Yes, as defined in the Articles of Association of the Foundation, the Foundation does not aim to make any profit. The Board of the Foundation does not get compensated for their efforts. For us, it’s all about making an impact directly.

The goal of the Foundation is to enable safe and affordable fresh water on a global scale through projects that provide water using desalination, preferably driven by renewable energy, for people that face water scarcity.

To overcome water scarcity, different technologies and methods will have to be used in different situations. There are already many NGO’s active in providing water wells and other simple quick fixes. We believe in sustainable and long-term solutions. By using the unlimited resources of the sea and sun, access to clean water can be realized, without limiting tomorrow. Small-scale solar-powered desalination technology has become advanced enough to be able to provide affordable water and ease of operation. As there is a clear need of all the remote coastal communities that face water scarcity, but no instrument to get this technology to these people, we have chosen this specific area of focus, so we can make a difference.

Please take a look at the section on ‘Who we are’ to find more information on our Board Members.

The donation will go to enable safe and affordable water for the people that need it the most. Each project has a description of the scope of the project and the budget required to realize it. Also, the responsibilities for the preparation, installation and operation are described. Once the project is 100% funded, the project will be executed. We believe in transparency and will update our donors about what their contribution have made possible.

We evaluate the region using the following criteria: – Lack of access to safe drinking water – Amount of water scarcity in the region – Availability of seawater of sufficient brackish water – Stability, safety and political situation – Availability of experienced and reliable local NGO’s

Madagascar is one of the 10 least developed countries in the world. In this huge island, there are still 11 million people without access to safe water. Less than 15% of the rural areas have access to safe water. Women and children often spend up to 3 hours per day collecting dirty water from unsafe sources. One of the Board Members, Sid Vollebregt, has been to South-West Madagascar in the past and is eager to help the communities in need there. A strong local NGO with over 20 years of experience in the region is available and a MoU has been signed to determine the responsibilities. These ingredients have resulted in the 1st project in Madagascar.

By carefully selecting the projects and partner NGO’s by the experienced Board, we ensure that we help the ones in need. We only formulate projects in regions where fresh water is scarce and the population is now forced to use unsafe and/or expensive water. These often remote coastal communities need help in breaking the cycle of poverty. We believe access to safe and affordable water is a must for them to do so.

In general, each project goes through the following steps: – Selection of drinking water project location – Verification of local situation and insight in current situation – Search for local partner to overcome local challenges and ensure project uptake and maintenance after installation – Get to know local partner and formulate a Memory of Understanding – Confirm project scope and responsibilities, sign MoU – Determine project budget – Fundraising activities of EWF and local partner – Initiate project when 100% funding is obtained – Check proper project execution and communicate to donors/network – Evaluate project / partners, potential follow-up project(s)

Using the most efficient and mature desalination technology of reverse osmosis, there is a product flow (fresh water) and brine flow (concentrated water). The brine flow consists of slightly saltier source water. We take into account all environmental regulations with regards to this brine. Fortunately, volumes are quite limited and it’s often just slightly saltier seawater that can be led back to the ocean responsibly.