Latour and Solvatten

Latour and Solvatten in collaboration for safe and hot water

The Impact

The support from Investment AB Latour and its wholly-owned operations enables improved health, hygiene and living conditions for families living off-grid in Burkina Faso and Uganda. Also, it has a positive impact on the preservation of forests in regions were access to safe water and sustainable sources of energy are scarce.

In collaboration since 2018

In 2018, Investment AB Latour donated 955 Solvatten containers to families and primary schools in Burkina Faso. The year after, an additional 1014 families in Uganda were reached thanks to the collaboration. In total, these contributions will be of great support for over 13.000 people for many years ahead.

Field implementation

The projects in Burkina Faso and Uganda are implemented together with PLAN International, UNHCR and local district governments. To add value to educational programs, WASH activities, equality interventions and refugee response. Solvatten kits are distributed to the most vulnerable families in the program regions.

Take part of project reports and sunshine stories

In the reports below, you can take part of the project background, the impact of your donation and sunshine stories from Solvatten beneficiaries in Burkina Faso and Uganda.

Safe and warm water

Safe and hot water is fundamental to keep children and babies healthy. The global spread of Covid19 has further showed us the importance of washing our hands and face and keeping surfaces clean, to prevent the virus from spreading. This causes a great need for health and hygiene support.

Having a Solvatten at home gives easy access to safe and hot water to improve families’ health and hygiene conditions. By using the power of the sun, it heats and treats water from microbiological contaminants and prevents people from falling sick. Your support to Uganda is implemented within PLAN International and UNHCR's Covid19 response to make caring for hygiene easier, and make families more resilient.

Solvatten in Uganda

In 2020, our partnership enabled new Solvatten projects in Uganda, where we now work with PLAN International and UNHCR as our main partners. Your donation helps families living in refugee settlements and host communities in Adjumani, Palorinya, Lamwo, Nebbi, Kamuli, and Buyende. It also contributes to Solvatten interventions through smaller, local organizations working in the slums of Kampala, as well as in Pader to support families with children suffering from the Nodding Disease Syndrome.

Foremost, Solvatten is distributed to off-grid villages and women-led households with children under the age of five - who are especially vulnerable to water and hygiene-related diseases. This enables families to improve their living conditions significantly, simply by using the power from the sun. This saves trees and other vegetation in regions that are deeply affected by climate change and the scarcity of natural resources.

To children in Burkina Faso

In 2019, your donation reached 7500 people in Burkina Faso, where less than 30% of children in the country complete primary school. The objective of the program was to support children who had rolled out of school, and let them catch up on their education at learning centers. To improve the childrens' health and capacity to attend school, Solvatten was implemented through hygiene clubs at 205 learning centers throughout the country.

Despite a challenging year, with Covid19 and restrictions, more than 80% of the children passed their exams and enrolled in the formal primary school system in October 2020! According to the teachers, Solvatten has been an important incentive for the children to come to school every day, knowing they'll have safe and warm water easily available for drinking and hand washing during the pandemic.

A SUNSHINE STORY

Solvatten & Latour in collaboration

Investment AB Latour began its collaboration with Solvatten in 2018. Like Latour's other investments, this is a long-term partnership for sustainable development. In 2018 and 2019, both employees and companies within Latour have contributed to the project, and all contributions made were matched by Latour centrally. During the three-year project, the goal is to reach 3 000 families, corresponding to approximately 24 000 people.

Opened like a book

Each unit contains two five-litre containers, each of which can be filled with water via a filter.

Fueled by the sun

The unit is then placed in direct sunlight, which simultaneously heats the water and exposes it to ultraviolet radiation.

Purified by radiation

The combination of heat and UV light purifies the water. Depending on conditions, the water will be free of pathogenic material in 2-6 hours.

Cleared to use

An indicator shows when the treatment process is complete—a sad red face changes to a green and happy one.

TECHNOLOGY

How can the sun clean water?

Solvatten purification is based on three well-known methods: filtration, heat pasteurization and ultraviolet sterilisation. It is the combination of heat and sunlight that neutralise micro-organisms that give rise to diseases. As the water warms up, the increased temperature makes the micro-organisms extra vulnerable to the sun's UV radiation.

Solvatten is designed to maximise the UV light reaching the water. As the sun's rays hit the black bottom surface of the container, the temperature rises. When a high enough temperature is reached, micro-organisms' membranes can no longer protect the cell nucleus. UV light breaks the bonds in the cell's DNA, sterilising the cell. When the process is complete, an indicator shows that the water is ready for use.

POSITIVE IMPACT INDICATOR

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Solvatten AB

Roslagsgatan 56, 11354 Stockholm

+46 08 777 29 05

info@solvatten.org