“This project changes the lives of an entire generation.”
- FC-Newsteam
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
First Climate CEO returns with vivid impressions from 15th anniversary visit to the “Safe Water” Program
Clean drinking water, lower CO₂ emissions, and improved education: For 15 years, First Climate and the Impact Carbon and Impact Water project teams have partnered to deliver measurable climate and social benefits in Africa. To mark this milestone, First Climate CEO, Olaf Bachert, visited Kenya to see the Safe Water Program's current progress firsthand, returning with powerful insights into how clean water can transform lives and offer hope for the future.
Launched in 2014, Impact Water’s Safe Water Program has been bringing clean, safe drinking water to schools and communities that need it most. By installing innovative, low-cost water systems that eliminate the need to boil water for safety, the program helps prevent waterborne diseases and enables children to attend classes regularly. Thanks to the project activities, students can stay in school, focus on their education, and build brighter futures.
“The Safe Water Program provides enormous benefits for the climate, and it directly improves the lives of an entire generation of young Kenyans. Clean water gives millions of schoolchildren the chance for a better future,” said Olaf Bachert upon his return.
Climate Action and Social Impact: Up Close and Personal
At the start of the visit Impact Water’s local teams greeted Olaf to Nairobi where the project country hub is located. Beginning with a tour of the country offices and staff presentations and culminating with tours of three local schools in Nairobi, as well as in the nearby counties of Kiambu, and Narok, the site visit provided a welcome chance to see the transformative impact of the project activities on local students and school staff.
“Of course, I can rattle off the figures behind the project: drinking water systems for 60,000 schools in three African countries and water supplies for nearly 25 million children. Seeing the results of the project with my own eyes, though, is something else entirely. It's impressive and inspiring,” says Olaf Bachert.
Measurable Results, Real Impact
During his visit, Bachert spoke with teachers, school administrators, and many schoolchildren about their experiences with the project and its impact on their everyday lives. The visit also included attending a training session, where they regularly practice the proper use of water treatment systems.
Evan Haigler, Board Chair at Impact Water, and Olaf Bachert (both front row, far left) with members of the Impact Water team in Kenya.
He goes on to share that two situations during his visit made a particularly strong impression on him. “Most vivid was a conversation I had with a young schoolgirl at a blue Impact Water tank in the schoolyard. As we filled a cup of water together, she told me enthusiastically how easy it now is to get clean water before class. For many of us, access to clean water may seem like a given, but in many parts of the world, it is not," says Bachert.
Various impressions from site visits at project offices and 3 partners schools in Nairobi and the nearby counties of Kiambu and Narok, Kenya.
He was also impressed by an unexpected conversation with a local traveler at the airport in Nairobi. “The man asked why we were traveling together, and I told him about the Safe Water program and the project activities.” Olaf Bachert recounted that the man responded with a laugh and mentioned that, as a student, he had of course also used the blue tanks at his school. “For me, this moment confirmed how deep and lasting the impact of the Safe Water program is.”
“This program and our partnership show what’s possible when climate responsibility meets local action,” says Haigler, Board Chair at Impact Water, and goes on to say: “We are very thankful for the support of all our partners and dedicated companies in every part of the world that have not only supported the installation of our school safe water systems but also enabled us to empower children and invest in livelihood improvements in sub-Saharan Africa.”
For questions about the project and how to support Impact Water's work and help reduce carbon emissions with this project, please contact our climate solutions experts at: impact@firstclimate.com.
About Impact Water
Impact Water (IW) is led by a dedicated global team, based in the U.S., and multinational teams in its three 3 country offices in Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria. The multi-discplinary team includes entrepreneurs, development practitioners, social scientists, marketeers, and project managers by training, who are deeply committed to what they do. Before Impact Water launched their project, boiling was often the only tool schools had to make drinking water safe for their students. Schools struggled with the cost of firewood as well as the hours lost to the chore of boiling water. With more than 62,000 water purification systems installed in schools in Africa, Impact Water now aims to make universal coverage of safe drinking water systems a reality in schools across Africa.
