SPOUTS

On Monday June 29th we were able to visit the SPOUTS team for the first time. SPOUTS is a not-for-profit social enterprise striving to ensure that all families in Uganda have access to clean water. 10 million Ugandans lack access to clean water and SPOUTS is providing ceramic water filters to help solve the problem.

We learned all this information back in Denver, Colorado, but we quickly realized there is a big difference between reading about a company and collaborating remotely versus experiencing the company and its mission first hand. Back in the US, I automatically pictured large, four-wall factories with metal machines. However, visiting Uganda and specifically the SPOUTS headquarters enabled me to truly empathize with SPOUTS and their mission. We were able to see exactly how the ceramic filters were produced and learn how they killed bacteria. I do not think I really understood the SPOUTS filters until I got to see them with my own eyes.

It was also powerful to meet and speak with the SPOUTS team. We can read the SPOUTS handouts, but we definitely empathized more when we heard directly from Kathy, the SPOUTS co-founder; Billy, the country director; and Lauren, the country-director-in-training. Kathy, Billy, and Lauren all spoke very passionately about their filters, but they also spoke honestly about their challenges. When people picture startups and entrepreneurship, they often imagine a life of luxury and riches (for example the glamorization of Mark Zuckerberg as portrayed in the Social Network). However, SPOUTS is a testament to how entrepreneurship is actually incredibly challenging - especially in a different and developing country. Throughout my whole experience with entrepreneurship at DSST my biggest takeaway has been that entrepreneurship is hard, challenging, and difficult. But, for people who are truly passionate about a cause they feel compelled to act in spite of the challenges. Kathy even described the experience as "banging her head against the wall." Ultimately, SPOUTS does truly amazing work, but it would not be possible without passion and a greater purpose.

The SPOUTS team is commendable and they have undoubtedly empathized with Ugandans in order to solve the clean water problem. For instance, they actually sleep, eat, and work right at the factory. They shower outside in the middle of draped tarps. Additionally, Kathy, Billy, and Lauren only take a salary of $100 USD a month. The SPOUTS team is clearly very dedicated. Most importantly, they have empathized with the Ugandan people to understand the clean water problem. When people think of "giving back," especially in developing countries, they think of going into a country and "changing" things to solve problems they believe are present. However, SPOUTS analyzed how Ugandans got their water and cleaned it before proposing a solution. Billy spoke about how many Ugandans boil their water, but that few like chlorine tablets due to the taste. There is also a tradition in Uganda of storing water in clay pots. As a result, SPOUTS have produced filters with ceramic pots that are more familiar and do not change the taste of the water. They have kept the user in mind.


Now, SPOUTS is continuing to empathize with communities, starting with schools. Although they generally sell filters to produce a profit and sustain their business, they have decided to install free filters in some schools. Producing the filters is only half of the battle; SPOUTS must also demonstrate to the community that the clay pots can actually produce clean water. One path they are taking is educating primary students on the importance of clean water and why the filters are a better solution for cleaning water than boiling it.

Ultimately, visiting SPOUTS was eye opening and it helped me empathize with SPOUTS on a level I never would have back in the US. SPOUTS is doing amazing work and we are truly grateful for the opportunity to work with them on such an important project.