"They are the first foreigner who tried the".

A French group transforms water in Bangladesh filthy river water into affordable drinking water - all for a good cause, the company promises. PhD student Kerstin Humberg the plant in Goalmari attended. And had a glass of equal cost.

 

The farther we are from the capital Dhaka to remove, the narrower the streets. Since a quarter of an hour we have seen from our white Bulli out how two drivers Bengali middle of the road block. Like nearly all buses in Bangladesh are both ruthlessly crowded, even on the roofs sitting passengers. In the deep, wet rice fields left and right can not avoid both. One must back away, otherwise we will not be accepted.

"That can take," my companion sighs Ansa of Grameen Bank and closes his eyes. It is shortly before noon, our Bulli makes any sauna after an infusion of fresh competition. The rainy season is imminent, the humidity is enormous. If the two do not dispute taps some soon, I collapse.

Still, we are a good 20 miles from Goalmari, a village about 100 kilometers east of Dhaka, away. It transforms the French water company Veolia for several days filthy river water into clean drinking water. For only one taka (about a penny), you get five liters of water. From Veolia Water is a "Social Business" product, by a cooperative group of the water with the micro-credit Grameen Bank of
Peace Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, the poor rural dwellers to be placed.

No profit at the expense of the poor

The aim is to supply the approximately 25,000 residents with Goalmaris affordable drinking water. If the business model works, should any profits later in the construction of additional water treatment plants in Bangladesh to flow. Grameen Veolia Neither nor should financially benefit from this commitment. "No profit at the expense of the poor" is Yunus' top 'Social Business' maxim.

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A counselor sets of: Kerstin Humberg flew from Hamburg two years as a consultant to the World. Now doctorate degree Geographer, 31, and will for two months in Bangladesh entrepreneurial ideas to explore poverty reduction. They reported in Uniblogs from the country of Bengal.

Access to clean drinking water in Bangladesh is a privilege. Geological condition that large parts of the groundwater reserves of the country contaminated with arsenic. The poison is often so highly concentrated that the daily water consumption can be fatal. In Goalmari are about 80 percent of the affected wells, nationwide more than 35 million Bangladeschis acutely threatened by arsenic. Still pumping the villagers continue to diligently water from the soil, because the danger is invisible, and there are no alternatives.

The surface water in rivers and lakes are polluted, at the supermarket is water with 10 to 15 cents per liter for many Bangladeschis priceless. For the care of a family of five would have the head of the family 150 Taka up - impossible if you only 200 taka a day deserves.

After one of the drivers but relented and the bus reset, it is finally on. In Goalmari we go to the last mile on foot and wriggle ourselves amidst palm trees, goats and dunghill round.

Brown is back to drinking water

"We are ready," proclaims the technical director of a small waterworks proud and leads us on a hill on the riverbank. Still, the walls of the factory building whitewashed - the logo of the company Veolia should not wait long. Even for the yoghurt manufacturer Danone has become a "Social Business" along with Nobel laureate Yunus a huge PR success. And Veolia will probably try to long-term capital from the social commitment to beat. Charity is in the West highly valued, cost-effective access is hardly a company as a market segment.

The first tap of the 14 is already completed, the sale can begin. We climb into the attic of the plant. On the river bank has given us the bottom of the water engineer says, he now presents the carbon filter. "Up to 10,000 liters of drinking water we can produce per hour."

Appetizingly sees the brown broth between the filters are not straight. I feel queasy when the engineer sent me a glass of freshly filtered river water before the nose holds. "They are the first foreigner that the probiert," he explains. Na wunderbar! In the last two months I have already several kilos in several diarrhea attacks lost. "Only courage," he encouraged me - and I obediently swallow.

The head of the plant can look at the clock, the business partners from India, must arrive at any moment. In fact, we run the group straight into the arms. Among them is Marie, 19 The study employs the Frenchwoman with humanitarian aid programs and is in training with the "Grameen-Veolia Ltd". develop a marketing concept. Difficult task: What convinced you of them poor peasants, now spend money on something that does not directly benefit, and to date have been free?

Prosthesis-production as a Social Business?

The former brackish until now I have very well tolerated - the time in Bangladesh has shown me yet: After more than two months in Dhaka, I am not only emaciated, my breathing has become difficult. The daily rickshaw rides minimize the sidewalks, and after-business workout with Western labor migrants was just not my thing.

My lungs rasselt whether the many hours in the hot baking sun in the open when the Mototaxi traffic. But one gets used to it, as well as beggars, for each taxi ride their arm or leg stumps show. With the production of affordable prostheses and wheelchairs in Dhaka would be a wonderful "Social Business" unravel.

My time in Bangladesh soon to end. Whether the residents Goalmaris really the fingers of the arsenvergifteten wells or the unfiltered river water can be? As the multi Veolia Water with the "Social Business" and how it was made over the life of the villagers effect, I will only come back in November under the microscope can take. Then begins the second phase of my fieldwork, I'll be here again - in the poor but beautiful country of Bengal.