1001 Fontaines

Water in School

Location of impact : Tamatave, Madagascar
Grant : 5000€
Project supported in 2023-24

In 2008, 1001 Fontaines launched the Water In School programme to guarantee a better future for children, who are even more vulnerable to water-borne diseases.

Quality education is the fourth of the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. It aims to ensure equal access to quality education for all, and to promote lifelong learning opportunities.

One of the indicators used to measure access to education is the percentage of schools with basic access to drinking water, so our action is crucial to achieving this goal.

According to the UN, 1 in 3 schools in the world has neither drinking water nor basic sanitation facilities.

The drinking water produced by Ranontsika, 1001 Fontaines’ local structure, is delivered to the schools twice a week. One 20-litre jerry can is provided per day and per class.

Ranontsika also provides teachers with an awareness booklet containing the basic concepts adapted to each school level, so that they can pass on these messages throughout the year through fun and educational activities.

The Ranontsika team also supports them during three dedicated awareness days.

The donations received throughout the year enable the following actions:

Free supply of drinking water to beneficiary schools throughout the school year
Expansion and improvement of the Water in School programme in Tamatave
Setting up awareness-raising days on the issues involved in drinking safe water and the importance of good hygiene practices.
Supporting and monitoring the implementation of good hygiene practices by teaching staff.

the organisation carrying the project

For almost 20 years, 1001fontaines has been providing a proven, sustainable model for accelerating access to drinking water for all. We set up drinking water production units and deliver 20-litre bottles down to the last kilometre, at a price everyone can afford.

In rural areas, production and distribution are set up directly in the target communities, through a network of micro-enterprises, the Water Kiosks, supported over the long term by a national structure.

In urban areas, larger water production facilities serve decentralised sales points that reach vulnerable populations through specific distribution channels – this is the case in Tamatave.

Philanthropy funds construction, equipment and local capacity building, until the activity becomes self-financing through the sale of water and enables drinking water services to achieve autonomy at national level.

Today, our services benefit more than a million people, including 350,000 children, and we have created more than 1,100 direct jobs in the four countries where we operate. Not only do these people benefit from good health, but they also enjoy better economic prospects thanks to a reduction in the number of working days lost to health problems, lower medical expenses and more school days for their children. This creates a virtuous circle in which the whole community benefits from the positive spin-offs: each kiosk provides lifelong access to drinking water for 10,000 people.