Sanivation, a Naivasha-based social enterprise has been selected as one of 30 startups from across the world to be a finalist of Chivas Regal’s The Venture competition; a global search to find and support the next generation of start-ups that want to succeed while creating a better future for society.
“We are honored to be Kenya’s Finalist for The Venture Competition. At Sanivation, we work hard to provide cost-effective sanitation services to realize sustainability in urbanizing communities: what UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has described as one of the most important aspects of the post-2015 development framework. Should we win the global competition, we will scale our work and reach 1 million people over the next five years, help tackle the sanitation crisis in Kenya and shift the paradigm about sanitation” said Dickson Ochieng, Director of Government Relations, Sanivation.
Sanivation will represent Kenya in the upcoming Chivas The Venture global final in Los Angeles in July 2017 to compete with 29 other finalists from across six continents for a chance to win a share of a $1 million fund in front of an expert panel of judges who are looking for businesses that can offer scalable and sustainable solutions to real world issues.
Sanivation aims to solve the sanitation crisis in Kenya and East Africa where seven out of ten people lack access to a toilet and also that 95 percent of fecal sludge is disposed into the environment without treatment. Sanivation installs toilets in homes for a monthly subscription fee; after which they collect the waste, treat it and recycle it into charcoal briquettes that are sold at an affordable price.
“The judges felt that Sanivation is a truly scalable social impact business and addressed huge health and environmental challenges that are currently faced by millions of people all over the world. We look forward to see them compete with social startups from across the world” said Mikul Shah Director Eat Out who spoke on behalf of the judges.
Ahead of the global final, the competitors will take part in the Chivas The Venture Accelerator Week hosted at the University of Oxford by The Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship. Embedded within the world-renowned Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, The Skoll Centre has created an inspirational and transformative programme featuring opportunities for the finalists to develop leadership skills, take part in practical workshops and be inspired by global experts on critical topics that affect social enterprises.
With over $1 million in funding and resources, Chivas The Venture inspires entrepreneurs seeking to make positive change to pursue their ambitions and realise their potential.