This video was filmed in 2023; the figures have since changed.
Impact Water: Drinking water at school—an engine for children’s health
In many African countries, public schools do not have access to safe drinking water. Children are exposed to major health risks, including waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, which impact their health, concentration, and school attendance.
Impact Water offers a simple, scalable solution: point-of-use water treatment systems installed directly in schools, accompanied by hygiene trainings and frequent system maintenance. The goal is to improve student health and empower schools to provide reliable access to safe drinking water throughout the school year.
After several years of activity and expertise development in Uganda, Impact Water launched its operations in Nigeria in 2017.
The company works with the education and health ministries to equip schools and universities with chlorine-based water treatment units for free.
Its business model historically has been based on the sale of carbon credits, as its partner schools no longer need to boil water to make it safe to drink. However, the venture is now also raising grant funding to increase sustainability and global scaling.
In 2024, Impact Water reached a new milestone: more than 39,000 schools are now equipped with the water treatment systems in Nigeria, providing over 11 million children with access to safe drinking water every day.
>>> To learn more: Safe Drinking Water for Schools in Africa | Impact Water
The impact of Impact Water on health, and beyond:
Danone Communities supports Impact Water to improve the health of children in schools, in line with our health mission and commitment to impact-driven ventures. The results are tangible:
How Danone Communities actively supports Impact Water, some concrete examples:
By supporting Impact Water, Danone Communities helps provide access to safe drinking water for vulnerable populations and takes concrete action to positively impact health worldwide, as part of Danone’s mission.
children impacted in Nigeria
schools equipped
Teacher, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
“Teaching was always my passion, even as a young girl I was tutoring my younger siblings and neighbours’ kids. Before Impact Water was available in my school, boiling was the only tool we had to provide drinking water for my students. The school struggled with the cost of firewood as well as the hours lost to the chore of boiling water. I was searching for sustainable solutions until I met Zacch, CEO of Impact Water Nigeria, who offered a water treatment system my school could afford.
I would recommend to all of the schools to install the Impact Water system. Before our students had a lot of problems with stomach pain, diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases. Now with Impact Water we have safe drinking water always available in the school. Kids can take water whenever they are thirsty and they do not miss class due to waterborne disease anymore.”
