Welcome to IHSAN

Southern Iraq Better Water Maker Pilot Program | back to top
Thanks to a generous donation by new corporate sponsor Triple Canopy, and with the assistance of Iraqi and foreign volunteers, IHSAN is sponsoring the deployment of a Better Water Maker (BWM) system in the province of Basra, Iraq. Suffering from drought and a shortage of water to meet the growing needs of agriculture and communities, the south of Iraq was recently declared "an environmental disaster."

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While we cannot make a difference in the lives of all of those suffering, we can help a few families, and hope the project will expand into assisting entire communities. IHSAN will purchase the BWM and provide a small-grant for an entrepreneur university student looking to conduct research on water needs while promoting clean drinking water and earning an income. The BWM will be used to provide safe drinking water that can be bottled and sold to families and communities for a price much less than imported bottled water or government-provided water. If the pilot program is successful, with the help of project partner B9 Plastics, IHSAN will roll out additional BWM microloan programs. This project costs $3,500 and includes the BWM, bottling equipment, mentoring, transportation of the goods, and local marketing. Microloan recipients will be chosen by a board of IHSAN volunteers, University of Basra faculty, and local NGO staff.

Kenya - Better Water Maker Phase 2 Project | back to top
In 2008, IHSAN volunteers conducted a trial project introducing BWM equipment, donated by B9 Plastics, to boarding schools in Kenya. The incident rates of diarrhea and other ailments caused by water-borne diseases decreased significantly through use of the BWM. While the BWM pilot program was successful in that regard, IHSAN was unable to gain the empirical data needed on usage of the equipment for future projects.

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With the assistance of research conducted by the IHSAN Student Chapter at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), a detailed business plan with research components was developed to expand the BWM into more disadvantaged communities in Kenya. During their summer 2010 internships in Malewa, WPI student volunteers will partner with Skills Venture and Malewa Trust NGO to bring these business plans to fruition. The project will cost approximately $10,000 and will include equipment, materials, and microloan grants for the deployment of six BWM projects throughout the region. WPI volunteers will raise funds for their travel.

Kenya - Hygiene and Sanitation Training and Small Business Enterprise Development | back to top
In early 2009, by corresponding with local communities, WPI students also finalized a research paper for a sustainable Small Business Enterprise addressing hygiene and sanitation. The project involved a $750 microloan to a local Kenyan soap maker, Jane, to expand her business beyond her immediate community. The project plan helped her devise a business model and five-year plan for expansion.

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Thanks to a gracious individual donation of $750 from an IHSAN member in Sonoma, California, the project began in spring 2009. In only six months, Jane has used the money to purchase more equipment (helping the marketplace), hire local staff to assist (providing much needed jobs), and expand her sales to communities some 40km away—all while saving a percentage of her profits to pay back IHSAN for the microloan. That money will then be designated to Jane again for expansion or provided to another small business entrepreneur. During WPI’s student internships in summer 2010, they will assist Jane with marketing, distribution, and sales expansion plans, while commencing hygiene awareness programs for schools in the entire region. The hygiene education program will cost approximately $5,000. Also, in the future, IHSAN would like to sponsor more microloan projects in the region. For only $500 to $1,000, an IHSAN member can personally assist a disadvantaged community leader in establishing a business. Jane’s project shows the true footprint of IHSAN’s efforts: From the donation of an IHSAN member in California to a research plan by university students in Massachusetts to Skills Venture—a London-based small business development partner to a disadvantaged community in Kenya. Working together, we CAN make a difference.