Cambodia

Flagship program of 1001fontaines, the Cambodian initiative has built evidence of the relevance of its decentralized model for safe drinking water, the impact in the field, and its capacity to become financially viable.

Local partner

Teuk Saat 1001
(“Drinking water” in Cambodian)

Local water brand

O-we

A WORD FROM
THE COUNTRY MANAGER

In Cambodia, 6.3 million people do not have access to safe water, including 60% of rural inhabitants. It is in these areas that we set up our first water kiosks in 2005.

15 years later, we now have 250 water kiosks in operation, covering 19 of the 25 Cambodian provinces, and Teuk Saat, our local entity, has the financial breakeven within reach. Early 2020, Sevea, a consulting firm specialized in social entrepreneurship, gave our program the grade of 17/20, highlighting that 1001fontaines and Teuk Saat have demonstrated their capability to bring to scale a sustainable solution to address the water crisis.

We can be proud of the road traveled in Cambodia, and this encourages us to carry on scaling up this approach in the country and, above all, to replicate our model in multiple geographies.

Frédéric Dubois

Our impact today

303
Water Kiosks, with 90% achieving profitability 

560,000
liters of safe water produced every day

980,700
beneficiaries, including 350,000 children

5
regional platforms

1,000 +
schools served

1,036
local jobs created

Our ambition

– 1 –

Cover 100% of the rural communes with 10,000+ inhabitants

– 2 –

Be the government’s prime partner in rural areas

– 3 –

Become a showcase for social business by reaching the capacity to self-finance the growth

Before having access to 1001fontaines’ water, I used to boil water from the pond. But boiled water, even after rest, remains hot for a long time, so children would keep on drinking water from the pond. Now, they come back home to drink when they play. They help themselves out of the jug and are almost never ill. I am very happy for them, because they can really benefit from school, and when they grow up, they will have a job. I save time, since I do not need to boil water any longer, and I save money also: I do not need to take the kids to the dispensary and save on the medical expenses.

Sokha, Prek Luong village