pump fails, the burden falls first on women and girls, who walk long distances again for water that is often unsafe. Fixing this needs more than new hardware. It needs a way to pay for upkeep, and someone accountable for keeping the water flowing.

42%

have access to clean drinking water

national estimate, Ethiopia

40%

of rural water systems fail within two years

UNICEF, 2000–22

Waterlife rehabilitates broken water points and runs them as a business, so they keep working long after the repair. Max Foundation’s role is to help that business stand on its own: reach investment readiness, strengthen the systems around it, and open doors with government and finance. The partnership is backed by P4G.

Solar-powered, treated water

Non-functional hand pumps are rehabilitated and converted to solar-powered schemes with treatment, so the water is safe to drink and the running costs stay low.

Water kiosks, run as franchises

Smart water kiosks sell purified water at an affordable price. They are run by women- and youth-led franchises, creating local jobs and keeping the service close to home.

WatApp: pay, schedule, monitor

Waterlife’s own app, WatApp, handles payments, scheduling and customer feedback, and lets the team monitor water quality and pump performance remotely.

Carbon finance for upkeep

By removing the need to boil water, the systems cut carbon emissions. Certified carbon credits, developed with FCF India, create a revenue stream that pays for spare parts and ongoing maintenance.

Systems that hold

The partnership trains government water staff and water committees on the app, tariff collection and carbon markets, and works with the Ethiopian Water Technology Institute and woreda water offices so the model runs through public systems.

Ready for investment

Max Foundation helps Waterlife become investment-ready, connecting the enterprise to banks and impact investors and sharpening the business plan and financial model needed to scale.

Over 18 months, the partnership aims to bring safe water back to communities across two woredas in the Sidama Region, and to build an enterprise that can keep going and grow. These are its goals for the grant period.

80,000+

people to gain access to safe drinking water

goal for the grant period

50+

full-time jobs created

women- and youth-led franchises

US$75,000

in investment Waterlife aims to raise

to scale the enterprise