Kusini Water and Absa Islamic Banking partner to launch a water site in Ventersburg

15 April 2024

The water site will benefit over 900 pupils from Kgauhelo Primary School.

As water challenges continue to plague many areas across South Africa, Kusini Water and Absa Islamic Banking have partnered to launch another water site at Kgauhelo Primary School, Ventersburg, Free State on 16 April.

The Ventersburg Water Project, a collaboration between Kusini Water Foundation and Absa Islamic Banking, is aimed at unlocking solutions to providing reliable access to water for communities by providing youth with skills to enable them to proactively take part in water sustainability efforts. To date the project has completed the drilling of a community and school borehole, water filtration system and ensured a full solar system. The water site will benefit over 900 learners and the community of Ventersburg.

Founder and CEO of Kusini Water, Murendeni Mafumo says, "At Kusini, we constantly challenge ourselves to proactively partner with communities struggling to get access to clean water. The partnership with Absa allows us to empower communities by participating in the creation of sustainable solutions to the persisting water issues in the country. We value the strong partnerships with Ventersburg's local leaders and Kgauhelo Primary School and are extremely excited to launch this water site."

The water project aims to alleviate persistent water challenges and shortages. The water champions programme is a skills development programme designed to give technical training to young people, primarily unemployed women to gain water technical skills and NQF accreditation in the basics of water technology and treatment.

"At Absa, we believe that stories matter, and every story holds significance. This is a promise that reflects our commitment to focusing on the needs of people, the planet, business, and society. We want to play our part in the coordinated efforts to find a sustainable solution to the current water crisis. Our collaboration with Kusini Water is aligned to one of the fundamental principles within Islamic Finance, good for all. We believe in being a force for good in our communities and this initiative exemplifies how Islamic Banking plays a pivotal role in benefiting society at large," says Shaheen Suliman, Head of Absa Islamic Banking.

The water project will see the installation of a community borehole at Kgauhelo Primary School. The innovative solution includes a borehole, 20,000 litre storage water tanks and a water filtration system installed at 2000 LPH as well as six taps, three of which will be accessible to the community. The project has also established a food garden and an alternative power solution that will provide power back up to the school in the event of power outage.

Kusini Water Foundation's water treatment systems provide safe and clean drinking water using nanotechnology and are from macadamia nut shells.

The systems have a social component, whereby Kusini Water trains Water Champions - young people between 18 and 35 years old. The water champions in Ventersburg have been identified, trained and placed into five new jobs.

The champions will receive water filtration training and various skills to assist them in conserving water in their communities as well as be given technical and moral support.

Over the past six years, 90 South Africans have been trained as champions, 22 new jobs created in the various communities, while seven new kiosks have been developed. Kusini Water supplies safe, clean water to 100 communities across the country.

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