‘We want to provide local and sustainable water to many families around Dili’ says Fernando de Sousa Corbafo, 28, a business focal point and marketing director at Ill Suma Lacibul Ltd, a company working with Bee Lafaek.

In Dili, many households boil water to eliminate any micro-organisms such as viruses, parasites, or bacteria to make it safe for drinking. The main source of fuel for boiling or other domestic cooking is kerosene and firewood which also contributes to environmental damage.  A lot of the communities also buy imported gallons of water for their home water dispensers. This can be particularly expensive for households with many family members.

The Timorese group Ill Suma Lacibul Ltd were well-aware of the demand for drinking water gallons and wanted to provide the community with better access to safe and affordable drinking water gallons and filtration systems. However, they faced numerous challenges including finance restrictions, infrastructure limitations and high costs of local services such as electricity.

Fernando’s group applied for a social business competition run by the one-stop shop Knua Juventude Fila-Liman in partnership with Bee Lafaek, an Australian company. Bee Lafaek provides water filtration systems to developing countries. In Timor-Leste, they have an Integrated ‘Utilities pilot project’.  Bee Lafaek engage young entrepreneurs in Timor-Leste to implement their project and support economic self-sufficiency in communities.

Fernando’s group Ill Suma Lacibul Ltd were one of three different business groups who made it in the final stages of the social business competition. The Ill Suma Lacibul Ltd team were selected as the winners and recipients of $50,000 value of kiosks and technical infrastructure from Bee Lafaek.

‘At first, we had many challenges and struggles when initiating business plans and structures. It was thanks to the Knua Juventude Fila-Liman centre that we got this opportunity and received so much support,’  Fernando comments.

With the support of the Knua Juventude Fila-Liman centre, Fernando mapped out a business plan. His focus during the training was to make the business specific to the Fatuhada suco through identifying all local consumers, including residents and supermarkets. To compete with other water gallon business, they marketed and promoted the unique design for the water gallons which makes them easier to hold and carry. They also lowered the usual price of the water filter component with the first gallon purchase.

“Now, all the residents in suco Fatuhada are using our services. The community are happy to be consuming locally filtered water with certified quality and hygiene.” said Fernando. “The month of May was our first month of sales. We made around $450. We believe that as the business expands to more local sucos and supermarkets, our business will continue to grow and expand’

#####

About Knua Juventude Fila-Liman

Knua Juventude Fila-Liman (KJFL) is a one-stop youth innovation and entrepreneurship hub, managed and sponsored by UNDP Timor-Leste in partnership with the Secretary of State for Youth and Labour, IADE, SERVE, BNCTL and Telemor. At the centre youth can access information and be trained and empowered through activities to improve their employability and entrepreneurship skills, as well as promoting their voices and engagement in development.