Social Innovation to Deliver Clean Drinking Water for the World's Poor

Paul Polak has been a social entrepreneur long before the term came into vogue. He designs socially innovative products for millions of people who are a part of the "Bottom of the Pyramid" (BoP). Polak established a social enterprise called International Development Enterprises (IDE) in 1981 to seek solutions through business and social innovation for the BoP.

Water has been the focal point of Polak's attention these days. Water-access continues to remain one of the thorniest issues for the developing world, despite the presence of public water utility boards, privatized water companies, and a combination of the two. More than 2.5 billion people around the world still lack access to clean drinking water, which is often the underlying cause of diseases in the developing countries.

Polak has come up with a socially innovative design to help those who cannot afford to buy clean water. Polak's testing ground is the eastern state of Orissa in India, where he recently visited to engage with his Indian collaborators. Polak's test model relies on local water kiosks, or store fronts, that act as central locations for the locals to pick up a liter of drinking water, which has been cleaned through a process of chlorination. Polak is using his social entrepreneurial skills to launch a branding campaign that will create a uniform approach to the water kiosks and the home delivery system.

Polak's social enterprise model in one of the poorest parts of India is selling 10 liters of purified, clean, safe drinking water for two rupees (four US cents). This becomes an affordable price range for many. For those who may be able to spend a little more can have the water delivered to their homes. Polak's model includes this option as well to widen the impact and include the largest number of people.

Polak encourages young social entrepreneurs to step beyond the classroom and be on the field. Polak learned the struggles of millions of poor, one-acre farmers during his early travels in Bangladesh and Nepal. This led him to build irrigation devices and pumps custom-designed to fit the needs of these small farmers. Such first-hand experiences have become the driving force behind Polak's social entrepreneurial work, and what, he says, will be his life's focus in the years to come.

Photo Credit: nkzs