AIWW: AKYAS wins the 2021 Sarphati Sanitation Challenge
The spirit of Dr. Samuel Sarphati came alive again with the unfolding of the 2021 Sarphati Sanitation Challenge. The winner is the Jordan-based AKYAS Sanitation team.
The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the Amsterdam International Water Week on 2 November.
No flushing & no energy needed
AKYAS Sanitation supplies appropriate sewage systems to communities, such as refugee camps, city slums and informal settlements. The company will receive a catalytic grant of 100,000 euro to scale up the new toilet system they developed.
Their winning solution is a toilet system which contains a waste water treatment system in a bag. This simple and innovative toilet does not require water for flushing and does not need to be emptied, while the sanitary powder inside eliminates bacteria and odours and is made of compostable materials.
With a bag at the core of their innovation, AKYAS has a range of complementary products that make their sanitation solution attractive for users and profitable for businesses. The innovation provides a complete and circular solution and generates an additional financial flow by tapping into resource recovery, as human waste inside the bags can be turned into fertiliser and other valuable end products.
Boost for entrepreneurs in sanitation sector
The winner announcement of the Sarphati Sanitation Challenge is a regular feature of the international AIWW-Conference with a live grand finale. However, because of travel restrictions, this year's ceremony took place online.
CEO Cheryl Hicks, former director of the Toilet Coalition Board and now director of the CEO Water Mandate, announced the winner during the online closing ceremony, following the presentation of all five remaining finalists from 85 submissions representing 31 countries.
The organisers, World Waternet, Aqua for All and Accenture, launched the Sarphati Sanitation Challenge to call upon entrepreneurs with viable, scalable and locally-embedded sanitation solutions to apply, in order to accelerate access to safe sanitation for all.
