Innovation: Africa and the Mwendo* Group: Empowering African Communities with Water, Education, and Health

by Terry Kessel and Sivan Yaari

June 23, 2025

“In Chalenga Village, I met Mary, a mother of three who told me that before the installation of the solar water system, she would leave at 4 a.m. to fetch water and return after sunrise, exhausted and worried. Today, her children attend school, she’s started a small vegetable garden, and for the first time in her life, she can plan for tomorrow”.

It has all been transformed.

Innovation: Africa: Its mission and its achievements

Innovation: Africa is a non-profit organization based in Israel that leverages Israeli technology to bring essential resources like clean water and reliable lighting to villages across Africa. To date it has provided water to over 1,300 villages impacting close to 5.5 million people. Many African communities, particularly those in rural areas, struggle with limited access to fresh water, affecting their overall health, productivity, and quality of life. Innovation: Africa’s mission is to bridge this gap by utilizing innovative solutions to provide sustainable water systems and renewable energy to underserved populations.

One of the most significant initiatives by Innovation: Africa has been its ability to implement advanced water purification and solar-powered irrigation systems. These solutions have allowed African villages to access clean water from wells, enabling access not only to drinking water but also to irrigation for agriculture. The ability to irrigate crops helps to improve food security and allows communities to grow vegetables, which has been a game-changer for local economies.

 

 Safe drinking water in Chalenga Village

In the heart of sub-Saharan Africa, where the sun scorches red earth and communities still walk miles to collect water, a quiet revolution is underway. It doesn't begin in government offices or with sweeping UN decrees - it starts in villages. It starts with women and girls. And in our case, it starts with a promise: to help repair the world, one village at a time.

Founded in 2008 by Israeli social entrepreneur Sivan Yaari, Innovation: Africa is powered by a unique partnership between Israeli innovation and African leadership. Every water system is built using Israeli-engineered solar infrastructure, real-time remote monitoring systems, and advanced water pumping technology. Israeli and African engineers work hand-in-hand with local village committees to deliver solutions that are sustainable, scalable, and life-changing.

In just three years, the partnership with Mwendo has delivered light and clean water to 9 villages across Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia, directly impacting more than 35,000 people.

Together, they form a powerful constellation of hope - and proof that targeted, community-driven philanthropy can spark transformative, long-term change.

Water: The Most Basic - and Most Powerful - Tool for Change

Across sub-Saharan Africa, 400 million people live without access to clean water. That number isn’t just a statistic - it’s a daily sentence of suffering. It means young girls, some as young as six, missing school to walk for water. It means mothers giving birth in health centers without electricity or running taps. It means disease, death, and the slow grind of generational poverty.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Innovation: Africa’s model offered something unique: solar-powered water systems that can pump up to 30,000 liters a day, stored in elevated tanks and distributed through multiple taps across a village. These systems don’t just bring water closer - they change everything. School attendance rises, especially for girls. Illness drops. Nutrition improves. And perhaps most importantly, time - particularly for women - is reclaimed.

Trainees installing a pump

A key element of every Innovation: Africa project is its remote monitoring system - a technology developed in Israel that sends real-time data on water flow, solar output, and usage patterns to a central dashboard.

Too often, well-intentioned WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) projects fall into disrepair within months or years of installation. But with this technology, we know instantly if a pump stops working or if solar panels are underperforming. We can track daily water usage by village, identify anomalies, and respond proactively - avoiding the all-too-common fate of ‘ghost taps’ and broken systems.

More than ensuring transparency, this data gives us confidence. It means our investments are protected. And most importantly, it means villagers are never abandoned. Our commitment is not just to installation, but to long-term functionality.

Powering More Than Pumps

Our support also reaches beyond water. At Jitegemee Primary School in Tanzania, we helped install a solar system that powers classrooms, giving students light to study into the evening and teachers the tools to innovate. At Samuel Rural Health Center in Zambia, doctors can now refrigerate vaccines, run diagnostic equipment, and conduct safe deliveries with electric light.

This isn’t just development - it’s dignity. It’s unlocking potential.

Children celebrating light and electricity at Jitegemee Primary School in Tanzania

The Mwendo Group: Where Data Meets Dignity

The Mwendo Group, formed in 2021 under the leadership of Terry Kessel, is a dynamic initiative that builds upon the work of Innovation: Africa, with a strong focus on community development. The group was founded by former members of the Habonim youth movement from South Africa, who were deeply inspired by a talk given by Sivan Yaari, the CEO of Innovation: Africa. They saw this as a way of applying the principles of “Tikun Olam” on which they were brought up in the movement as well as a desire to give something back to Africa that had provided them with a privileged upbringing. A passion for change by these individuals led to the creation of the Mwendo Group, which aimed to make a lasting impact on African villages by providing access to clean water, education, and healthcare.

Nothing could be more illustrative of the dire situation addressed by the group than this video:

Kalinda Village Finally Has Clean Water – See the Impact!

Since its formation, the Mwendo Group has made substantial strides. The organization has successfully turned on the taps in two villages in Tanzania, two in Zambia, and two in Malawi, providing clean water to thousands of people. Its ongoing work is set to continue with a project in two villages in Uganda, which will bring access to fresh water for over 8,000 people.  It is due to open on 1th August 2025.

Investing in People, Not Just Infrastructure

The Mwendo Group’s impact has gone beyond water. In addition to providing clean water, the organization has undertaken significant infrastructure projects. In Tanzania, it completely rebuilt a local school, providing a better learning environment for the community’s children. In Zambia, a health clinic was constructed, ensuring that villagers have access to essential healthcare services. These developments are critical to the overall well-being of the communities and show the broader social impact that access to basic resources can have.

The transformative work of the Mwendo Group has had a ripple effect in the communities they serve. By bringing water to villages, it has enabled residents to build homes with better materials, including bricks, and support local agriculture. Villagers are now planting vegetables, improving food security, and contributing to their own economic development.

One of the most impactful changes has been the empowerment of women, who no longer have to walk long distances every morning to fetch contaminated water. With access to clean water at their doorstep, women can focus on other productive activities, such as growing crops or engaging in small businesses, which has greatly enhanced their status within the community.

Each village is not just handed a solution – the villagers become part of it. Through Innovation: Africa’s local training programs, every water project hires and trains 10 local technicians - with the goal of at least half of them being women - to oversee maintenance, conduct repairs, and teach others. Across the Mwendo Group’s 10 projects, 100 villagers have been trained as water technicians. Many have gone on to find employment with local contractors and other organizations. These are not temporary jobs. They’re lifelong skills - and a critical part of breaking the cycle of aid dependency.

The outcome and the aspiration

Innovation: Africa and the Mwendo Group are examples of how targeted, sustainable interventions can transform the lives of people in rural Africa. By providing clean water, lighting, education, and healthcare, these organizations are not just solving immediate problems but are laying the groundwork for long-term prosperity and empowerment. As they continue their work, the hope is that more communities will benefit from these essential resources, creating a brighter future for generations to come. The Mwendo group’s aim is to provide water to at least one or two villages each year.

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* Mwendo means “moving forward” in Swahili

Terry & Carol Kessel, Noam & Audrey Karstead being welcomed at Chalenga Village Malawi for opening the taps ceremony