Reckitt lists first cohort of grassroots social enterprises to join its Fight for Access Accelerator program in Brazil and South Africa; groups were selected for their commitment to improving local community access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene

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October 12, 2022 (press release) –

FIGHT FOR ACCESS ACCELERATOR: INTRODUCING OUR FIRST COHORT OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISES IMPROVING ACCESS TO WASH IN BRAZIL AND SOUTH AFRICA

We’re excited to reveal the first cohort of grassroots social enterprises to join our Fight for Access Accelerator programme in Brazil and South Africa. The first entrepreneurs to benefit were selected by us for their commitment to providing solutions to improving access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), driving better health outcomes for local communities.

Two billion people worldwide live in countries experiencing water stress, and only 45% of the world's population uses safely managed sanitation services, according to the UN. Approximately 50% of all cases of malnutrition are associated with chronic diarrhoea or intestinal worm infections, as a direct result of inadequate water use, sanitation, and hygiene.

Delivered in partnership with leading social innovators Yunus Social Business, the enterprises will access specialist bootcamps, targeted at unlocking their specific barriers to growth. Additionally, they will be partnered with Reckitt volunteers who will act as mentors, bringing their commercial knowledge and expertise to help the social enterprises increase their impact on communities. Upon completion of the programme in early 2023, the businesses will receive financial investment to continue scaling their local impact.

The selected enterprises include:

South Africa

Kusini Water

Founded by Murendeni Mafumo, a water scientist with over 12-years of experience in water and sanitation, Kusini Water is a social enterprise that builds water treatment systems from nanotechnology and macadamia nut shells. Their systems bring clean, safe drinking water to people in rural, peri-urban and informal settlements throughout the African continent. 

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO EDUCATION AND CREATE ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER. THE BIGGEST THING RIGHT NOW IS THE SCALING AND FUNDING THAT WE NEED TO BUILD MORE KIOSKS AND THE INTELLECT THAT WE NEED TO SUSTAIN AND GROW FROM A MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION POINT OF VIEW.

Murendeni Mafumo
Rhiza Babuyile

Rhiza Babuyile is a non-profit organisation that focuses on developing historically disadvantaged communities through a holistic approach which includes: health care, education, early childhood development, and entrepreneurship. They focus on improving water, sanitation and hygiene in the Early Childhood Development schools/Nurseries (ECD Centres) and the community and ensuring that, where possible, each ECD Centre has WASH facilities.  Rhiza Babuvile was founded by Alef Meulenberg who has over 15 years of experience in developmental work across Africa, Latin America and Europe.

THIS INITIATIVE WILL BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LEARN FROM OUR PEERS IN AREAS SUCH AS TECHNICAL PROCESS, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION AND MACRO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT CAUSE

Brazil

LiaMarinha

LiaMarinha develops and applies ecological and sustainable technologies to improve water quality. Its target market is the mining, sanitation and agro-industry sectors, where it operates in the segment of recovery and remediation of aquatic environments and in the segment of water and effluent treatment.

Piipee

Piipee has developed a solution for water saving in toilets and urinals. Using natural extracts, nanotechnology and biodegradable components, Piipee can reduce water use for urine disposal by up to 100 percent:  Instead of 10 litres of water in a single flush, just 1 ml, and cheaper. Its use costs less than using water in one flush, so the user can save water and money at the same time.

Piipee’s founder, Ezequiel Da Rosa, is a One Young World ambassador and has already participated in Brazilian’s version of Shark Tank.

Reckitt’s Chief Marketing, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Fabrice Beaulieu said: “At Reckitt, we believe access to high quality hygiene, health and nutrition should be a universal right, not a privilege. Our Fight for Access Accelerator is designed to catalyse grassroots social enterprises to help tackle the world’s greatest problems and strive for a fairer society. Through working with social businesses, our investment will live over and over again as the enterprises grow, continuing to create jobs and economic empowerment, enable access and drive positive health outcomes. I’m truly excited to watch the first cohort of enterprises grow and scale. Together we can create long term, sustainable impact.”    

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MORE IMPORTANT TIME TO GROW AND SUPPORT SOCIAL BUSINESSES TO SOLVE THE WORLD’S MOST PRESSING PROBLEMS. EACH OF THE SOCIAL ENTERPRISES SELECTED TO BENEFIT FROM THE FFA ACCELERATOR ARE UNIQUE AND WE CAN’T WAIT TO PLAY A PART IN HELPING THEM UNLEASH THEIR POTENTIAL. THE FIGHT FOR ACCESS ACCELERATOR AIMS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO HEALTH, HYGIENE AND NUTRITION FOR 1.5M PEOPLE, AS PART OF RECKITT’S GOAL TO MEASURABLY IMPACT 10M LIVELIHOODS BY 2030, IN PURSUIT OF A CLEANER, HEALTH

Monika Frech
YUNUS SOCIAL BUSINESS, MANAGING DIRECTOR

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