Entrepreneur's tech tonic reverses water crisis in Kenya

NAIROBI－As he traveled across African cities and villages to market the Tecno smartphone, Zhong Yanxiong came face-to-face with clean drinking water challenges rampant in the continent.

Zhong has lived in Africa for six years, and it was during his interactions with both rural and urban families that he realized that access to safe drinking water was a mirage, and only an innovation could offer some respite.

The co-founder and chief executive officer of iClear Wellife Service, a startup based in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, is on a mission to revolutionize water treatment by leveraging reverse osmosis in households and offices.

In many areas of Kenya, the high density of minerals in water makes it salty and hard. Reverse osmosis can remove 90 percent of harmful minerals and 99.99 percent of bacteria, purifying hard water and making it refreshingly pure.

At his office in downtown Nairobi, Zhong says that his six-year journey through Africa as an employee of Transsion, the parent company of Tecno smartphone, opened his eyes to the drinking water crisis in the continent and motivated him to be part of the solution.

"I have been to a lot of countries and cities in Africa. The water crisis is everywhere," says the 34-year-old. "So, I decided to help solve the problem and ensure each and every family have access to clean drinking water."

Zhong has adopted a local moniker, Otieno, a common family name in western Kenya, to build a rapport with colleagues and clients.

During his numerous visits to African households, he learned that water sourced from boreholes had high concentrations of harmful elements, such as fluoride. He realized the need to explore cost-effective and locally appropriate technology to treat this water and minimize the risks of fluorosis and other waterborne ailments.

Zhong says iClear's business model is unique because it is anchored on leasing out water purifiers equipped with reverse osmosis technology to clients instead of selling the entire equipment, the cost of which can be prohibitive.

He points out that the purifiers sold in the local market cost up to 50,000 shillings ($423) to 80,000 shillings per piece, and people are required to buy filters once every six months. Leasing them, however, cuts down expenses incurred by poorer households to treat contaminated water.

Zhong says his clients only need to pay an annual fee of 10,000 shillings and an installation charge of 2,000 shillings.

The lease also offers free door-to-door service twice a year, including filter replacement, water pipe disinfection and equipment maintenance. His company further encourages households with humble budgets to pay the annual fee in installments.

At present, iClear has chosen Kenya to pilot its water purifier leasing model, but venturing into other African countries is in the pipeline, says Zhong. He adds that more than 200 local families, who have tested the equipment, have given positive feedback.

When he paid a visit to a family in Nakuru, about 200 kilometers northwest of Nairobi, the hostess－a mother of three－told him about her heartwarming experience with iClear purifiers. She told him she no longer worried about her children getting sick because now they drank clean water.

The purifiers of iClear are manufactured in China and have a life span of five to 10 years if properly maintained, says Zhong. He says his marketing team has zeroed in on Nairobi's densely populated working-class districts to promote the purifiers, and he hopes to reach 1 million families soon.

"We intend to establish an assembly plant for our water purifying machines in Kenya and make them affordable to customers," he adds.

Walter Wamae, a middle-aged resident of a middle-income suburb in Nairobi, says the iClear lease has spared him the cost of purchasing a water purifier.

"Earlier, I spent a lot of time and money to buy water from the designated water points. The purifier has ended my problems. It offers great convenience. I get water directly from the tap," he says.

He adds his family members now have uninterrupted access to safe drinking water, which protects them from amoeba and other pathogens.

Since it was founded, iClear has fast-tracked localization of its workforce and recruited a diverse professional cadre, including after-sales specialists, plumbers, marketers and human resources experts, says Zhong.

Flossy Cheruiyot, a human resources and administration manager at iClear, says the startup has hired a talented workforce to support the deployment of affordable and quality water purifiers among its clients.

"We have a team of around 30 members for back office and field work. We intend to increase our staff strength to 100 before the end of the year, so that we can effectively reach every household," she says.

She adds that the startup has leveraged social media, besides partnering with local e-commerce platforms, to expand its outreach to retail and corporate clients.

Xinhua