Our Projects

Programme 1: New water infrastructure

This is a key element to reaching more people and increasing access to clean water across southern Madagascar. Our experienced construction team install simple yet precise rainwater harvesting systems at schools, hospitals and in communities, often with hybrid school-kiosk systems where the surplus water is sold to the community. This programme is paid for by donor funds.

A finished rainwater harvesting system at EPP Ambinanikely in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar

Schools rainwater harvesting systems

We partner with the Ministry of Education at all levels to make sure that there is clean water available throughout school sites for handwashing and drinking. These systems often include a gravity-fed connection to a community kiosk which is managed by one of our Tatirano Agents. We install rainwater systems at a range of small and large, urban and rural schools. Here you can see a 10,000 litre Tatirano Calabash ferrocement tank that provides clean water to nearly 500 students at Ambinanikely Primary School in Fort-Dauphin.

A 20,000 litre rainwater harvesting system pictured in a busy marketplace in Farafangana, southeast Madagascar

Marketplace rainwater harvesting systems

As well as the Ministry of Education, we work closely with the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and the local municipalities to increase access to clean water in markets and other community places. These systems often collect rainfall from an enormous roof area and provide for a larger demand than that at most school sites. In this photo you can see a 20,000 litre Tatirano Calabash ferrocement water tank in the Farafangana marketplace that is managed by one of our longest serving Tatirano Agents, Madame Sylviane.

Illustration showing a Tatirano rainwater harvesting tank alongside construction workers

Programme 2: Monitoring and Repair

Illustration showing a woman in a Tatirano water kiosk, a monitoring officer making notes about finished water systems, a computer display showing the Statirano dashboard, and an all-female repair team with tools

We believe it's essential that water infrastructure is monitored and maintained to ensure proper functionality over time. We hire local women (our Tatirano Agents) to manage water systems and sell water at community kiosks. Every week our team makes a monitoring visit either in person or via phone to all of our social projects at schools, hospitals and community kiosks. The results of these monitoring visits are updated on STATIRANO each week for all to see. Our repair teams then take care of any required maintenance and upgrades, responding to feedback from the Agents. This programme will be paid for by the profits from programme #3.

A group of female construction workers prepare cement for a repair

Keeping the water flowing

Our MEAL team work closely with local Tatirano Agents to make sure we get weekly updates for every rainwater harvesting system we install: Is it working? Are people using the water? Are any repairs needed? We also employ mobile data collectors to visit remote sites and check them in person. If there is a problem or even just a suggested improvement, one of our regional repair teams visits to make the changes.

Screenshot from the Statirano website showing details about a water point

Statirano platform

Our custom data collection, statistics and business intelligence platform, Statirano, stores all the information we collect. For each water point this might include status, litres dispensed, number of users and even weather data. As part of our commitment to openness and accountability, all of this information is public and updated weekly - even the financial details of construction costs and how much we’re spending on maintenance.

Programme 3: High-end treated water sales

Via our water treatment centre in Fort Dauphin, and with accreditation from the national laboratory, we sell treated rainwater to local consumers. 100% of the profits made in this programme contribute towards programme #2 to ensure a sustainable model for ongoing functionality of all water systems. Eventually #2 and #3 will financially balance and be led and operated entirely by women.

Photo of the exterior of the laboratory

Water treatment laboratory

For the high-end commercial market, we use rainwater that has been subsequently treated via filtration and UV before bottling, all carried out in our Fort Dauphin laboratory. This custom-built facility is managed entirely by women, and can produce thousands of litres of treated water a day. We are seeking to expand to other regions in the near future with addtional laboratories in other cities.

Dozens of Tatirano water cans on the shelves in a shop

Tatirano water sales

Our treated water is sold in reusable 5 litre jerry cans, 1 litre glass bottles, and water cooler solutions. By avoiding plastic bottles we are reducing the amount of plastic waste produced in Fort Dauphin, whilst our customers can enjoy a product that is great-tasting, beneficial for the local community, and up to 50% cheaper than bottled water alternatives.

Illustration showing an all-female sales team in Tatirano uniforms next to a glass water bottle and a 5 litre jerry can

Programme 4: Research and special projects

Illustration of a fog harvester, a newly-planted seedling, a large concrete jar and a passive solar desalinator

We are niching ourselves as the local social entity to use for all things water across southern Madagascar. We welcome world class universities from all over to partner with us in passive desalination research; economic analyses of household willingness to pay for rainwater harvesting; fog harvesting research, water trucking to community kiosks in arid areas and more. This programme is paid for by project-cycle donor funding.

The new Baobab Network water truck prepares to get to work

Water trucking network in Androy

We believe in combining business and clean water to achieve sustainability. There is a huge willingness to pay for water in the south of Madagascar, yet this expensive water is often dirty and far away. The Baobab Network is a formalisation of existing water collection and consumption by local communities. Water is pumped from known water points, currently from within the sand in a dry river bed near Tsihombe, and filtered in enormous gravity sand filters, before sedimentation and chlorination. After a 24 hour settling period, 20,000 litres is delivered to a Baobab (20,000 litre ferrocement Calabash tank) and sold at the kiosk by one of our agents at up to 85% cheaper than alternative, contaminated and salty sources! The aim is for the trucking network to be entirely financially sustainable for all operating expenditure.

A group of women sit next to a giant concrete jar at a launch event

Home rainwater harvesting project

In 2024 we launched the Akandray Jar project, which aims to empower and motivate women by increasing access to drinking water in the home. At the centre of the project is the "jar", a 1,000 or 2,000 litre ferrocement container which can be produced at a much lower price than plastic water tanks of similar size. Coupled with a simple installation process using locally-available materials and a supported payment facility, the project offers an affordable way for households to have access to water at home.

A passive desalination unit being developed at the Tatirano office in Fort Dauphin

Passive desalination research

Desalination is notoriously energy consuming and as such usually comes with a large price tag and complexity that is difficult to maintain over time. We are working with some of the best universities around the world and in Madagascar to build a low-cost, durable and efficient passive desalination unit made from locally bought materials. The aim is to target not only coastal areas in the arid, drought-stricken south of Madagascar (Androy), but there is also a huge amount of groundwater inland which is brackish or saline.