A Decade of Impact: Project Maji’s Journey to Transform Rural Water Access
- projectmaji
- Mar 17
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 19
In the face of a global water crisis affecting 4.4 billion people (Greenwood et al., 2024), Project Maji has spent the last decade pioneering sustainable, solar-powered solutions for underserved rural communities. As we mark our 10th anniversary on World Water Day 2025, we reflect on key milestones, challenges overcome, and our commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6: clean water and sanitation for all.
The Spark That Ignited Change
The Project Maji story began with a moment of profound realization. During a trip to Ghana, Founder and CEO Sunil Lalvani witnessed children drinking from a muddy puddle. This sight ignited more than empathy—it catalysed action. Drawing on his expertise in electronics, Sunil developed Project Maji’s first solar-powered water kiosk, initially launched as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative under his family business.
In March 2015, the first installation in Atintan, Ghana, provided clean water to 1,200 people. But this was just the beginning.
Scaling Solutions: A Journey of Innovation
From a single kiosk in Ghana, Project Maji has evolved into a safe water enterprise operating across multiple African countries. Our commitment to sustainability, affordability, and community-driven innovation has driven major milestones in our journey:
2016 – Developed and deployed the Mini Maji modular kiosk, making clean water accessible to smaller communities.
2018 – Expanded operations into Kenya, paving the way for regional scale-up.
2018 – Launched digital payment systems (MajiPay) and remote monitoring of our entire water systems, enabling consumers to pay seamlessly and allowing for proactive maintenance and operational efficiency.
2021 – Installed our first MajiPlus piped water system with multiple access points, an advancement in decentralized rural water supply.
2022 – Expanded into Uganda, strengthening our impact through strategic partnerships.
2024 – Published in the Harvard Business Review, showcasing our innovative approach to sustainable water solutions.
Overcoming Challenges: The COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond
The pandemic posed one of our greatest challenges, bringing site rollouts to a standstill. Yet, it also became a defining moment of resilience and innovation. We developed the award-winning Maji Bucket in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring safe handwashing in vulnerable communities. In parallel, we launched the Sweat of Soap campaign, rallying global support to distribute thousands of Maji Buckets, ensuring safe handwashing practices during a critical time.
Expanding Through Strategic Partnerships
Collaboration has been at the heart of our expansion and success.
Aqua for All Partnership – Secured our first major institutional contract, which allowed us to scale operations in Kenya, strengthen our team, and test small piped systems, water treatment methods, and electronic payments.
WaterTime Consortium – Opened doors to expansion in Uganda, creating a replicable model for rural water access.
Uptime Collaboration – Enabled results-based funding for Ghana, ensuring sustainability and impact measurement.
Hilton Foundation Support – Strengthened our organizational capacity and ability to invest in community impact.
The Ripple Effect: Water as a Catalyst for Change
Access to clean water is not just about hydration—it’s about transformation. The impact of our work extends across multiple dimensions:
Time Saved, Opportunities Gained – Time spent collecting water has been reduced by nearly 70%, transforming daily routines. This means children spend more time in school, and women can focus on income-generating activities, fostering economic empowerment.
Enhanced Safety for Women and Girls - Before, collecting water often meant walking long distances alone, exposing women and girls to risks. Now, 99% report feeling safe or very safe, a significant improvement from 78% prior to the installation of our kiosks.
Healthier Communities - Clean water directly translates to better health. Since the introduction of Project Maji kiosks, 84% of community members report improved or much improved health, with cases of waterborne illnesses dropping to as low as zero.
Looking Ahead: The Million-Person Vision & Operational Sustainability
As we celebrate serving 400,000+ people, we are setting an ambitious goal: a fundamental shift toward sustainable, community-led water solutions. A key component of this strategy is achieving operational expenditure (OPEX) breakeven, ensuring that our model remains self-sufficient in the long run.
Commemorating a Decade of Impact
To mark this milestone, we are launching a documentary that captures the heart of our mission. Premiering on World Water Day 2025 (March 22nd), the film takes viewers inside the communities we serve, sharing the personal stories of those whose lives have been transformed.
📽 Watch our documentary trailer
📖 Learn more about our decade of impact
💧 Support us in reaching our one million people goal
Project Maji’s journey has been one of innovation, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to water access. As we step into the next decade, we invite you to be part of this movement. Together, we can build a future where clean water is not a privilege, but a right for all.