Brightwater Ethiopia: Clean Water from Broken Wells

In May 2022, Ethiopian social entrepreneur Berhanu Gebeyehu had to decide on next steps for his clean drinking water business, Brightwater Ethiopia (Brightwater), which he had begun in 2019 in the southern town of Dilla. Ninety-six per cent of Dilla’s households had reported on surveys that the clean water available in the town was inadequate for their needs and that school-aged girls regularly missed class because they bore the burden of collecting water, often from unsafe sources. Following two successful years of business, during which Gebeyehu had striven to contribute to the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) by providing clean drinking water and boosting gender equality while also making a profit, Gebeyehu now wanted to reduce his business’s dependency on the foreign non-governmental organization (NGO) that had helped fund and set up the business. He was also considering expanding his social enterprise’s model across Ethiopia as well as developing a capability that would deliver clean water in plastic bottles.

<p align="justify">This case is appropriate for undergraduate and graduate courses in entrepreneurship, strategy, and sustainability. This case can be used at an early stage in the course to explore the concepts of strategic vision and strategic intent. It can also be used to discuss social entrepreneurship and the juggling of non-financial goals (linked to UN SDGs), financial goals, and the need for financial viability of social enterprises. In line with discussing the United Nations SDGs, this case can be used to show how multiple SDGs can be fulfilled in towns such as Dilla, Ethiopia, and also countless others in Africa and beyond. It can be used in a later position in a sustainability course to explore the complex interrelationships among different issues (e.g., clean water provision, childhood education, the role of women in society, environmental degradation, and corruption) as well as how social enterprises can attempt to address multiple issues.</p><br><br\>After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to do the following:<br><ul><li>Understand how local social entrepreneurs work with outside NGOs to address the UN SDGs;</li><li>Develop skills in assessing the financial and non-financial performance of social enterprises in economically poor locations; and</li><li>Appreciate how the alignment of interests between local social entrepreneurs and outside NGOs evolves over time.</li></ul>

• social entrepreneurship
• clean water
• Ethiopia
• UN SDGs