MADZI NDI MOYO
(Water is life)
Our friends in Malawi taught us this phrase, and ever since, it has been our anthem.
WHO WE ARE
The communities we partner with have been fighting against dirty water for centuries, and the effects are devastating. At Renown Collective, we’ve joined this fight by teaming up with the best African-led organizations who are committed to holistic and sustainable solutions. Together, we want to end the water crisis so the African people can experience the flourishing they were made for!
Our
Approach
EMPOWERING
AFRICAN
LEADERS
Local leaders all across East Africa are devoting their lives to developing innovative solutions to complex issues in their communities. We find those leaders and get behind them. Through creative storytelling, Renown Collective aims to connect the world to inspiring individuals and organizations doing beautiful work.
Malawi
uganda
Malawi
Our
Integrative
Model
Madzi Ndi Moyo. Water is life. It all starts with clean water. From there, the floodgates of opportunity burst open. With clean water, the long-held dreams of economic mobility, better health, improved education, and gender equality become real possibilities.
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Our
IMPACT
Over 700,000 People Served
OUR
IMPACT
AREAS
Rabu
Mchacha
Neno
Mwanza
Blantyre
Mafale
mityana
butaynja
Uganda
malawi
Neno
Malawi
Key Initiatives
WASH, Education
Rabu
Malawi
Key Initiatives
WASH, Education
Mafale
Malawi
Key Initiatives
WASH, Education
Mchacha
Malawi
Key Initiatives
Orphan Care, WASH, Education, Enterprise Development, Health Care
Blantyre
Malawi
Key Initiatives
Education, Disaster Relief, Enterprise Development, HIV Prevention
Mwanza
Malawi
Key Initiatives
Education, Enterprise Development, Gender Equality, HIV Prevention
Butaynja
Uganda
Key Initiatives
Orphan Care, WASH, Education, Enterprise Development, Health Care
Mityana
Uganda
Key Initiatives
Orphan Care, WASH, Education, Enterprise Development, Health Care
Before I found Renown Collective, I wanted to be sure my money would count for something important. When I heard Renown Collective’s vision for going about their work in Africa in the right way, I became a monthly donor because I can’t think of anything better to give my money to. I believe there is nothing more important to be a part of than this.
JOEL BRIGHTON / Wells Fargo – Charlotte, NC
Give
Life
Today
Will you join us in the fight against dirty water? Your donation, no matter the size, can save a life, send an orphan to school, and provide hope for real people in some of the most forgotten places and hopeless situations in the world.
You never have to wonder if your donation is making a difference because 100% of your donation goes directly to the work on the ground in Africa. Our African partners, who know their communities best, are utilizing the most efficient and sustainable methods in the fight against dirty water.
When you donate, we promise to show you the difference you are making with consistent updates and stories from the field. Together we can end the global water crisis!
The Challenge
DISEASE
Did you know that water-related diseases are the leading cause of death in the world?
1 out of every 3 people (over 2.2 billion) still lack access to clean, safe drinking water! In Africa, the death rate due to lack of clean water and sanitation is four times the global rate. Children in Africa are 15 times more likely to die under the age of 5 than children in higher-income countries, accounting for over 90% of child deaths! Most of us cannot fathom death by diarrhea, but this is the reality for almost 1,000 children every single day.
The solution
clean
water
It all starts with clean water, however, this is only the beginning. Every project is holistic and implements the full WASH strategy. WASH stands for water, sanitation, and hygiene, and each piece is essential to defeating the bully in every community.
For example, without toilets, water sources become contaminated. But without clean water, basic hygiene practices are impossible. This is why all of our well projects include the necessary sanitation facilities and the training required for the community to have ownership of the whole process. When we kick the bully out of a community, we intend for it to stay out. Our African partners and local community leaders ensure the long-term sustainability of every project. There is built-in accountability with consistent progress reports and long-term water quality checks that continue years beyond the launch of a well. Additionally, we work with our local partners to improve healthcare by building and staffing medical clinics where they are most needed.
The Challenge
ILLITERACY
Education is the gateway of opportunity for children in Africa, but dirty water makes the journey through school impossible for many children.
Water-related illnesses leave students sick at home or caring for sick family members. These illnesses often lead to death, leaving families fragmented and children orphaned and unable to afford school fees. A lack of female facilities, stigmas around menstruation, and the burden of collecting water for the family leaves young girls severely impacted. Even when students can attend school, dirty water still threatens their well-being. Half of the schools in the world don’t have handwashing facilities available to students, meaning schools themselves can become breeding grounds for deadly disease.
The solution
BUILDing
SCHOLARS
We are funding school fees for orphans and providing university scholarships to top-performing students who cannot afford continued education.
A study in Tanzania found that reducing the time it takes to collect water by just 15 minutes increases girls’ school attendance by 12%. Now, imagine when that time is reduced by an hour, or even two! When we build wells and sanitation facilities, we often build these on school grounds. Access to these vital facilities are open for community use as well, and locating them at the school makes education that much more accessible for everyone. For children who have been left parentless and without resources, education can be an invaluable path to hope. That’s why we are passionate about providing school scholarships for orphans. These scholarships cover everything from uniforms, supplies, transportation, and school fees. We work with our local partners to identify the top-performing orphan students who have been accepted to university, but could never afford to attend on their own. We provide them with full scholarships throughout their university years. We concentrate these scholarships on students studying in areas in which they hope to serve their communities in meaningful ways in the future.
THE Challenge
poverty
Dirty water is a drain on the economy and leads many families into a lifetime of poverty.
Imagine you are among the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. 11 cents of every dollar you earn goes to buying water, and in order to even access that water, you have to clock out of work for 2 hours a day. Oh, and by the way, the only water you are able to access is dirty water, so you miss dozens of days of work each year because you are sick. This is the reality for countless families in Africa. Dirty Water is a drain on the economy and leads many families into a lifetime of poverty. In Malawi, more than 2 out of 3 people live below the poverty line, earning less than $1.90 a day. That’s under $700 per year! With this lack of income, food insecurity and malnutrition are rampant with only 8% of children between 6 months and 2 years old receiving a minimum acceptable diet. Dirty Water has such a severe impact on the economy that The World Economic Forum ranks the water crisis in the top 3 of global risks year after year. They warn that failing to respond effectively to these challenges, including access to clean water in rural Africa, will have devastating global effects.
The solution
self-sustaining
communities
In rural Africa, every $1 invested in clean drinking water yields an average of $7 returned in saved medical costs and increased productivity.
That’s why we always begin with clean water and the necessary hygiene and sanitation facilities. Additionally, we are committed to helping these communities become economically self-sustaining by providing business loans and grants to entrepreneurs with great ideas. In areas where conventional banking and financial services are sparse, microfinance can be a game-changer, providing the necessary financial margin for individuals to create businesses and jobs in their communities. In Malawi, we provide grants to launch farms at orphanages that harvest enough food to provide for the orphans themselves, as well as extra to sell in the local market. Our local partners throughout Africa implement incredible savings and loan groups in many of the villages. These groups both educate and provide savings accounts for those who have no access to reliable savings methods without extortionate fees. In order to beat poverty, we need all hands on deck, including the hands of the communities we are partnering with. Financial security gives traction to good ideas and ensures that hard work leads to self-sustaining communities.
The Challenge
oppression
When it comes to dirty water, mothers and their daughters pay an especially high price.
Women and young girls are almost always responsible for collecting water, and without access to a nearby clean water source, this task robs them of much of their time and energy! It is common for women to spend up to four hours every day walking, waiting in line at a dirty water source, and carrying heavy water buckets back home. This is time and energy that could be spent launching a business to provide for their family, attending school, or investing in their children. These daily treks for water leave young girls vulnerable to attacks from wild animals, sexual assault, and disease from gathering water. A lack of private sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools and workplaces disproportionately affects African women and girls. In Uganda, 94% of girls report problems at school during menstruation and 61% feel they cannot even attend school during this time. The same feelings are held by many African women in the workplace. This is why meeting the needs of clean water, sanitation and hygiene will be key in achieving gender equality and unlocking the incredible potential of African women!
THE solution
building
equity
We are committed to fighting for gender equity in Africa.
First and foremost, this means fighting against the bully of dirty water in African communities. Clean water, along with sanitation and hygiene facilities, is a huge step toward empowering African women! Oppressive social norms and stigmas must be challenged and unraveled. We work exclusively with African partners who reject traditional patriarchal norms and are committed to gender equality in their work. Empowering women through educating them about their rights is a powerful piece of our partners’ work. In an effort to keep girls in school, we provide female hygiene products and support the health education of both girls and boys to destigmatize menstruation. Our partners employ women at a fair wage and offer money management classes and business loans, creating a pathway to financial self-sustainability that has been historically denied to women. For far too long African women have been oppressed by the bully of dirty water and unfair cultural norms. We are holistically fighting against both.
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