How Neneng cut her business costs with safe water
Neneng runs a small shop selling food and iced drinks in Babakan, Ciseeng, a rural village in West Java, Indonesia. The income she earns from her shop helps support her family. The income she earns from her shop helps support her family, including her husband, daughter, and son, who live with her at home.
Neneng's business is smart. Her meals are a popular to-go option for locals seeking a quick, comforting bite. The climate in the area is tropical – hot and humid – and her iced drinks offer a refreshing way to cool off. However, making the drinks cost more than you might expect.
With a population of 283 million people, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world and Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
In a nation of islands, Neneng still had to pay for safe water by the jug
As the world's largest archipelagic country – a large chain of islands – water flows through all corners of Indonesia. Yet, most of the water supply is unsafe to drink, leaving millions of Indonesians without access to safe water at home.
This meant that Neneng and her family had to either boil water or purchase gallon jugs for safe drinking. Neneng purchased around 3 gallon jugs a week for home use, and 5 gallons a week for business use. The cost was high. "In a week I'd spend around 15 to 20 thousand rupiah ($0.84 - $1.12 USD). That's just for the refills, 5,000 each," Neneng recalls. Week by week, the expenses multiplied.
"When I buy gallon water, I just have to keep buying it."
Neneng and her husband work hard to provide for their family of four. Their daughter also works, and their son attends elementary school right up the road from their house.
No more boiling, no more jugs: Neneng invests in safe water for her home and business
Everything changed when Neneng learned about a water filter available to finance through our local partner bank. The bank offers affordable loans in weekly installments from 6 months to a year. Picturing life without the burden of boiling water or spending hard-earned money on gallon jugs made this an easy decision. "Since I wanted to finish paying it off sooner, I took the 6-month plan at 27,000 rupiah ($1.51 USD) a week," she says.
A small loan gave Neneng the opportunity to choose the solution that works best for her business and her family.
"The installments for the (water filter) weren't a burden at all for me, not at all.”
Neneng prepares a beverage using the water filter she financed through KBMI, our local bank partner in Indonesia.
Safe water at home helps Neneng’s family save money and invest in their future
Today, Neneng and her family no longer boil water for cooking and drinking. They simply turn on the tap of their water filter whenever they need it. Her family gains time and peace of mind.
"Before, if I wanted water to drink, I'd have to boil it first," Neneng explains. "But with this, it's already there. As long as I fill it at night, it's ready to drink."
Because her filter now gives her safe water straight from the tap, Neneng no longer buys refill gallons. Her business also uses less of its budget on water, so more of what she earns now stays with her family, and they can invest in their future.
"There are so many benefits, honestly. It's just so much less of a hassle."
197 million people in Indonesia still lack access to safe water. You can help change this. Learn more about how our smart solutions are working to solve the global water crisis in Indonesia and around the world.
