The challenge
The standpipes already served their communities, but revenue collection ran on trust and cash: shopkeepers and committee members collected payments informally, with no reliable way to reconcile what was owed against what was actually taken.
What we did
Maji Community Dispensers were retrofitted directly into the existing standpipes, embedded in cement using local materials and methods, with the existing PVC pipework re-routed through the dispenser's inlet and outlet. Households and individuals were issued prepaid, contactless WaterCards, topped up for cash with local resellers using any NFC-enabled Android phone — a role that itself became a small income for shopkeepers, mothers and people with health impairments in the community.
The outcome
The village water committee, together with an NGO representative, now manages WaterCard credit and downloads daily and weekly account statements for every dispenser. Cash collection is guaranteed rather than hoped for, and it funds the borehole pump and water system directly.
