SHOFCO, Safaricom Foundation Partner To Expand Innovative, Best-In-Class Water System

Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) has today announced the expansion of Africa’s first aerial water piping system for less privileged communities in partnership with Safaricom Foundation.

The partnership aims to scale up the provision of clean and accessible water to 84,000 people in the informal settlement of Kibera, most of whom have been forced to rely on predatory private water vendors for their daily water needs.

The idea of an aerial water piping system was conceptualized as a way around the complicated and costly logistical hurdle of distributing water across East Africa’s largest informal settlement. Safaricom Foundation will join hands to scale the landmark project - pioneered by SHOFCO and the Pentair Foundation –to build an additional 10 water kiosks. 

 “This project is a bold answer to one of the most pressing needs in Kibera; access to clean and safe water. More than two thirds of the world population is living in cities. The resulting social instability, risk to critical infrastructure, potential water crises and the potential of devastating spread of diseases are a reality. Kibera and other informal settlements in Nairobi are not an exception. We are proud of what we are doing here today. The collaborative efforts between communities and the private sector provide a transformative opportunity to address key societal challenges. We are grateful to The Safaricom Foundation for partnering with SHOFCO as positive change agents in Kibera,” said Kennedy Odede, the CEO and Co-founder of SHOFCO. 

In 2012, SHOFCO kicked off the clean water initiative with a 100,000-liter water tower – the largest clean water access point in Kibera - built by Newman’s Own Foundation and serving 4,200 individuals. The aerial system, designed and supported through a partnership with the Pentair Foundation will serve 42,000 individuals, and Safaricom Foundation will double this impact to reach 84,000, leveraging and scaling the success thus far to new heights. This unique water system is the first of its kind in an urban slum.  The low-cost practice of the infrastructure will supply the community with water that is 60 percent lower than the private vendors.

SHOFCO works within various urban slums across Kenya to fight poverty and gender inequality. The lowest price of water paid by residents in Kibera is still higher than the average price city residents in Kenya would pay for the commodity. This adverse situation has had damaging effects on the community, forcing Kibera residents to travel an average of 16 minutes a day to the nearest water shop, and experience other water-borne illness.  With the support of Safaricom Foundation, SHOFCO will provide the cheap, self-sustaining water sources in the community.

 “The challenges that have traditionally shaped Kenya’s past provide business with some of the biggest opportunities to make impactful investments. Investing in communities by providing access to clean and safe water will enable us to make an intentional intervention to make a difference in Kenyan’s lives. This partnership will enable SHOFCO and Safaricom to leverage their respective strengths to truly Transform Lives,” said Bob Collymore, Safaricom’s CEO.

Safaricom will also provide free data to SHOFCO's satellite centers in Kibera and Mathare, enabling library users and the youth in the areas to access the internet.

“We shall also make available highly subsidized internet at SHOFCO’s main site to enable fast connectivity to SHOFCO’s electronic medical record system, allowing the team to leverage transformative data to continually assess the impact of their medical projects” added Mr Collymore

Founded in 2004 by Kennedy Odede, who was raised in the Kibera community, SHOFCO aims to combat the hardships found in slums by establishing initiatives that uplift the community. SHOFCO provides a tuition-free education to girls in the area to further invest in the overall wellbeing of the community. The services provided by SHOFCO support various community initiatives such as sanitation education, health care, and clean water. SHOFCO’s innovation in water is supported by Newman’s Own Foundation, Pentair, and the Greenbaum Foundation.  SHOFCO also supplements the public with tools such as computer and library sources, financial management programs, a SACCO and adult education. The non-profit organization is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya and New York, NY.  

Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) has today announced the expansion of Africa’s first aerial water piping system for less privileged communities in partnership with Safaricom Foundation.

The partnership aims to scale up the provision of clean and accessible water to 84,000 people in the informal settlement of Kibera, most of whom have been forced to rely on predatory private water vendors for their daily water needs.

The idea of an aerial water piping system was conceptualized as a way around the complicated and costly logistical hurdle of distributing water across East Africa’s largest informal settlement. Safaricom Foundation will join hands to scale the landmark project - pioneered by SHOFCO and the Pentair Foundation –to build an additional 10 water kiosks. 

 “This project is a bold answer to one of the most pressing needs in Kibera; access to clean and safe water. More than two thirds of the world population is living in cities. The resulting social instability, risk to critical infrastructure, potential water crises and the potential of devastating spread of diseases are a reality. Kibera and other informal settlements in Nairobi are not an exception. We are proud of what we are doing here today. The collaborative efforts between communities and the private sector provide a transformative opportunity to address key societal challenges. We are grateful to The Safaricom Foundation for partnering with SHOFCO as positive change agents in Kibera,” said Kennedy Odede, the CEO and Co-founder of SHOFCO. 

In 2012, SHOFCO kicked off the clean water initiative with a 100,000-liter water tower – the largest clean water access point in Kibera - built by Newman’s Own Foundation and serving 4,200 individuals. The aerial system, designed and supported through a partnership with the Pentair Foundation will serve 42,000 individuals, and Safaricom Foundation will double this impact to reach 84,000, leveraging and scaling the success thus far to new heights. This unique water system is the first of its kind in an urban slum.  The low-cost practice of the infrastructure will supply the community with water that is 60 percent lower than the private vendors.

SHOFCO works within various urban slums across Kenya to fight poverty and gender inequality. The lowest price of water paid by residents in Kibera is still higher than the average price city residents in Kenya would pay for the commodity. This adverse situation has had damaging effects on the community, forcing Kibera residents to travel an average of 16 minutes a day to the nearest water shop, and experience other water-borne illness.  With the support of Safaricom Foundation, SHOFCO will provide the cheap, self-sustaining water sources in the community.

 “The challenges that have traditionally shaped Kenya’s past provide business with some of the biggest opportunities to make impactful investments. Investing in communities by providing access to clean and safe water will enable us to make an intentional intervention to make a difference in Kenyan’s lives. This partnership will enable SHOFCO and Safaricom to leverage their respective strengths to truly Transform Lives,” said Bob Collymore, Safaricom’s CEO.

Safaricom will also provide free data to SHOFCO's satellite centers in Kibera and Mathare, enabling library users and the youth in the areas to access the internet.

“We shall also make available highly subsidized internet at SHOFCO’s main site to enable fast connectivity to SHOFCO’s electronic medical record system, allowing the team to leverage transformative data to continually assess the impact of their medical projects” added Mr Collymore

Founded in 2004 by Kennedy Odede, who was raised in the Kibera community, SHOFCO aims to combat the hardships found in slums by establishing initiatives that uplift the community. SHOFCO provides a tuition-free education to girls in the area to further invest in the overall wellbeing of the community. The services provided by SHOFCO support various community initiatives such as sanitation education, health care, and clean water. SHOFCO’s innovation in water is supported by Newman’s Own Foundation, Pentair, and the Greenbaum Foundation.  SHOFCO also supplements the public with tools such as computer and library sources, financial management programs, a SACCO and adult education. The non-profit organization is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya and New York, NY.